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.