All depends on season for me.  Bass, smallies in particular are my favourite, but we have a short season for them here.  I love ice fishing for lakers, fishing ice out crappies, river run steelhead and giant pike and salmon before bass opens up again.

 

If we're being honest .... If it swims, I like catching it!!

Bass,...  striped bass that is! It doesn't get any better than a dark of the moon night with a big swell coming into an outer Cape beach during the early fall run. I can envision the white water on the bars and the bass which it promises will be there ...

I don't think there is anything that fights quite like a big bull dolphin aka mahi aka dorado. 

 

Though I will say the longest/hardest fight I ever had may have been the roosterfish that broke the drag on the reel, so I had to use my thumb on the spinning reel like I was fly fishing.

White sturgeon in Sacramento river

Muskie when you finally get one on are a lot of fun, as are big pike.  The fact that you could be wounded (by the fish) while getting a hook out is a strange rush.

 

A agree with this. If I am not chasing small mouths. Its muskie or nothing.

Redfish, tarpon.

CRAPPIE OR SAC A LAIT

 

I don't think there is anything that fights quite like a big bull dolphin aka mahi aka dorado. 

 

@Helluva, I think a good dolphin gives a better fight than a sailfish.  I also feel a permit or jack pound for pound is more formidable that a tarpon.  Between the size and the acrobatics of tarpon it does put them into their own class.

Big speckled trout would be my next to bass.

PIKE

Anything that bites. Trout are fun and Big river fish put up a real fight.

Don't really like messing with Gar. We don't have much around my part of the country without a 2 hour drive.

Its either sunfishes, catfish, carp, and drum 

Redfish.

Yes- those are waterspouts behind me. Lol.

I gotta say muskies.

 

They are the badasses around here. I've never met someone who thought the idea of catching a 40"+ fish wasn't a good idea.

Walleye. So challenging, so rewarding. 

I gotta say muskies.

 

They are the badasses around here. I've never met someone who thought the idea of catching a 40"+ fish wasn't a good idea.

 

 

These guys are a lot of fun too.

 

I gotta say muskies.

 

They are the badasses around here. I've never met someone who thought the idea of catching a 40"+ fish wasn't a good idea.

I get a rush from musky.  They don't fight the hardest but when you see that submarine headed to your boat or wading spot it's an amazing experience. They completely disregard everything but the lure they key in on.  Very cool.

Walleye and Tarpon.  I wish I had the time and money to travel to fish them.

Started off with bass and walleyes by way of jigging, trolling, cranking and rigging. Just great to work them.

Last few years I picked up on the Muskies and simply just enjoy it a lot. Cranking and burning hard. Not stop hard fighting fish.