re: Pound for pound, what's the meanest fish?

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I'm guessing chopique are what we call grinnel,mudfish,bowfin here in Ga/SC.

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Yep. That's the bad boys. Another poster called them Cypress Trout. Same fish. They go by many names, but I think every fisherman in southern and eastern US & SE Canada is familiar with them.

They really are fierce. Growing up I caught several 2 - 3 pounders that I swear I thought I had hooked a 20 pound garfish. Getting the hook out of their mouth was entirely another adventure. Never, ever put your fingers in their mouth. Think catfish have strong jaws? These primitive guys (see Wiki Bowfin article and their pictured large mouth below) only have small teeth, but with jaws like they possess they don't need longer teeth. Snapping turtles in a fish's body. More or less - heh heh. They will indeed wreck a bait (or your fingers).

Grew up in south Louisiana. We called them choupiques.

Choupique

See 2nd Wiki link on this page above re. Cajun French: Choupique bowfin | Choctaw shupic, "mudfish".

See Wiki "Bowfin" article below:

Bowfin (Choupique - ha,ha)

Pound for pound, they may not be the meanest fish. I have seen several Discovery Channel episodes on the rogue, transplanted Snakehead fish and I think maybe pound for pound this imported fish is a severe, super apex (alpha male type) predator problem for the US. However, I still think that (pound for pound) there is a reason this "Bowfin" species has survived several million years. They are in my top 5 meanest pound for pound,IMO...

Warmouth. Yes, that's a goggle eye in Louisiana. Meh. Just a big mouth bream. Bass same size are just as fierce, IMO.

Salt water counterpart of freshwater choupique, IMO, is the Cobia or Ling. Salt water charter party captains always target these fish around offshore rigs. If you ever hook a 15 pounder you will know why. They are super fierce. Land one (even on heavy tackle) and you can "call it a day".

Still, why has nobody mentioned a shark as the meanest fish (pound for pound)? I get the fact that barracuda are super predators. But a barracuda outside of his school will slink away from a similar size Tiger shark or his equivalent. Sharks are the apex of apex fish predators. Fine, large size contributes. Throw size out the window, and apex of all apex marine predators is, unquestionably, the Killer Whale (a mammal). However, do not mess with a 10 pound shark that you have just accidentally reeled in. They can twist their no bone, total cartilage body around and take off your finger/hand (yes, a 10 pounder). They are also in my top 5 list of meanest fish, pound for pound.

I also agree with comments about piranha. Do not cut a finger around a school of piranha. If you do, get out of the water fast. Very fast, cher!

There are some mean animals out there. Mean fish are just one of those many members of the animal kingdom.