In that part of the river, steelhead and salmon were abundant in the old days. As of late, you would mostly catch bass or carp. Carp are junk fish but boy can they pull HARD and sometimes one heck of a run.
They are a staple in some ethnic markets. Caught in clean water they are good eating, though a bit bland tasting unless smoked or marinated. And yes, they do pull! I landed a ten pounder last year on a little lightweight outfit and it took all of fifteen minutes to land him. And he hit a plastic bait intended to interest bass or trout.
I don’t even like touching them, but yeah a carp will give you a good fight. A drum will fight too.