The largest white sturgeon ever recorded was, ironically, caught by a team including a Sturgeon County man.

In mid-August, owner and operator of Sturgeon Slayers, Kevin Estrada, took a team out on the Fraser River in B.C. for a three-day fishing trip. The team included former NHL goalie and Sturgeon County resident Pete Peeters as well as Jake Drieger, Bryant Bowtell and Barry Bowtell.

"I'm just happy that I had the right guys in the boat that could handle a fish like that," Estrada said. "That day, the stars lined up, and it still is a little bit surreal, I think, for all of us."

According to Estrada, they had been having a pretty successful trip when they hit the jackpot on day three. Peeters and Drieger shared the rod while the Bowtell brothers supported where they could.

It took about 20 minutes to reel the fish in. It was measured to be 11’6 (352cm) fork length and 55” pectoral girth, the previous record being 11'4 fork length. Fork length is the standard for measuring on the Fraser River in accordance with the provincial government.

They also estimate it to weigh between 900-1,300 lbs and be over 100-years-old.

"In my 25 years of me fishing the Fraser River, I've never seen an 11-footer," he said. "Seeing something that's this big and magnificent is not only a success story for the Fraser River but internationally. We've never seen anything this big.

Estrada believes the fish is the largest untagged sturgeon recorded and the largest fish recorded on rod and reel, though they are still confirming with the Guinness Book of World Records.

The fish was tagged and released back into the river.

Information provided by Hannah Stolz/FortSaskOnline