Sturgeon fishing is one of the most highly sought sport fishing excursions for those on the West Coast.  Fishermen from across the world come try their hand on none other than the Fraser River in British Columbia for truly record breaking finds.  And it makes perfect sense – the top three sturgeon catches by weight and length were all found on the Fraser River.  As recently as 2014, one guided group of anglers made their way into the record books with a 1,100 lb. catch. The boat record for white sturgeon, however, remains with Joey Pallotta in Benicia, California.  In 1983, he made his name into the Guinness Book of World Records for his 468 lb. white sturgeon.  With all this fervor about hooking this prehistoric beast, it’s no wonder that this group of fishermen managed to catch an impressive 700 lb. find.
Sturgeon Fishing Just Got More Challenging
Sturgeon fishing has come under some pressure recently due to their inclusion in the endangered species list.  However, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has pointed out – it’s the Atlantic sturgeon, not the Pacific.  However, the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is still very much in season.  These critters can grow up to 1,700 lbs and 20 feet in length.  Many of the fishermen who pursue these majestically large fish tend to be of the “catch and release” variety because ultimately, while sturgeon has been compared to tuna, many sportsmen feel the need to preserve the species.  This keeps the sport of sturgeon fishing very much alive while keeping them off the endangered species list. In order to seek out the larger of the white sturgeon, sport fishermen now travel up into British Columbia’s acclaimed Fraser River.  Renowned for its 2012 record catch by Michael Snell, sport fishermen ever since have been striking up the same territory in hopes of placing their names in the annals of fishing history.

Record Catch Of A White Sturgeon Spurs Excitement
It was no accident.  Michael Snell, an Englishman from Salisbury, set out with his wife Margaret for the excursion of a lifetime.  In an epic battle of man versus fish, Snell finally managed to get the white sturgeon to surface after nearly an hour and a half struggle.  When the female sturgeon was finally measured, she came in at a whopping 1,100 pounds and 12 feet, 4 inches.  Describing it as the happiest moment of his life, he gladly helped scientists catalog this estimated hundred year old fish.  As of present, it’s the second largest white sturgeon ever recorded on the Fraser River.  For comparison, the Guinness Book of World Records gave the record for largest white sturgeon caught in California as weighing in at 468 lbs.  The largest ever recorded was 1,182 lbs. Professional guide on the Fraser river, Dean Wern described the event as something he had never seen before.
Fishing Tips And The Prehistoric Origins Of The Sturgeon
Sturgeon are some of the largest freshwater fish in the world.  With lifespans that can exceed 100 years or more and upper weight limits of over a thousand pounds, it takes a particularly stalwart sort of fisherman to hunt down these prehistoric behemoths.
•    Large Window of Opportunity for Sturgeon
With sturgeon on the Fraser, there is a very large window of time that will likely produce meaningful results.  From March to November, guides along the Fraser prefer to take their expeditions out because between the months of December to February, the sturgeons have a limited food supply that endangers their safety after the battle is over.
Needless to say, in order to make your Fraser fishing trip worthwhile, you’re going to need to bring heavy duty reeling equipment to handle sturgeon five feet and above in length.  Most guides recommend boat fishing as a means of getting up into the northern part of the Fraser River.  But once in position, many fishermen prefer the safety of shore line fishing.  When a five hundred pounder begins to tug on the line, some people naturally feel uncomfortable staying on a floating craft.
•    Rod Recommendations:  A two piece bar fishing rod system like the Ugly Stick or Penn is a must.  These rods assemble to 11-12 feet in length and provide the heavy duty tension to keep a five hundred pounder on line without snapping like a twig.
•    Reel Recommendations:  A large capacity spin-caster reel such as those made by Diawa or Shimano is necessary for the two piece bar rod system.  However, some fishermen prefer a deep sea fishing bait caster such as those found from Penn (321 or 330).
If you do plan on being in the boat the entire time, you’ll need one with a good anchor system.  Anything over four hundred pounds has the capacity to whip a boat around and even capsize it if not careful.  The rod recommendations for sturgeon boat fishing hover around the 7-8 ft. one-piece rod.  The same large line capacity bait-casting reel used on shore is used in fishing from a boat. Have you discovered any tips or tricks to landing a behemoth sturgeon?  Tell us about it in the comments section below.