When bass fishing, what's the best? 

The strike? (whatever your favorite strike is)

Setting the hook?  Or

Fighting the fish?

I think at the end, when you have succesfully completed all the above, is the best.

a top water strike is the best of all

i enjoy them all equally, but nothing beats landing a nice one

I like the way largemouths strikes a bait, it feels like it has vengeance against it. I also like the fight of a nice smallie.

all of the above?

If I had to pick one, I'd have to say the hookset when pitchin a jig

A good solid strike with the water boilin' 8-)

I like the strike myself.  The begining of good things to come

The thump for me. I don't even like the fight that much. I love the casting and the hit.

The strike and the fight of a decent peacock is like nothing else.  Give me that any day and I'm happy.  Either that or a violent topwater strike on a frog.

With out landing the fish none of these are fulfilling. If your experiencing a good fight then u had a strike and hook set so i guess the fight would be best.

Surface swimbait strike!

I'd say the hook set!

The strike is exciting.

The hook set is the reaction to the excitement and determines the outcome.

The fight is nerve racking for me. I want the bass in the boat ASAP which means there is no future for me hosting a fishing show.

Put me down for the topwater strike.  Especially froggin'.  The anticipation when the frog is just about to come into an opening in the pads, then it gets there and the water blows up!  Awesome!

Hook set!!!

a top water strike is the best of all

+1

I love it when I'm bumping a jig over the rocks and I suddenly feel the THUMP!

A SOLID hook set, the initial swing then you connect with the fish and feel resistance and you KNOW it's a solid fish. That my friend is the best part. I just love it when you swing and connect with somethin' on the other end.

No matter the fish, whether it be a 5lb Largemouth or 8 ounce Bluegill, I get a little adrenaline rush every single time I feel a strike. Probably the reason why I miss so many hooksets though.

The strike... closely followed by the fight/landing the fish. Just getting hammered by a fish and then having that split second wondering if it's a biggin or an aggressive little fella.

All of the above. It would be interesting to see this as a poll.

For me . . . It's that split second between the strike and the hook set. That anticipation and satisfaction of solid resistance as the rod bows and the drag slips a little confirming that this might be a "better" fish.

A-Jay

The strike, because the possibility exists that it's a monster.  So, it's about anticipation, and imagination.

The fight gives a good indication of the reality of the size, and sometimes the fight isn't much.

Landing a true monster doesn't happen all that often.  At least not around here.  Landing an average fish, while fun, is nothing to get very excited about, simply because it's, well, average.

It's all in the mind.

A SOLID hook set, the initial swing then you connect with the fish and feel resistance and you KNOW it's a solid fish. That my friend is the best part. I just love it when you swing and connect with somethin' on the other end.

Yes

All three get me going, but a Topwater strike is best.