What size (class) of striper offers up the best fight?

Do large lose some of their fight as they also lose their youth and approach old age?

35 #

The last one you caught!

I would say that it depends a lot on the tackle you're using. I've had a blast catching 18 - 20" schoolies on my 6# setup, those same fish would not have been fun at all or put up much of a fight on my 50# gear.

20-28# fish pull good and don't give up

For some reason I have found that Pound for Pound in my opinion a 32" striper is a great fighter.

It depends on where you catch it. from an open beach with little or no current , i would say about 30 lb. If in a current like the canal , the bigger , the tougher to land as they simply dive to the bottom and turn sidewyas to the current.

Agree w/ beamie. 30-34 inch fish give the most bang for the buck.

The fish that gets away gets the most bang for the buck, 12 dollar plug and all.

20-28# fish pull good and don't give up


Seems to be about 25 is the scappiest size I run across. But I'll agree with salheart, an outflow on the ebb, size matters!

Seems to be about 25 is the scappiest size I run across.


Sometimes those low to mid-20's thin & long "racers" put up a great fight as they seem to make faster runs...

A 50lb plus "racer"

I think it's as much a factor of when. When fall approaches, their internal clock tells them they have to eat ahead of their thousand mile migration. So when they have their feedbag on during that time, a schoolie will give as good a fight as any. Fish of all sizes seem to be on steroids then.

A mid May to Mid June 30 to 35 pounder will go like a freight train.

Beside holdovers I find all class fish put up a good fight, whether its teen fish in the spring or big fish in the fall

I always thought at 30" a bass starts running a little drag .. On medium heavy gear .. prefer 30# but at 30" I think the fish starts to represent itself pretty good ..

I've had 15lb fish give me all I could handle when hooked on my "skinny water" outfit. That slow side to side head shake of a 30+ thats sideways in an Inlet current is hard to top.

But to me it's the 20+lb range rubbing the plug on the bottom, dodging rocks while you are standing on a rock, dodging waves, at night, deeeep in a southside M cove.:jump1::jump1::uhuh::uhuh:

25-30# for sure..Fight like a basturd....All the fish I caught in the high 30's and 40's come in like an anchor.......Winch 'em up////:sleeps:

28 to 32 pounds.

Put a 20-25# fish in the rips and you willl think you're into a 50+.