Owner & operator of Sturgeon Slayers, Kevin Estrada, and guests landed and tagged the Largest Sturgeon Ever Recorded on Rod and Reel on the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. Former NHL goalie Pete Peeters and Jake Drieger shared the rod, while brothers Bryant and Barry Bowtell supported where they could. It was a day that will not be forgotten.
The spectacular sturgeon measured 11’6 (352cm) fork length and 55” pectoral girth.
Important to note, that fork length is the true standard for measuring on the Fraser in accordance with the Provincial government. This fish is the largest untagged Sturgeon recorded and the largest fish recorded on rod and reel.
For now, this fish has now set the pinnacle of the white Sturgeon world and is a testament to catch and release Sturgeon fishing in British Columbia.
“It’s been over 25 years that we have had a catch and release only fishery on the Fraser River and moments like this show how impressive the species can grow to when given the chance. We need to continue to hold a high value fishery, with proper angling and handling. We must transition to more sustainable salmon harvesting practices to avoid by catch of non targeted species. I was and still am overwhelmed by what we got to see and touch. It’s been life altering for me and my family.” – Kevin Estrada
This impressive sturgeon was landed in 20 minutes. It was landed with a custom rod with a large arbor reel with a very tight drag, accounting for minimal angling time. Local guide Steve Forde of Reel Sturgeon Adventures came to verify the measurements. Thank you to Steve and his guests for taking the time out of their day to do so.
The photos above are of the group with the incredible White Sturgeon. The last photo was taken by Steve Forde.
Record Sturgeon Questions and Answers:
I have to say the positive support from this fish has been overwhelming. So far we have been featured in The National Post, The Province, The Vancouver Sun, NHL.com, USA Today, and many, many other online news sources. Thank you Patrick Johnston for putting the story together. The word “snagged” could have been left out 🙂 we got a few comments about that. No this fish wasn’t snagged or fouled hooked. We have the jump shot of this fish that we will show in due time.
