What is Your Favorite Species and What Got You Set on It?

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

I was having a conversation not long ago about favorite species and if there was an experience that set the tone (got you”hooked” no pun intended). Assuming it’s a bass species but doesn’t have to be. 
 

My favorite is definitely now smallmouth and since getting the bug I’m reminded of an experience when I was a kid fishing with my dad. It didn’t really get me hooked but now that I fish them regularly it comes to mind a lot. When I was in 7th or 8th grade my dad got us into walleye fishing, which I hated at first. To me fishing was seeing structure or something to fish near and all of a sudden we were out in open water throwing jigs at nothing. Eventually we found success and started driving from northeast Wisconsin to Escanaba, Michigan to fish Little Bay de Noc. One trip we were fishing a rock pile or drop off near where a bridge went over the mouth of a river into the bay. I was dragging a jig along the bottom when I felt the familiar subtle tick on an ultralight walleye rod. I set the hook and the next thing I knew my drag was ripping off line like I had never seen before. Not more than a couple seconds later a big splash broke the surface 50 yards out and then snap. Gone. I was shocked and just stood there in silence for a second with no idea what just happened. After a few seconds my dad looked over and said “well I think you hooked into a big smallmouth.” I didn’t even know what a smallmouth was then. Years later after I moved back to the Midwest and got obsessively back into bass fishing, smallmouth became my favorite and I think about that memory a lot now. 
 

Anyone else have a “gotcha moment” fishing?

[papajoe222]

Although I rarely fish lakes that have numbers of them, smallmouth are my favorite. There aren't many species of freshwater fish that compare to their fight to the finish attitude and the thrill they impart every time they jump. I was introduced to them the summer I turned 13 when a friend invited me on a fishing trip to upper Wisconsin with his dad. His dad went into a nearby town to get some supplies leaving us to fish from shore. The water was super clear, shallow and there was some current.  I hooked into my first smallie and I just kept tension on the line while that fish jumped time after time as my friend and I watched with excitement. That was the only fish I caught on that trip, but 62years later, I still recall and relive that experience.

[WRB]

You think LMB are my favorite fish to catch and you are wrong. My life long goal was catching a WR LMB and spent more time on the water pursuing that goal bass are not my favorite fish. 
Musky over 50” are up there for fresh water fish. 
My favorite are Blue Marlin followed by Black Marlin, both are equally difficult to catch and get over 1,000 lbs. Marlin are spectacular fighters with high speed and jumps. Stripe Marlin are common and fun to catch but it’s there Black and Blue cousins that get my vote.

Tom

 

[Columbia Craw]

Smallmouth. They pull.

[The Baron]

Man, that's a tough call.  I love SMB and LMB.  If I was forced to choose, I'd say largemouth just because I like the way we fish for them.  And high jumping SMB are a blast, but there's just something about how a big LMB wallows and you see that huge mouth - I think seeing that for the first time got me hooked.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Agreed 100% with @The Baron.......when a big ole Tina comes up and launches herself out of the water and you see that big ole bucketmouth and your heart sinks, that's it for me!   

 

I could never catch another species of fish besides LMB the rest of my life and be perfectly content.   

[SpellCaster]

Smallies. The name given them by some American Indians was 'Achigan' - meaning 'one who fights.' In addition to their fight, they strike me as one of the most beautiful fish. 

[Pat Brown]

Florida Strain LMB.

 

They are challenging and the reward is huge when you trick an exceptional specimen.

[Swamp Girl]

17 hours ago, Bucks Bass and Bourbon said:

Little Bay de Noc

 

I used to fish Little Bay de Noc too!

 

My favorite species used to be smallmouth. I loved their leaping and stamina. I also loved the beautiful places where I caught them. 

 

Muskies became my favorite for a couple years, but in the end, they're too big for canoe fishing and musky lures are too big for me to throw 12 hours a day, day after day.

 

Now it's lmbs for the added challenge of where they live. Sure, I catch some open water largemouth, but I mostly catch them in weeds and I love that you're fighting fauna and flora at the same time. There are nearby rivers where I could catch smallie after smallie, but I pass. I'm a swamp girl now.

 

Lmbs come sealed in weeds!

 

 

 

[Susky River Rat]

Muskies will forever be my favorite. However around here is terrible for them and I don’t have the time to put in for them. 
 

Smallmouth bass on the susky have my priority. They are a blast. They are abundant. My earliest days where elementary school years wading the susky with my dad. 

[T-Billy]

When it comes to bass in lakes, it drifts back and forth between LM and SM as the years go by. That said, river SM will always be king. Big river brownies in current are quite a handful.

 My favorite species available to me locally is the muskie, and second place ain't even close. 

