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.
I’d really like to thank everyone for reaching out. I’ve tried to answer as many questions as possible online but we couldn’t get to all of them.
1. How old is the Sturgeon?
Answer: it’s safe to say over 100 years old. This was confirmed by a provincial biologist. The reality is we don’t have good aging on Sturgeon so with a fish this big it’s hard to be exact. The fin rays are hard to age because they can be re-absorbed and tight together.
2. Was it tagged?
Answer: No. this was a virgin sturgeon and we tagged it for the first time.
3. How long did it take?
Answer: I’m notorious for putting guests through some short-term adversity with my extremely tight drags. This took about 20-25min and is a true testament to Pete Peeters and Jake Driedger who did an exceptional job on the rod. This doesn’t happen without focus and careful angling.
4. Is this our biggest?
Answer: it’s anyone who has fished for Sturgeon’s on the Fraser’s biggest 🙂 we are confident it’s also the biggest white sturgeon landed in the world and we are actively trying to verify that through various sources.
5. Is this a world record?
Answer: we are confident it is but not 100%. The Columbia River in the US has large sturgeon and they measure total length which is not the same as us. So far our research has shown the largest Columbia on Rod and reel is 11’6 total length which would put us significantly ahead of that. We will keep you updated. We have also submitted to Guinness World Records to have them look at it. That takes up to 16 weeks.
6. Do you think this will be beat?
Answer: Yes. Our adult population is doing very good. The best according to modeling, and these fish are going to continue to grow. Guides are using better gear and getting more efficient at landing large fish. Eventually, it will, but today we got it.
7. Can I book a trip this year?
Answer: we are very tight on availability until November. It is possible, please email through the website when you’re looking to come and how many days and we can try and help fit you in. We recommend booking 2022 dates ASAP.
8. Where was the Sturgeon caught?
Answer: The Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada.
9. Was it released?
Answer: yes, all Sturgeon are catch and release in British Columbia. It has been like this for over 25 years.
10. Is the Sturgeon population healthy?
Answer: Yes. We have a size class 60-100cm +\- that has a downward trend which science points towards years of non-selective salmon harvesting by gill nets that capture fish between these sizes that has the biggest impact on the stock.
Follow us on social media @sturgeonslayers for more updates on this fish and our daily adventures with guests.
If you would like to learn more about Sturgeon by watching videos, have any questions, or would like to book a guided fishing trip with Sturgeon Slayers please click the buttons below.
