A fishing team from Chilliwack has made headlines after catching a legendary white sturgeon known as “Ghost.” The fish, which had eluded anglers for over 15 years, was finally landed on July 7 near Lillooet. It weighed about 700 pounds and measured 10 feet 2 inches in length.
Jeff Grimolfson, owner of River Monster Adventures, and his deckhand Wynn Davy, were on the river guiding two longtime clients from Edmonton, Alberta—Glen Wood and Ian Touw—when they made the record-breaking catch. The moment was filled with both excitement and pressure.
Grimolfson said he had seen Ghost on sonar many times over the years. The fish had always refused to bite, no matter what bait or technique they used. For over a decade, it remained just out of reach, becoming a legend among those who fish the Fraser River.
On the afternoon of July 7, that changed. At first, the crew thought the hook was caught on the river bottom. But then the line began to move upstream. Moments later, the fish leaped from the water. Only then did they realize what they had hooked.
Grimolfson described the fish as looking like a whale. The splash was so massive, it seemed as if the river itself dropped. They quickly understood this was no ordinary sturgeon.
To catch Ghost, they used a strong braided line rated for 200 pounds, a one-pound weight, and a large 20-inch hook. This setup is designed to drift along the riverbed, where sturgeon feed in the muddy waters of the Fraser.
Although the fish is commonly referred to as male, its true gender is unknown. Determining that would require an invasive procedure, which the team chose not to perform. Instead, they carefully measured and tagged Ghost before releasing it back into the river.
This catch now stands as the largest and possibly oldest sturgeon ever caught by River Monster Adventures. Their previous record was a fish known as Pig Nose, which weighed 650 pounds and was also over 10 feet long. Pig Nose had been caught and released several times. It was estimated to be between 80 and 100 years old.
Ghost, in comparison, may be 120 to 140 years old. That would make it one of the oldest white sturgeon ever caught in the region.
White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in North America. They are native to rivers in western Canada and the U.S. and can live more than 150 years. However, their population has declined due to overfishing, pollution, dams, and changes to river habitats. Because of their slow growth and late maturity, they are now listed as a threatened species.
To help protect these fish, River Monster Adventures works closely with the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society. They gather data during every catch to aid in conservation and long-term species survival.
Although Ghost is a rare catch, it is not the biggest sturgeon ever found in the Fraser River. On July 3, 2024, a separate team caught an 11-foot sturgeon near the mouth of the Harrison River. In 2021, another group landed an 11.6-foot fish that weighed 890 pounds.
Still, for Grimolfson, catching Ghost is the highlight of his fishing career. He said he is nearing 50 and wasn’t sure if he’d ever get another chance to hook a fish of that size. Now, with Ghost caught and released, he finds himself wondering whether even larger sturgeons are out there.
The team is already back on the river, scanning sonar and hoping for another once-in-a-lifetime moment. For Grimolfson, the thrill of the unknown remains strong.
The white sturgeon catch not only marks a personal milestone but also reflects the deep respect these anglers have for the river and its ecosystem. It’s a story of patience, passion, and the power of nature to surprise even the most seasoned fishermen.
