Another behemoth for the Sturgeon Slayers.
White sturgeon are some of the most fascinating freshwater fish in the world, and they also happen to be the biggest in North America.
There are 27 different species of sturgeon, and their lineage allegedly dates back over 200 million years… to the age of the dinosaurs. They are primarily found in the large river systems, estuaries, and coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere. In my neck of the woods, we have Lake Sturgeon, which are common in the Midwest and Great Lakes area. Where I live here in Wisconsin, Lake Winnebago holds an annual spearing season (it’s 16 days long but usually ends much sooner once harvest limits are reached) in February.
However, the massive white sturgeon of the Pacific Northwest is where the excitement is at. The largest freshwater fish in North America, white sturgeon are capable of growing over 20 feet long and weighing nearly 2,000 pounds. They are found along the Pacific coast from the Gulf of Alaska down to Monterey, California. They thrive in major river systems like the Columbia, Fraser, and Sacramento rivers where guiding is common and people come from all over the world to try and land a giant. Thanks to strict catch-and-release regulations in many areas, they are a massive draw for sport anglers looking to battle a prehistoric river monster.
There’s been historical accounts of white sturgeon that have reached over 20 feet long, but in modern history, where we know they were accurately measured, a group of Canadian anglers known as the Sturgeon Slayers (known for catching monsters on the Fraser River in British Columbia), may have just broken a modern modern day record for white sturgeon… potentially setting one for the second time this year.
Over the summer, the crew landed an 11-foot, 8-inch tank of a white sturgeon, which bested their own previous PB of 11-feet, 6-inches from 2021. Sturgeon are typically measured from the tip of the nose to where the tail forks… not the total length of the tail. An English couple caught a 12-foot white sturgeon on the Fraser in 2012, but it’s unclear how that fish was measured.
But now, a female angler landed an 11-foot, 4-inch monster of her own, which just might be good enough for the largest freshwater catch ever by a female angler. Katharine Eckert of Missouri was responsible for this beast, which the crew detailed in an Instagram post:
“We are very excited to show you this special fish. Another big milestone moment in the history of our company.
This fish just might be the largest freshwater fish landed by a female angler. An untagged 11’4 fork length, 60” pectoral girth and a whopping 70” girth in the belly. The overall size of this fish was staggering.
Katharine you were incredible in the moments leading up to us landing this fish. Justin and I were there for moral support:)
Who knew, seeing one of your favorite former Blues players fishing with us would eventually, bring you to BC, and his luck would not only rub off on you…..but you would connect with something so elusive. Thanks uncle Nick for sending Katharine some of that positive juju.
Without our loyal guests, I would not get the opportunity to sharpen my skills and knowledge on this fishery. It’s not possible without all of you. I’m so grateful to do what I do, and that we are able to show the world what we have here in our beautiful province.
The thriving population and increasing size is one the greatest success story in our Canadian fisheries. Everyone that contributes to the conservation of Sturgeon here in BC, need to take a moment to breathe and recognize what we have all contributed to and worked so hard to protect….IT’S WORKING. This was definitely another one of those reminders for me.
We will share some more on this fish on stories and in future posts. For booking inquires please contact us through our website.”
Just look at this thing:
