Why The White Sturgeon Is One Of The Best Sport Fish In The World

Our last blog article went through the largest freshwater fish found across the globe, from monster versions of catfish, perch, stingray to gar, arapaima and sturgeon.  We didn’t go into details of what the BEST monster fish would be to catch.

This article discusses the White Sturgeon fishing experience, from how easy it is to find a “monster” version of the fish, to travel convenience.

We’ve given a rating for this fish in 3 categories, then an overall ranking of the fishing experience.

Categories are:

Location – How easy it is to reach the big ones, nearby accommodations

Chance of catching a +100lb fish – sure there are monsters out there, but what are your chances of catching one?  This takes into account going in the ideal location with a great guide. What are your chances on any given day you’ll hook into a monster…

Adrenaline Factor – what’s the fight like?  Are you pulling in a log, or does this monster want to drag you into the water with it and show you who’s boss?

Location

Score: 10/10

White Sturgeon are located in rivers along the west side of North America – from Mexico to Alaska.  The best location for monster White Sturgeon is the Fraser River, near Vancouver Canada.  It’s one of the best cities in the world to visit, with many cultural and outdoor activities.

More specifically, you are fishing anchored on a river, surrounded by nature.  You are not fighting the ocean waves, timing your trip according to the tide or weather. On the Fraser River, you can fish all year round in prime monster White Sturgeon territory.

A solid 5 ranking for location.

Chance of catching a +100lb fish

Score: 9/10

They were heavily fished in the early 1900’s which severely hurt their population.  In recent decades, several areas have instituted catch & release fisheries only, so the populations have survived.  Having said that, a good guide will get you up to 10 fish in a day. Sure, if you are targeting smaller White Sturgeon, you’ll get more.  Monsters are harder to come by.

If you are fishing in the Lower Fraser river with a good guide and target the larger fish, you SHOULD be ablet to get a 100+ lb sturgeon.  Fishing the Fraser River on your own is much tougher.  The river is constantly changing and it’s a big river.  You really need a guide for the big ones.

Adrenaline Factor

Score: 8/10

We can’t give catching a White Sturgeon a 5/5 on the adrenaline factor. Not when there are fish like Tarpon and Marlin in this world.  But when the water temperature is a bit cooler (anglers seem to prefer October / November for White Sturgeon), the fish love to jump and take long runs.  It’s truly man against beast.  And the bigger the beast, the bigger the adrenaline rush.

Overall Score

Score: 9/10 

So, overall, we figure fishing for White Sturgeon in Vancouver gets you a fabulous fishing experience, combined with beautiful scenery, and an excellent chance of really hooking a big fish.  Your day will be relaxing between bites and great heart-pounding fun when you are pulling that 200lb+ White Sturgeon.

For more information on Fishing White Sturgeon on the Fraser River, contact Yves Bisson