I had always imagined the Fraser as a huge river with a very swift current, rapids, waterfalls and drop offs. Actually the river itself is quite similar to our North Saskatchewan River in northern Alberta in many respects. It's the scenery that really sets the two rivers apart. The mountains, hundreds of bald eagles, and the salmon jumping at this time of year, make this boat ride an adventure in it itself. Although I have fished lots of lakes over the years and drifted the Bow and Red Deer Rivers in a drift boat, I gained a whole new respect for the guides who are navigating jet boats in this ever-changing river.
The Fishin' Hole staff had the opportunity in November to venture out to B.C to fish for the mighty white sturgeon of the Fraser River. Our host again this year was Fred Helmer of Fred's Fishing Adventures and his crew.
Although the fishing was not as hot as last year, we all had a great day on the water. Fred explained that the slower action was due in part to the unusually high water. This high water had the fish moving around a lot and prevented them from concentrating like they normally do. Secondly, there was a later run of salmon which resulted in an increased amount of food in the river. Both of these factors resulted in a less aggressive sturgeon bite compared to the year previous. The fish we caught were on the smaller side, at least by Fraser River standards but Chris managed to boat a nice fish in the 80 lb range.
On average the fish we caught were smaller than Chris's but they still put up a great fight in the current.
White sturgeon in the Fraser and Harrison River systems can grow to over 11 ft long and weigh in excess of 1000 lbs. Unless you are accustomed to angling for fish of this size, the fishing gear you own will not likely be heavy enough. You can purchase new gear but a better option might be to rent equipment when you get there or hire a guide who will supply all the equipment you need. We were using 8' Talora rods with a 50-80 lb rating and Shimano TLD reels spooled with 130 lb. Power Pro line. The rigging is quite simple, basically a modified Lindy rig with a 16oz sliding weight and an 18-24' snelled on a 5-8/0 hook. The bait of choice was a roe bag filled with fresh Chum roe. We were using sonar to target areas with channels or V's in the river bottom that would channel the bait to where we expected to find a concentration of fish as well.
Although we found small pods of fish in these locations, the bite was light and if we missed a couple of hits, we were off to the next location always hoping for a more aggressive bite.
A few years back Fred and his crew in co-operation with the fisheries group in B.C took it upon themselves to become guardians of the white sturgeon. They were instrumental in the implementation of a tagging system whereby all sturgeon that they catch are measured, tagged and returned to the river. The information gathered from this tagging system is invaluable to the management and success of the sturgeon in the Fraser system and we commend Fred and his company for their commitment to ensuring their future.
If you're planning a trip out to B.C, take the opportunity to fish for world-class white sturgeon on the Fraser River, it will truly be your 'Fishing Trip Of A Lifetime'.
