When it comes to game fishes, most anglers have their favorite species. How do yours rank as game fish among the species that anglers pursue? Now, that question can be answered thanks to Sport Fishing’s unique, authoritative list of The World’s Top 100 Game Fish.

In brief, we devised a quantified rating system using eight key indicators of a species’ value as a game fish and assigned a point range to each.

You can read a more detailed explanation of our rating system and its methodology.

Then we asked 61 of the world’s top captains and anglers to use this system to rate separately 100 specific saltwater game fish. That proved a very time-consuming task, and their participation offers a good indicator of their commitment to this extraordinary list.

See the complete list of experts and read for each a short bio and see their number one game-fish picks.

We’ve divided the top 100 game fish into two lists. After you’ve discovered what species occupy numbers one through 50, see the rest of the world’s top game fish — number 51 through 100 — in this gallery.

ALBACORE — #50

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 50.1 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Found in all the world’s warm/temperate seas, albacore are sometimes known as “longfin tuna,” thanks to their unique, distinctively long pectoral fins. Marketed commercially for their very white flesh, the species supports popular sport fisheries off California, Oregon and Washington in late summer, as well as off South Africa and elsewhere. Larger albies remain well offshore, often feeding in deep water. The all-tackle record of 88 pounds, 2 ounces came from the Canary Islands in 1977.

Greatest attribute: Stamina

BLUEFISH — #49

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 50.5 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

One of only three species in its family, this piranha of the seas can be caught in subtropical and temperate coastal zones around the world. Bluefish are popular with shore and boat anglers alike in southern Australia (where they’re known as tailor), as well as in the U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. With a mouthful of razor teeth and a vicious, voracious attitude to match, roving packs of bluefish are slash-and-burn predators that churn through schools of baitfish, boiling the surface. Although it’s hard to beat live bait for blues, as you might suppose, they’re likely to strike anything moving. That has been known to include unlucky or careless anglers’ fingers; caution in the boat is warranted. Fierce fighters, bluefish occasionally jump when hooked. Some anglers find them delicious; others eschew the strong, dark flesh. The all-tackle record of 31 pounds, 12 ounces came from Hatteras, North Carolina, in 1972.

Favorite of: Dave Bard

Greatest attribute: Speed (8.9 out of 15)

BLUEFIN TREVALLY — #48

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 50.5 (out of 100 points possible)

Found in much of the Pacific and Indian oceans, bluefin are one of the most striking of trevallies, unmistakable with their brilliant neon-blue fins, tail and upper-body spots. Bluefin inhabit nearshore reefs and enter harbors, reef channels and lagoons as well. They’re typical of the jack family, in that they aggressively strike lures, jigs, flies and bait, and offer a balls-out, tough fight to the end. The IGFA all-tackle world record is 29 pounds, 3 ounces from Clipperton Atoll (2012); however, Fishbase.org suggests they get larger — much larger, citing a maximum published weight of nearly 100 pounds.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (10.8 out of 15)

Here’s more about bluefin trevally:

RED STEENBRAS — #47

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 50.6 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Porgies are common, generally small, food fishes of tropical reefs worldwide. But red steenbras are giant porgies of frightening proportions, rapacious appetites and impressive power. Their range is limited to the rocky coast and estuaries along the southern part of Africa, where strict laws fully protect the prized — and delicious — slow-growing species today. The IGFA all-tackle-record red steenbras weighed 124 pounds, 12 ounces, taken off South Africa in 1994.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (11.4 out of 15)

Read more about steenbras:

• Fishing’s Most Amazing Dream Trips

WHITE SEABASS — #46

Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 51.1 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

One of the larger members of the family of drums and croakers — which includes the spotted seatrout and weakfish of the Atlantic Coast — the white seabass is one of the most coveted saltwater prizes among anglers from northern Baja to central California. It frequents nearshore sandy areas, particularly around kelp beds, feeding on a variety of small baitfish as well as squid and crustaceans. Anglers catch them on a variety of lures and baits, with live squid leading the top of the list. The all-tackle record has been unbroken for more than a half-century: Caught in 1953 off San Felipe, in the northern Sea of Cortez, it weighed 83 pounds, 12 ounces.

