Topic explains pretty much everything, who will get landed first?

i would say that it would be tough   up here smallies grow faster but then slow down immediatly while largemouth grow consistantly throughtout their lives  so an average largemouth is just a little bit larger than a smallie    so i would say a smallmouth    depends though  sometimes largemouth because they relate more to structure that can cause lost in time if they get wrapped up in it  

Everything else being equal, a smallmouth will generally outfight a largemouth.  That's (one reason) why I love 'em.

I think if the fish are of equal size the smallmouth will outfight the largemouth.

In reseviors and rivers here the smallies outfight the largemouth by double. But if you go to some of the larger harbors on Lake Erie the largemouth take on that football shape of the smallmouth (my theory large expanses of very deep water, plenty of baitfish + the northern strain) these largemouth grow some big shoulders and give smallies of the same weight a run for their money

There isn't a Largemouth alive that could win a tug of war with a comparably sized river Smallie  In fact, I think I'd bet on the river Smallie even if he/she was giving up a half pound or so.  River Smallies do not have quit in their vocabulary.  If you have never fished for river Smallies, you have no idea what you are missing.  

I agree. Smallies fight much harder.

I fished a tourney in early November on the Ohio river my first fish was a 3.5 largemouth very sluggish. A little later I caught a 3.5 smallie that one thought he was friggin superman!! River fish in general are stronger period. Look at the shape of a river smallie compared to one in a caught from a lake. Lake Erie smallmouth are very heavy for their length. That is what happens when you put a stream fish in a pelagic environment.  Another classic example the rainbow trout - steelhead.

I fished a tourney in early November on the Ohio river my first fish was a 3.5 largemouth very sluggish. A little later I caught a 3.5 smallie that one thought he was friggin superman!! River fish in general are stronger period. Look at the shape of a river smallie compared to one in a caught from a lake. Lake Erie smallmouth are very heavy for their length. That is what happens when you put a stream fish in a pelagic environment. Another classic example the rainbow trout - steelhead.

The pelagic zone, also known as the open-ocean zone, is the part of a body of water which is located in the open water column, that is the part of the ocean that is not near the coast or continental shelf. The pelagic zone is further divided into sections creating a number of sub-zones based on their different ecological characteristics. These characteristics are roughly a function of depth.

I googled it and still don't understand?

Just means open water, or fish that roam open water in search of prey. Now the smallies have gobies to eat and don't have to hunt the open water baitfish primarily on Erie (they still do) they are pot bellied sorta bottom feeders. They are odd though sometimes suspending 15 down over 40 feet of water. I thought I learned that word (pelagic) from the Linders a long time ago and understood it to mean fish that spend most of their life off-shore like salmon.  

I just think the average smallie gets landed first. Smallies are just usually more aggressive.

Iceintheveins, I disagree wholeheartedly. Yes, a smallie is more aggressive, but they also don't know what the word quit means. At least that's my experience.

That's why I love them so much.

Falcon

Largemouth will be landed first.  They give a couple tugs and come to the boat.  A smallie will fight until you net it.

If you could tie the tail of a smallmouth to the tail of a largemouth, the largemouth would drown and be dragged around the lake. That's like comparing a Volkswagon Beetle to a Mack Truck!

8-)

What about if you through a spot in the mix?

Smallmouth are a stronger fighter than large mouth, hands down. Its simple biology, its just the way they are built!