MindfulMuser2246 Loc: Michigan / Florida

I don't have much to brag about, so for now just want to hear from more experiences anglers. Maybe as an inspiration for those days when it feels like I'm never getting a bite.

1Oldboat42 Loc: Kearney, Nebraska

I don't know about experience but I will venture out with the first reply and say that it was a 27ld channel catfish caught while trolling a #7 Flicker Shad for walleye. I thought had snagged a large tree limb until it got close to the boat. Then it woke up. The picture is not on the phone.

KG Loc: Treasure Coast, Florida

For me it would be this nurse shark: https://www.fishingstage.com/t-64035-1.html

Didn't quite catch it as the line broke. And really shark is not my thing. Not for eating. So no point in pulling one out of the water. But this was definitely the biggest fish I've handled to date. If I had to guess, maybe 5-6 feet long. Doesn't look that big in the video, but it was pretty decent size.

Or maybe this one: https://www.fishingstage.com/t-66397-1.html

Maybe this one is the bigger one.

In any case, my biggest fish is a nurse shark. So not much use out of it. Still waiting for that giant grouper or tuna.

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

Largest caught (and released) was a 42.5” Musky off my buddy Tom’s pier as I waited for him to put his dry suit on as we were going to pull the pier out after duck hunting. I saw his Daughter’s spinning rod in the boathouse, so I grabbed it and made a few casts as it had a 4” silver Shad Rap already tied on. On the third cast I got a hit, set the hook and it was game on! I called over to Tom’s neighbor (whom I had just met 5 minutes before) as he was working on his own pier. I asked him to come over, and grab the net in the boathouse on his way. Brandon came over and brought the net, just as Tom came rambling down the steps, half-dressed in the dry suit asking “You got a fish?”. The POS rod was bent over as the fish and I battled for about 10 minutes. Tom and Brandon almost knocked me in the lake as we jockeyed for position on the pier. We had to resemble the Keystone Cops at the time as they struggled over the net, but we got her in, in spite of having 6# test on the rod and no leader. We took a few pics and released her to give someone else a thrill. We had only a tape measure to estimate the weight between 25-27#. At the time, she was in the Top 100 largest Muskies caught from Lake Wisconsin.

E.pa.al Loc: Martin's Creek

Great fish John👍

ricky risteen

My large fish for me was a halabut that weighed in at 275 lbs. it was real dumb of me too kill this fish because this fish is a breader fish. Well when we got back home and went to filet it the filets were a foot thick and full of worms. anyway lesson learned if i ever catch another one i will take pics and let it go. ricky Sitka.

ShortorderCook62 Loc: Grand Junction, Colorado

Fishing a night tournament in late July on Lake LBJ in Marble Falls, Tx. 1:30 AM fishing a weed line I get a hard strike on a Texas rigged red/black core 8" worm. Partner turns on his headlight and asks "you gonna need a net? Fish jumps. He says "YOU'RE GONNA NEED A NET! 24" largemouth bass. Weighed 7.5#. What would she have weighed prespawn? Maybe 8.5-9#? Still looking for that double digit lunker. Prolly won't happen now that I'm back in Western Colorado.

Bcmech1 Loc: Clinton Wisconsin

Back in the 90s a buddy of mine kept trying to get me to go Muskie fishing with him. Finally I gave in and we set up a weekend to go up to Chippewa Flowage in Wisconsin. Saturday morning we get to the lake and launch the boat. He supplied all the gear, told me only to bring my drinks and snacks a change of clothes or two. Anyway, we head up the lake a ways and he pulls into a cove, plenty of cover seen. He says his buddy from near the lake said this was a productive area. He hands me a rod with a large buck tail spinner on the line. First cast, I get a follow to the boat but can't make him bite. Second cast I hook up with a good one. Finally get it to the boat and Pete lands it. The fish measured 51 inches, released. Another hour and a half there, no bites or follows, so we move to a different cove. My fourth cast I hook up again, we land and measure, 54 inches, again released. Never had another bite all weekend. Pete has not asked me to go Muskie fishing with him again. We still go bass and panfishing though.

Fishing Fool Loc: redding, ca

Biggest fish I've caught were several Sailfish over 8' long that I insisted we turn loose. My Mexican guides wanted to keep them and take back to hang for pictures and then give them to the villagers if you weren't interested in getting them mounted. Caught them trolling about 15 MPH with live Mackeral.

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Caught a 325 lb bluefin tuna with a live ling under a bobber in the Mud Hole. Took 3 hours and 45 minutes to reel it in on 80 lb test line.

Dennis drost Loc: Illinois

A wall hanger but always take a picture and put her back nice fish I am Dennis from Bolingbrook ILL

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

I hooked and landed an unknown weight halibut several hundred pounds that I released while pre season fishing as a halibut guide. Caught large several hundred pound shark in Monterey bay that I also released. Caught and released numerous Sailfish. One was 136 pound that we weighed as it was bleeding profusely so kept as the water was full of sharks. Also shared fighting a 260 pound (weighed and tagged) sturgeon in the Fraser river with an elderly friend when his arms gave out.
The interesting thing is that only the sturgeon that I shared the fight with, are high on my best catch lists. It is not the size, but the quality of the trip that counts, unless you are fishing for big money and paying big money to do it. Whenever I post, tournament fishermen are mostly excluded as they are in an entirely different discipline from all other fishermen. I am not saying they are bad, they just have different objectives from most fishermen. Of course mankind being what it is, many fishermen try to copy the pros right down to clothing. That being said, it is tournament fishermen that make the most major advancements in the sport regarding tackle and other equipment. More power and a thanks to them for improving my fishing. Oops! side tracked again.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

In trying to respond to the intent of the question, years back, I landed a 53 pound river caught king salmon while trout and dolly fishing under salmon with a number seven fly rod and size 12 hook egg imitation. The fight took about 2 hours and resuscitating the fish for release, about another half hour. That fish truly earned the right to continue her spawning run. That was my first and only actual 2 beer fish.

Lucky Eddie Loc: Shrewsbury MA

Largest freshwater was a 12lb-8 oz brown trout while smallmouth fishing on Keuka Lake in NY. Thought I had caught a record smallie but wasn't disappointed after we boated, measured and released it! I won the group's pool and the Camp named me TOP ROD for the season. Sorry - lost the pictures when I lost my last phone.

Kinkys Loc: Georgia

I netted an 11.5 lb walleye for my friend on the Chippewa Flowage. We went well before light and anchored on a floating bog.