Greatest attribute: Fight dynamics (11.9 out of 20)

Read more about white seabass:

KAHAWAI — #45

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 52.6 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

The kahawai (or Australian salmon) is unique to Australia and New Zealand, where it’s an important and highly valued light-tackle and fly-rod game fish among coastal and inshore anglers. Kahawai often gather in large schools to crash bait, à la bluefish. When hooked, they’re nimble fighters, often leaping repeatedly. There is only one genus in the family (Arripidae), with three species. Commonly two to 10 pounds, the world-record kahawai is 19 pounds, 4 ounces, taken in Australian waters in 1994.

Greatest attribute: Fight dynamics (11.2 out of 20)

JACK CREVALLE — #44

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 53.0 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

In an odd way, the jack crevalle actually resembles Rodney Dangerfield a bit. In any case, it sure don’t get the respect by many anglers that it deserves, since in reality, few species fight harder or give it their all more than the crevalle. Perhaps their lack of trophy status is because they’re so ubiquitous (they’re abundant throughout much of the temperate and tropical Atlantic, and similarly abundant in the Pacific version) and widely considered inedible (strong, dark, bloody meat). But plenty of anglers do appreciate tough battles with even small “jacks,” as they are often simply known. Jacks don’t jump or tailwalk, but they slug it out to the bitter end. They’re often found in schools, and make top-notch sight-casting targets; few species more readily strike lures and flies. The all-tackle world record was caught in 2010 on the coast of Angola and weighed 66 pounds, 2 ounces.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (12.1 out of 15)

Read more about Jack Crevalle:

• Five Great Sight-Casting Fisheries

CUBERA SNAPPER — #43

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 53.1 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Brute power — that’s what these giants of the snapper clan are all about. And stopping power is what an angler who would tangle with them needs to have, or he’ll find his quarry back in its reef or wreck in a flash. Atlantic cubera range from deep reefs to estuaries on occasion (especially when smaller). A specialized springtime, full-moon fishery using whole lobsters occurs off Miami and the upper Keys, but the species is found in most warm waters in the western Atlantic. Anglers often hook it incidentally. Slightly smaller Pacific cubera (record: 78 pounds, 12 ounces) lurk over shallower reefs where they’ll come up to strike (explode on) large poppers. Somewhat larger African red snapper (record: 132 pounds, 4 ounces) can be caught from sandy beaches in southwest Africa. The all-tackle Atlantic cubera weighed 124 pounds, 12 ounces, from Louisiana’s Garden Bank in 2007.

Favorite of: Todd Staley (“They have the power to put you on your knees.”) and Julien Lajournade

Greatest attribute: Stamina (11.7 out of 15)

OWBARRED MACKEREL — #42

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE 53.1 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

While quite similar to king mackerel, narrowbarred (also called narrowbarred Spanish or often simply “Spaniards” by Australians) grow a bit larger, have a prominent barred pattern on their sides. and skyrocket even more readily on surface-schooling baitfish as well as anglers’ baits and poppers (especially early and late in the day). The leaps might be 20 feet or higher and nearly as far horizontally. When hooked, narrowbarred turn on the afterburners for searing runs. Found throughout the Indian and tropical Pacific oceans, the species is a favorite with many anglers who, typically, catch them while trolling dead or live baits and lures. The all-tackle record, in place since 1982, was caught off South Africa and weighed 99 pounds.

Greatest attribute: Speed (11.7 out of 15)

Here’s more about narrowbarred mackerel:

• Video: “Soaring Mackerel: Unbelievable Leap Caught on Video”

GREAT BARRACUDA — #41

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 53.3 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

The great barracuda is by far the largest of many species of ‘cudas. It’s found in warm Atlantic waters, particularly the Caribbean, and in the Indo-Pacific region, but is absent in the eastern Pacific off the Americas. Larger ‘cudas hooked in deep water seldom jump, but when hooked over sandy/mangrove flats, they often explode in spectacular leaps. Their flesh is tasty but widely avoided, as it’s frequently implicated in ciguatera poisoning. The all-tackle record of 84 pounds, 14 ounces was caught in 1991 in the Philippines.

