Hi, I was just wondering, what's the biggest fish you've caught in fresh water? I myself, is new to fishing and I do it just for fun, not for sport. So, I was just wondering what monsters you guys might have caught.
On a day when I didn't see anyone pulling anything out, I fought a 35 inch Tiger Muskie with a 5-1/2 foot light action rod with 6 pound test for over an hour. The best part of it was that I was on a reservoir where all the "professionals" in their $30,000 lake rigs were looking at my electric Scanoe like "what the hell are you doing here?" Stood up, held the fish over my head and yelled, "Suck it!"
Largest small mouth bass I ever caught was when I was trolling for walleye in the winter. I was alone in my canoe, so I laid it on the floor between my feet and took a picture. It was right at 24 inches. Worst picture I could've taken of a trophy fish that I may never catch again.
The only fish I ever bothered to mount is a smallmouth. Maryland freshwater fishing in general isn't noted for fish the size y'all get further south. Loch Raven Reservoir is fairly small but oh so close to my house, so mostly where I go. With tons of largemouth, an odd perch here and there and a zillion pickerel (hate 'em), smallies are rare. But, after another long fight with a light action rod just as the sun was coming up, I pulled in a 5-1/2 pounder.
I have caught a lot of 20 inch trout in the 3 pound category and few larger ones. I have broken off a bunch of really big trout but never landed one.
One time on a canoe trip in Minnesotta I caught a very large northern pike. I put the canoe on shore and finally got him in the shallow water. He was about the size of my leg.
25" Trout out of Klamath Lake, Oregon. During the winter they slam 2-3" Big Hammer type rubber swim baits. They get a little bit bigger and on a good day can catch them non stop.