On Sun, 16 Jul 2006 11:00:58 -0600, rw
wrote:

Nartker wrote:
My opinion only, but I think the bass thing is because most people have
never seen a muskie, an certainly have not had one on the end of a 9 weight!
wrote in message
ups.com...

There are 44 million Americans fishing today, Largemouth bass the
largest species of the freshwater sunfish family are America 's most
popular freshwater game fish.

The phrase "largest species of the freshwater sunfish family" is kind of
a weasel -- technically true, but misleading. Trout get much larger than
bass.

Well, your critique is misguided (but perhaps par for the roffian course these
days ;-) Trout are not sunfish, and the phrase you targeted is entirely
accurate and not misleading in the least (though, somewhat surprisingly, not
well known).

Your actual issue is obviously with the phrase "most popular freshwater game
fish", which I agree is easily debatable. At best, it's popularity is high
because it's nearly ubiquitous, living in waters that no self respecting
salmonid would find itself.

The main reason for its popularity is
that Largemouth Bass fishing is a thrill?The fish itself has
personality? It's aggressive, it's Intense? It's simply the most Wanted
species of Freshwater Fish when it comes to Sport Fishing.

Speak for yourself. I'll take a 30 pound trout over a 30 pound
largemouth bass any day, although I'd certainly get more fame and
fortune with the world record bass. :-)

Agreed - but you'd get even more fame with a 30 pound river smallmouth, as
it'd probably trash your gear, steal your car, and leave you for dead. That'd
make one hell of an obituary ;-)

I find largemouths mildly entertaining, but near the bottom of my own fish
ladder. They live in unexciting (and often not very clean) environs which are
often quite low in dissolved oxygen content, and have about 20 seconds of
fight in them at best.

Otoh, smallies - especially river smallies - will put up a fight easily
lasting three or four times that, will go ballistic to a degree a largemouth
simply is not equipped to display, and will leave the fishingperson spent.

Pound for pound, a smallie will kick a largemouth's fishy ass - and do it in a
place you actually want to be. If it's not the "most popular", it's because it
doesn't live where the masses live, which is fine by me...

/daytripper
(who wrassled with smallies up to 21" this weekend. what a blast!)