Greatest attribute: Dynamics of fight (10.5 of 20)

SCORE: 53.3 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Limited to the Mediterranean and tropical eastern Atlantic, the leerfish (aka garrick) is a member of the jack family and, accordingly, a powerful and determined fighter. In appearance, the species is unique and unmistakable. Like many coastal pelagics, the leerfish migrates seasonally. Anglers fish live baits along Atlantic beaches and rocky headlands, both from boats and often from shore. The all-tackle record is 61 pounds, 4 ounces from Spain in 2000.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (10.6 out of 15)

STRIPED BASS — #39

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 54.2 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

The striper is one of a few species on this list that qualifies as an all-American game fish. It’s enormously important along the coast and in estuaries from Maine through the mid-Atlantic states, locally important south into northern Florida; it’s sometimes taken even in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries. Stripers also thrive in San Francisco Bay and San Joaquin Delta waters, where they were introduced, and a few still hang on in southern Oregon rivers. They’re naturally anadromous but can also thrive landlocked in fresh water. A widely imposed moratorium on any retention in the 1980s helped populations come roaring back after heavy overfishing. A classic game fish that looks, eats and fights great — what’s not to love? The all-tackle world record was recently broken with an 81-pound, 14-ounce brute taken off Long Island Sound in 2011.

Favorite of: David Hadden (especially “when a thousand hungry bass explode into a surface blitz… It’s a species that can go airborne better than any tarpon and rip into the backing with any fish on the flats.”)

Greatest attribute: As a sight-casting target (9.6 out of 15)

Read more about striped bass:

TRIPLETAIL — #54.9

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 54.9 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

There’s no other saltwater game fish anything like a tripletail, its shape more like a large sunfish than a sleek predator. But this slab-sided species proves its agility and speed when it suddenly attacks a bait, lure or fly. It also proves its capricious temperament all too often, as saltwater anglers around the world know from tripletail encounters. When spotted finning near buoys or other surface objects, the surface-loving tripletail might turn up its nose at every offering, even live shrimp. When trips do strike, they hit hard, and run and even jump from the water with surprising dexterity. By most standards, tripletail qualify as one of the best eating fish in any ocean. The all-tackle record came from Zululand, South Africa, in 1989; it weighed 42 pounds, 5 ounces.

Favorite of: Capt. Sonny Schindler

Greatest attribute: As a sight-casting target (12.4 out of 15)

Read more about tripletail:

BLACKFIN TUNA — #37

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 54.9 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Widespread throughout the temperate and tropical Western Atlantic, this very accessible and aggressive surface-schooling tuna is a favorite of anglers. When thrashing baitfish or chummed into a frenzy, blackfin are great targets for fly-rodders as well as popper enthusiasts. Although considered good eating, the blackfin is not as choice as its larger relative, the yellowfin. However, their dogged fight is, pound for pound, the equal of any tuna. While footballs of five to 10 pounds are often thick, at times they might run two or three times that size. The all-tackle record is a 49-pound, 6-ounce fish caught off Marathon, in the Florida Keys, in 2006.

Greatest attribute: Speed (12.4 out of 15)

Read more about blackfin tuna:

KING MACKEREL — #36

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 55.4 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

One of the larger mackerels, the king (widely, just “kingfish”) is an everyman’s coastal game fish, found both in large schools and as solitary individuals, from inlets and just off beaches to open nearshore waters. The species is also a booster of coastal economies, particularly via the monstrous SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) tournament circuit. Common from the mid-Atlantic through the Gulf and Caribbean south to Brazil, this coastal pelagic typically follows seasonal migration routes. Light tackle makes even smaller “snakes” a blast, with their sizzling initial runs. Though they don’t jump when hooked, it’s a thrilling sight to see kings skyrocket high into the air when attacking a lure or bait at the surface. Kings in the 10- to 30-pound range are common, but it takes “smokers” of 40 pounds or more to raise eyebrows. The all-tackle world record is 93 pounds, caught out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1999.

Greatest attribute: Speed (12.5 out of 15)

RED DRUM — #35

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 56.1 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Being one of the most accessible, available game fish over a very large area (from the westernmost Gulf of Mexico to the mid-Atlantic states) helps account for the tremendous popularity of the red drum (aka redfish) among inshore and nearshore anglers. Redfish are found in a great variety of habitats, from clear flats to muddy bays to Atlantic beaches to the base of structure in more than 200 feet of water offshore. They’ll readily strike bait, lures and flies. Their habit of tailing in shallow water and the schooling of bull reds at times in open water off beaches make them a favorite target of sight-casters. Reds hit hard and run strong, particularly in skinny water. They’ve been given game-fish-only status in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas; in all federal waters, no red drum may be kept by anyone. The all-tackle record weighed 94 pounds, 2 ounces, from North Carolina in 1984.

