Take a two pound smallie and a two pound spot and tie their tails together with say a two foot section of line. At the end of the day, who's pullin who backwards. Opinions?

As far as sheer pulling power, I feel it goes to the spot. But if they got drunk one night and took it outside, I'd say smallie.

As far as sheer pulling power, I feel it goes to the spot. But if they got drunk one night and took it outside, I'd say smallie.

I like this, and agree

I have only had limited access to & caught a few of each, but from my experience, I would say the Spot wins as long as the battle stays underwater.  Once they take to the air, the Smallmouth will pull the Spot behind him like a kite..

How about a river smallie vs a spot?

All the spots ive ever caught reminded me of river smallies without the acrobatics

Lake smallies vs river smallies are night and day to me. River smallies are beasts, but I feel like any river fish is going to "outperform" a lake fish. Never caught a spot but they sound fun. But my bias vote is river smallmouth

Never having caught a river smallmouth, I am floored to hear they are that much stronger than their lake cousins.  I know river fish are stronger inherently than lake fish, but I didn't think there were many fish tougher, stronger or more willing to go airborne than the few smallmouth I have caught on trips to Lake Mead.  Those guys put their bigger largemouth brethren & striper cousins to shame ounce for ounce.

 

Must keep my eyes open for any chance for river smallmouths when I travel in the future...

As far as sheer pulling power, I feel it goes to the spot. But if they got drunk one night and took it outside, I'd say smallie.

I'd never put it past a smallmouth to pull out a switchblade.  :  )

People tend to forget that spots are actually river fish. River spots compared to lake spots are beasts though.

My home lake has both (actually all three) and right now it's all spotties and smallies so I can compare. To me it's a toss up.

I'd have to add a caveat. If they are the same size, the spot could probably drag the smallmouth. However, the smallmouth favor current more, so they could drag the spot if given the motivation. If you factor in the fat, lazy cousin largemouth, I'd say the two that are naturally in shape, strong and lean would trounce the larger family member. Either way you go, just go catch them.

It's a toss up for me. Personally, I think the smallie would pull longer than the spot would so at the end of the day I guess I'd take the smallmouth. 

There is only one way to find out......

There is only one way to find out......

Don't let PETA know.

Good question, but I'd have to give the nod to the smallmouth bass.

When a fish takes to the air it expends a great deal of energy, so the comparison isn't exactly fair.

Spotted bass are strong and dogged, but I believe a spot would run out of gas sooner than a smallie

if it engaged in the same aerial acrobatics as the smallie.

 

Roger

No question, A river smallie could pull a house off its foundation.

 

My comparison - Spots are top fuel dragsters.  huge blast with a short finish

 

                          River smallie.  The old tractor your grandfather had ,  Just kept on pulling and pulling and pulling

 

Smallmouth wins that bar fight!!

I have never caught a spot do I can't say but you know my guess.

Y'know, as I thought about this more, I believe that as the spot & smallmouth were in the middle of their duel, a 10 lb. largemouth would saunter over & most likely eat them both.

 

Kind of like two strong, musclebound boxers getting sat on by an enormous sumo wrestler.