Father and son catch 884-lb. sturgeon in Canada

A father and son from Atlanta, Georgia, discovered just how much manpower it takes to reel in a fish weighing 884 pounds.

It took Ron Jarvis and his 19-year-old son Paul about an hour to reel in the sturgeon, which measured nearly 12 feet long. Luckily, they had each other to lean on when it came time to reel it in.

"In the first few minutes I had it on the line, I couldn't believe the weight and power of the fish. Managing that fish became a true father and son challenge. As I battled the fish, my dad handed me water to keep hydrated," Paul told Great River Fishing Adventures.

There are five species of sturgeon fish found in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia says this ancient species of fish grows quite slowly, but they end up weighing massive amounts - like the 884-pounder the Jarvises caught. The white sturgeon has been protected as an endangered species since 1993.

Unfortunately, the catch cannot be entered into the official record, because that would mean killing the endangered animal. The father and son had to release it back into the water.

The sturgeon was not tagged, however, so they -- along with the Great River Fishing Adventures crew -- tagged the fish so conservationists could track it before sending it on its way.

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