Favorite of: Morgan Promnitz

Greatest attribute: Sight-casting opportunities (12.5 out of 15

WHITE STURGEON — #34

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 56.2 (out of 100 possible points)
See the scoring breakdown

Living fossils — it’s a description often attributed to these heavily armored bottom feeders with sharklike heterocercal (asymmetrical) tails. Neither the phrase nor their appearance suggest sturgeon would make a good game fish capable of repeated leaps clear of the water — both when hooked and just free-jumping. White sturgeon are anadromous, and often caught in estuaries such as California’s San Pablo Bay and the lower Columbia River between Oregon and Washington, as well as farther up the Columbia and British Columbia’s Fraser River. Their delicate chin barbels and sensitive tubular mouths make them a challenge to hook, usually on crustaceans or small baitfish. The all-tackle record of 468 pounds came from Benicia, California, in 1983. Soon after, and still today, white sturgeon are protected throughout their range with upper size limits that guarantee the world record won’t be beaten. But white sturgeon grow to at least a reported 1,800 pounds!

Greatest attribute: Stamina (11.5 out of 15)

Read more about white sturgeon:

• Oregon’s Surprising Sturgeon

• Fishing for Columbia River Sturgeon

OPAH — #33

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 56.5 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

The opah surely gets top billing as the least-caught fish on this list. While not rare, these solitary and unique predators of the open ocean’s middepths are nowhere abundant: they patrol waters often too deep for anglers. Off California and Baja, speed jigging with heavy metal jigs accounts for some of those caught on rod and reel — always incidentally, usually when albacore, bluefin or yellowfin tuna are the targets. Opah are found worldwide in tropical to temperate waters and are occasionally caught in the Hawaiian Islands, as well as off California and Baja, and often found in markets; their orange flesh is superb eating. The IGFA all-tackle record was caught in 2014 off San Quintin, Baja. It weighed 180 pounds, 12 ounces, but fishbase.org cites the capture (presumably commercially) of an opah just shy of 600 pounds.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (11.5 out of 15)

DOGTOOTH TUNA — #32

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 59.0 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

There really is no tuna anything like the dogtooth. It’s one of the larger tunas, but unlike yellowfin or bigeye (in fact, the scaleless dogtooth is a species of bonito), it sports a mouthful of daggerlike teeth — and rather than patrolling the high seas in big, predatory schools, the solitary dogtooth prowls slopes and channels through large coral reefs. But it is a tuna and known for its very tunalike endurance when hooked. Dogtooth are found throughout the Indo-Pacific, and readily strike metal speed jigs, baits and trolled lures. The IGFA all-tackle record of 236 pounds, 15 ounces, came from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2015.

Favorite of: Nicola Zingarelli

Greatest attribute: Stamina (12.9 out of 15)

Read more about dogtooth tuna:

CALIFORNIA YELLOWTAIL — #31

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 59.2 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring breakdown

Mostly geography alone distinguishes the California from the southern yellowtail. In terms of geography, the California subspecies is more limited than most game fish, common only from Southern California south into the Sea of Cortez. The powerful, aggressive jack is a staple of the Southern California fleet, both day boats and long-rangers that find phenomenal fishing along the Pacific coast of Baja where anglers vie for the largest “mossback” yellowtail with live baits and metal jigs (“iron”). Private boaters and kayak anglers tangle locally with yellowtail — considered excellent eating, —along the south coast from spring through fall around structure or kelp. They’re common from 15 to 30 pounds, but the all-tackle world record, from Japan, tipped the scale in 2009 at 109 pounds, 2 ounces.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (12.2 out of 15

SOUTHERN YELLOWTAIL — #30

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 60.7 (out of 100 points possible)

There’s not a lot of difference between southern yellowtail and (the next fish in this list) California yellowtail — which are, in fact, the same species but believed to be different subspecies — except size, slightly. The southern variety grows just a bit larger. It’s also found over a much larger area — Southern Hemisphere oceans, both the Pacific (off New Zealand’s North Island and off southeastern Australia, in particular, where they’re known as yellowtail kingfish or just “kingies”) and Atlantic (off southern Brazil and southwest Africa). It’s a member of the jack family, similar in appearance and toughness to amberjack. Two fish tie for the all-tackle world record of 114 pounds, 10 ounces; both were taken off northern New Zealand, one at White Island and the other out of Tauranga.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (12.8 out of 15)

COBIA — #29

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 60.9
See the scoring breakdown

Anglers not intimately familiar with the cobia’s appearance and habits often shout “shark!” when they see one or a group approach a drifting or anchored boat (which cobia very often do, seemingly among the ocean’s more-curious fish species). The resemblance from above is legitimate at a glance, but in fact, cobia are the only species in their own family, unrelated to sharks. Most tropical/warm waters in the world are home to cobia (though oddly, the eastern Pacific is an exception). Tough fighters and delectable eating, cobia are always a welcome addition to any angler’s day. The world record was caught in remote Shark Bay, along the south central coast of Western Australia, and weighed 135 pounds, 9 ounces.

