Len's Sportfishing Adventures - Ph: 1-604-991-0287

Sturgeon

The mighty Fraser River is home to the worlds largest fresh-water game fish . . . the white Sturgeon. Catching one is likely to be the "ultimate fishing experience" for even the most avid sport fishermen. They can reach lengths of up to 15 feet long and tip the scales at well over a 1000 pounds. Sturgeon are not only known for their incredible size but also for their fighting ability, often making spectacular jumps and taking long " reel screaming runs ".

Over the past several years “Len’s Sportfishing Adventures” has been featured on almost a dozen TV shows with 4 more scheduled for this year. These shows air on networks across Canada and the United States. This years episodes will include “Fraser River” sturgeon, spinning and jig fishing for salmon, pink salmon on the fly and fly fishing interior lakes for rainbow trout.

Sturgeon fishing on the Fraser River is one of the most exciting freshwater angling experiences that you can have. These fish can grow quite large and are extremely good fighters. There are some green sturgeon in the system as well but the white’s are the most predominant species.

Where They Feed!
Some people say that these fish are only bottom feeders and wait for the current to send them their next meal, this is partly correct however sturgeon do actively seek out food and will travel a fair distance to find your bait. It is a waiting game, sometimes they are actively feeding and the action can be explosive, other times you have to be patient waiting for the moment when they decide to eat.

Where in the River They Can Be Found!

It is interesting where these fish can be found, they inhabit all depths of the river from the big deep runs to areas that may only be 8-10ft. in depth. Sometimes they will hold in behind drop offs or ledges waiting for there next meal to come to them. When you hook a fish in the shallows they tend to make a big run away from the boat, usually punctuated with some impressive tail walking! In the deeper waters it is not uncommon for them to head straight up and take a big jump, clearing the water completely, then the fish will usually ‘slug it out’ in the depths..

What Time To Fish Sturgeon!

Our guided fishing for sturgeon takes place from March right thru to the end of November. In the spring time after a long winter, the eulachon other wise known as (candle fish) start to return to spawn. The sturgeon are hungry and feast on these little fish, it is not uncommon to have double digit days when angling for them at this time of year. This fishery is very consistent, until the snow melts from BC’s interior mountains, this in turn raises the water in the Fraser River. These river levels fluctuate dramatically depending on the size of the previous winter’s snow pack. Even though the water can be high and dirty there is always someplace to fish out of the current and debris, the fish will hold in these ‘softer’ areas and feed on different items made available due to the high water levels.

After the snow melts, and the river levels start to drop the fish will begin to move back to their regular haunts. The next big feed for the sturgeon is when the salmon return to the Fraser on their annual spawning migration. This time of the season is when we start to use salmon parts and salmon roe to attract the fish.

In August the sockeye salmon begin arriving. The Fraser River has warmed up a bit and the sturgeon get very active. The battles can be monumental , with sturgeon leaping clear of the water when hooked.!!
Every two years there is a pink salmon migration here on the Fraser and Harrison River, this year 2009, and 2011 they’ll return. The fishing is just short of insane, the sturgeon feast on the pink salmon and become very fat, you can actually feel whole salmon in there bellies after you land a big one!

Then as we slide into the fall we have the chum salmon migration, again the sturgeon will eat and get there fill before the long winter returns again. At this time of year salmon roe will be the bait of choice. They will feed actively through the fall until the cold water temperatures slow their metabolism down with the onset of winter.

Shape and Color Changes!

It is interesting as a guide to see how the sturgeon changes shape and colors thru out the seasons, in the early part of the season the fish can be a bit skinny before they start to fill up on the eulachon. Then in the fall they tend to gain a lot of weight after eating dead salmon. When the water is relativity clear the fish take on a darker skin color and when the water is high and colored the fish can be very white in appearance.

Where Sturgeon Go!

Not all sturgeon remain in the freshwater, there have been sightings of sturgeon jumping off the west coast of Vancouver Island and there have been confirmed fish that have been originally tagged from the Columbia River in USA with pit tags and recaptured in the Fraser River. Some of the fish that have been caught in the river have had barnacles on them also, which means that they defiantly came from the ocean. Also, I believe the fish that do come from the ocean have extremely sharp and large scutes which are the boney platelets along the back, sides and leading edges of the belly. The sturgeon that are in the river tend to have duller scutes from swimming around gravel and river bottom. There is still a great deal to learn about these great fish and every time we catch one, we have the opportunity to learn something new.

Catch and Release!

All Sturgeon fishing in BC is on a catch and release basis. These fish are slow growing; it takes a female around 15 to 20 years to reach her spawning age, which is around a 5 to 6 foot fish. When the fish get larger, they may not develop eggs every year; it takes a long time to develop millions of the tiny eggs.

Tackle To Fish Sturgeon!

When fishing for sturgeon, we use custom built rods that have a strong butt section with a nice taper to the tip, sometimes these fish can bite very light and a stiff tip will actually scare them off. The reels are heavy duty saltwater type with a smooth drag system for the long runs you can experience on the bigger fish. The line I like to use is 150lb Power pro for the main line and generally 130lb test for the leaders. Hooks are very important for this type of fishing and a good strong 8/0 to 12/0 hook is necessary to land the big ones, which can weigh 1000 pounds and be more than 12 feet in length.

I would highly recommend this world renowned fishery in BC for sturgeon on the Fraser and Harrison Rivers. Setting the hook on a large fish and having it jump clear of the water is absolutely exhilarating, and photos of the epic battle will provide the lifelong memories!