Adrenaline Fish

[karstopo]

I know some of y'all have caught or pursued some of pretty much everything that swims. That would not describe my experience, but I'm wondering what fish in your experience induces the best adrenaline rush. So far for me it might be a Tarpon, but redfish, largemouth bass, Carp, and jacks get me to that buck fever stage of blowing casts and semi coming undone. What's your drug?

 

[corn fed fins]

Big pike chasing surface flies seeing as how I don't fish the salt that often anymore

 

[karstopo]

I didn't even know this posted! I was going to list a bunch of fish, but gave up. Too many cool fish to list!!

 

[ejsell]

So far steelhead and a couple salmon I've had on but didn't catch. When a big steelhead starts running back to the big lake it gets the adrenaline running.

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[corn fed fins]

Good topic. Hard to post fish because there are so many different species. One guy would say panfish on a zero weight with 8x is the skizznizzle and another Mako shark is the only true sport. Lol

This leaves it open.

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[kentuckysteve]

I fish mostly warm water and for me it would be a big largemouth bass.Nothing gets my heart pumping like when you are fishing a quiet lake,water is smooth,not much activity anywhere then all of a sudden unexpecting it,a big ole bucket mouth bass busts through the water and devours your popper.

 

[littledavid123]

Big Browns in the 20lb plus class give me a severe fever. Haven't caught one yet but have had two come screaming towards my streamer and turn at the last moment...aaagh Need to make myself strip faster when I see him coming. I know where they live but don't go after them too often less they get wise to me!

Hopefully one day I will have a pic to share with the forum.

Dave

 

[flyminded]

Not so much a specific species ...but sight fishing, especially to a tailing fish, when you know that the tail belongs to something way above average in size.

 

[just4grins]

I think we're losing something here. If you can't find a thrill in all species, off we go to bigger is better. My thrill comes more from anticipation, and the ability to be pursuing a pastime I love. All fish are exciting, some experiences more so. I've caught tarpon, black marline, sailfish, and just about every saltwater or freshwater fish that swims. Anticipation is THE thrill.

 

[westcoast]

When I'm coming to the end of a fishing day with the realization that I won't be having any fresh fish for diner ... and then I get a strike

 

[rangerrich99]

I haven't yet had the chance to fish for one, but I imagine that a short-fin mako shark would induce a pretty big adrenaline rush. Especially if the thing decided to jump into your boat.

In my personal experience, the fish that consistently could get me really jacked up was 60 lb. yellow-tail tuna. The sheer speed and power of these fish is awe-inspiring. Never fished for them with fly-fishing gear though.

On a fly rod, I'd have to say stalking really big tiger trout, 24+ inchers. The strikes are explosive, and the fights are equally violent.

 

[camelbrass]

Very little beats a GT take in shallow water. They chase the fly down at speed and the take is explosive, and then the real fun starts........

Bluefin trevally are up there as well. The adrenaline starts on the retrieve because you need to get the fly moving really quickly, once they zero in though it’s exhilarating

A big bonefish that takes 80 meters of backing then turns and runs straight back at you even faster.

That first run of a sailfish that dumps 200 meters of backing...or a wahoo....

Big Tuna are fun and fast but are absolutely painful doing those circles under the boat. That takes the edge off them for me.

I have a problem.....



Regards,


Trevor

 

[pnc]

Can't really pick out particular fish. Top water strikes are favorite. Getting fish to rise that normally won't.
Maybe to many fish over time to get real rush. Yes , heart pumps trying to put down 10w QUIETLY & pick up 12w when big tarpon show.
But the unexpected is what gets me pumped. Thats why saltwater is so much more to me.
Biggest rush is from the same fish every time. Wading &.Rays ! Not on hook, kicked up. Explosion at feet. 3-4' wing span and your coverd with water. Check for missing limbs. Jeez a ray again. Then 5 mins. later heart starts to slow down. Gets me every time.

......... pc

 

[karstopo]

.
Biggest rush is from the same fish every time. Wading &.Rays ! Not on hook, kicked up. Explosion at feet. 3-4' wing span and your coverd with water. Check for missing limbs. Jeez a ray again. Then 5 mins. later heart starts to slow down. Gets me every time.

......... pc

Those freaking stingrays are a trip. They are one reason I tend to stay in the boat or kayak. I paddle over them all of the time in the kayak. They like to hang to your rear while wading waiting to pick off little crabs you kick up. I've known people that have gotten stuck, the pain has been anywhere from bad to so intense they pass out (pouring hot water, as hot as you can stand, from an outboard or other source supposedly helps with the pain).

Lots of people wade fish here and many wear ray guards which are said to help, but aren't 100%. I'll wade fish on occasion but it's just hard to get comfortable with the stingrays lurking about. I've yet to catch one a fly.

 

[plecain]

Two come to mind.
The first was my first 'big' brook trout. It was heavy and 21" long. There were other big fish around, bass and salmon. So, when I saw what it was, I got pretty excited.
The other was this year. I was meeting a guy I knew casually for some striper fishing. I overestimated the drive to our meeting place and got there early. It was a flat beach and the tide was low. It was also dark, about 90 minutes before sunrise. He wasn't around yet.
So, I walked across the beach and started out into the surf, playing out line with casts in front of me as I went. Something big, probably a striper, grabbed my fly and took off. I couldn't really see anything, which made the whole thing feel strange to me. I started walking backward through the surf pulling the fish with me until the hook came out. I felt the adrenaline for quite a while afterward.

 

[fredaevans]

Short 'jerks' of line off the reel .... rod tip bouncing. When the rod tip jerks down to the water it gets reeeeal interesting, real quick.

 

[Rip Tide]

Sight fishing to big stripers in the surf

Conditions have to be perfect. Rising sun on an east facing beach is best. You can see them coming at a distance.
If you put your fly in front of their face, they will eat. It's what they're there for, but fishing the surf is tricky. Timing is everything.
On one very memorable occasion, I doubled up on a pair of 26inch fish. Two at once. Point fly and dropper.
Sounds like fun, but it was actually something that I'd rather not have to ever deal with ever again.

Here's a picture from Alan Coholo's book "Sight Fishing for Striped Bass" that kinda shows what I'm talking about.

 

[denver1911]

Usually it's the oddity or rare fish. Rare often means big. A 4lb bonefish in Belize would be a rush. A 4lb Bonefish in the Bahamas not as much. Any tarpon on the fly for those of us who don't fish for them regularly .. and even for most who do. GT? For sure. But also a 20-inch smallmouth on the fly or a 10-inch brook trout in the Smokies.

 

[corn fed fins]

I like that picture. It reminds me of fishing for pike. Except it's warm. It's ocean waves and not wind. The water is wadeable in shorts. Clear water and not a weed bed. Sandy beach instead of more weeds and flooded willows. Outside of that, the wave allowing you to peer into the depths is very similar. Lol

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[Rip Tide]

I like that picture. It reminds me of fishing for pike. Except it's warm. It's ocean waves and not wind. The water is wadeable in shorts. Clear water and not a weed bed. Sandy beach instead of more weeds and flooded willows. Outside of that, the wave allowing you to peer into the depths is very similar. Lol

I did say that conditions have to be perfect.
...when fishing the north Atlantic you're going to run into plenty of wind, cold and sea weed

More often than not, it's more like this