Greatest attribute: A tie — Stamina and as a sight-casting target (both 11.2 out of 15)

Read more about cobia

BLACKTIP SHARK — #28

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 61.1: (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring

Blacktips are one of the world’s most ubiquitous inshore/nearshore sharks, found around the globe in tropical and temperate waters, in habitats ranging from muddy estuaries to clear coral reefs. They’ll aggressively strike baits, lures and flies, and they make sizzling runs when hooked, often leaping and twisting in the air (as does their close relative, the spinner shark). In areas such as the Florida Keys, blacktips make a popular flats target. Though on the flats they’re usually of modest size, the species can grow large: The all-tackle record, from Malindi Bay in Kenya, weighed 270 pounds, 9 ounces.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (10.6 out of 15)

Read more about blacktip sharks:

BONEFISH — #27

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 61.2 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring

One of the game fish most coveted as trophies by flats anglers, bonefish are the dragsters of shallow water. At the sting of a hook, they become horizontal missiles, sizzling away on an initial run that lasts far too long and is impossibly fast for a fish of its size. There are several species of bonefish in the world, but the largest is the common bonefish of tropical oceans. There are many outstanding spots in the Caribbean to try for bones, but the Florida Keys remains one of the best bets for big bones. They might move into deeper waters off the flats as well. The IGFA all-tackle record of 19 pounds has held since 1962, when it was caught from the surf off South Africa (though not A. vulpes — another species).t

Favorite of: Mike Mazur, Ed Truter

Greatest attribute: As a sight-casting target (14.6 out of 15)

Read more about bonefish

THRESHER SHARK — #26

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 61.3 (out of 100 points possible)
See the scoring

Many species of pelagic sharks look similar, and some might be easily confused, but never the thresher, with a tail about as long as its body. Several species of threshers are found around the world in warm to cool, temperate waters. Some thresher species feed in the upper water column, while bigeye threshers inhabit the depths. Threshers use their tail to herd and stun prey (and are commonly foul-hooked in the tail). With their small mouth and teeth, threshers are not feared as man-eaters, but feed on small fish. They’re stubborn fighters, capable of uncanny bursts of speed, and can make spectacular leaps into the air. Threshers are known to be one of the better-eating sharks. Regulations vary from region to region; for example, the bigeye thresher is protected in Atlantic waters. The all-tackle world-record thresher was caught out of Bay of Islands, northern New Zealand, in 1983; it weighed 767 pounds, 3 ounces.

Greatest attribute: Stamina (11.9 out of 15)

Read more about thresher sharks:

Black Papuan Snapper — #25

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 63.4 (out of 100 points possible)

Aficionados of “black bass,” as Papuan black snapper are widely known, often proclaim it the world’s toughest fish. Both its habits and habitat are part of that mystique. The black bass likes to ambush prey in the convoluted confines of downed trees and rugged rocky areas in the current of lower rivers; this powerful, hard-to-stop predator starts its fight amid snags. Adding to its mystique is the species’ limited range: It’s found only in southern Papua New Guinea. The all-tackle world record is 47 pounds, 8 ounces, from Papua New Guinea’s Tauri River in 2015.

Greatest attribute: Fight dynamics (15 out of 20)

Read more about Papuan black bass:

• Journey to a Lost World to Catch the Planet’s Toughest Fish

TALANG QUEENFISH — #24

The World’s Top 100 Game Fish

SCORE: 63.4 (out of 100 points possible)

The queenfish is one member of the jack/trevally family that has it all, including a great aerial show when hooked, making it an ideal light-tackle opponent. The talang queenfish isn’t found in the Americas but is widely distributed about the Indo-Pacific. Australians value them as black marlin baits. Queenies inhabit lagoons (but avoid low-salinity estuaries) and shallow reefs, preferring clear waters. The world-record talang stands at 39 pounds, 7 ounces from South Africa, caught in 2010.

Greatest attribute: Aerial acrobatics (13.7 out of 15)

Herre’s more about Talang queenfish: