They don’t call Steve Kaye the Sturgeon Hunter for nothing.
The longtime fishing guide just reeled in a “river monster” sturgeon on B.C.’s Fraser River, in the biggest catch so far this year for the popular fishing destination.
Based on its 54-inch circumference, it’s estimated the 11.2-foot long behemoth tips the scales at 750-pounds.
“It was only when I landed it that I realized it was a true monster,” the SturgeonHunter.com founder told CTV Vancouver.
“My tape measure is only 10 feet long – and there was another 14 inches after that.”
The fisherman, who has been guiding tours on the river for the past 18 years, was out on a charter on May 28 with four generations of the same family when he hooked the fish.
While large sturgeon are common in the river, most are between five and seven feet, and Kaye knew he was dealing with a mighty beast when it jumped out of the water around 200 yards away from their vessel.
“I’ve hooked several giants before but they’re just so big that you lose them. They’ll break the line because they’re so big and powerful,” he said, adding that it was an “epic battle” to pull it in.
It took around two hours to reel in the sturgeon, and it was almost lost when a handle on one of the reels broke.
After taking a photo, the fish was released back into the river.
Kaye estimates the fish is more than 100 years old, and has likely been caught and released many times in its lifetime.
“It was a true dinosaur,” he said.
“This sturgeon was here long before us and will probably still be here long after we’re gone.”