 

[Jar11591]

Hard to choose between largemouth and smallmouth. I got my start fishing for smallmouth on crystal clear mountain lakes, and then as a kid and young teen most of my fishing was at the park pond for largemouth. These days I fish for largemouth more often, and that’s mainly because the lakes that provide the best opportunity for my small electrically powered craft are primarily largemouth lakes. 

[little giant]

I grew up in Pennsylvania so smallmouth, walleye, and trout. River smallmouth were the most fun! Moved to south Florida in '87 and of course largemouth are king! That said, Peacocks are great to catch as well, their fighting ability reminds me of smallmouths.

If I could ever afford it, a trip to Costa Rica for Marlin would be the fish of a lifetime!

[Catt]

Some where back in the 60s my dad rented a wooden boat that had slats nailed across the ribs for a floor. I noticed what turned out to be a Scoundrel worm (black with two yellow stripes).

 

 Dad rigged it weedless for me & I cast it out & let it sit while eating a sandwich. I noticed a whole row of pencil reeds laying over in a stright line & thought what the hell. Dad screamed set hook, I did & caught a nice 2# chunk.

 

 60+ yrs later still chunking worms & chasing largemouth!

[Craig P]

At one time, for a long time, it was wild trout as they are abundant in Pa.  Bass in general is definitely my favorite right now.  I wonder if I will ever grow tired of them and move onto another species like I did with trout?

 

I do love saltwater fishing though and I go many times a year out of NJ.  Catching 40”+ stripers never gets old, it does get tiring at times  and I don’t care who you are, Sea Bass and Fluke fishing is just downright fun….and tasty!

[Mobasser]

I could easily become a smallmouth bass angler. I don't have any smallmouth fishing close to home, so I fish for the largemouth bass. They're abundant in my area, and fun to catch.          Second for me would probably be crappie or bream to catch and fillet. Both taste great.

[crypt]

Largemouth..........but a Snook is a very close second.....Tarpon 3rd.

[Alex from GA]

Redfish.  They pull really hard and for a long time.

[Bankbeater]

Right now it is largemouth bass.  I started bass fishing around the time that I got back into fishing and found that I liked casting a bait around, trying to find them, and figure out what they would bite.

[bowhunter63]

Love all the three But Smallies. Caught my first one wading a River when I was about ten

or so.. Been hooked ever since 

[Dwight Hottle]

@Bucks Bass and Bourbon I share your favorite, smallmouth. 

[A-Jay]

What is Your Favorite Species and What Got You Set on It?

 

Growing up and fishing in New England, it was mostly panfish and small LMB. 

Eventually I started catching some SMB and thought they were pretty cool.

Didn't know then where that would lead. 

Throughout my life time I've been very fortunate to have had an opportunity to do a fairly wide variety of both fresh and salt water game fishing including Lakes, rivers, reservoirs, streams, inshore and off shore adventures. Blue water pelagic fish are a completely different deal. 

 However what ever species(s) I would be targeting, I have always been a fan of "the Big Ones".

And my 'favorite' is directly related to what's available where I'm at. 

I had a Serious Striped Bass addiction for about 15 years and chased them up & down the east coast from Maine to North Carolina. Usually from the beach or rocks and always at night. 

Lost a lot of sleep. 

Caught the Big Largemouth bass bug pretty bad once I started making trips south of the border.

Gave me a chance to scratch an itch I'll never be able to do in the north woods. 

Since retiring to northern Michigan, the past 17 plus years, I've had access to

several cool water game fish.  Besides LM and SM Bass, these include pike, muskie, walleye and a few different trout & salmon species.  And have caught a few of most all of them, but they were almost always by catch; except for the walleye (sandwiches). 

However I am mostly (OK Wildly) addicted to Smallmouth.  

I'm all about the preparation, the hunt and the execution.

Trophy Brown bass are usually a very worthy opponent on the right gear

and just look awesome all colored up !

Also they can be reasonably scarce, making them hard to find.

This may be one reason why I'm often pretty lonely on the water.

Which suits me just fine.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[gim]

Smallmouth for me too. Unfortunately there’s just not a lot of opportunity for me to target them.

 

Secondary species besides bass would be muskie. Specifically, tiger muskies.

 

I’ve only been saltwater fishing a few times in my life. It was freakishly awesome each time though.

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

Some really good answers here. @A-Jay I’m in southern Michigan and would like to retire and relocate north for the reasons you mentioned. Lots of bass, walleye, panfish, pike and musky and plenty of waters to get out on to chase them. Already starting to plan for it. 

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, Bucks Bass and Bourbon said:

Some really good answers here. @A-Jay I’m in southern Michigan and would like to retire and relocate north for the reasons you mentioned. Lots of bass, walleye, panfish, pike and musky and plenty of waters to get out on to chase them. Already starting to plan for it. 

Good Luck

Don't forget about the 5 months of snow and lakes being iced over.

A-Jay