Jared Friesen, a Grade 12 student at W.C. Miller Collegiate in Altona, found himself face to face with a 50 inch long Lake Sturgeon one recent afternoon.

Friesen was fishing at White Cross on the Red River when he hauled the large fish out of the water.

When he was reeling in the fish, Friesen was surprised by how calm it was and assumed it was a log.

"At first it didn't feel like a whole lot, it didn't fight at all. All of a sudden it felt like there was some weight there, and I saw what it was, and then I started freaking out, because, well, it's a sturgeon," he said.

Friesen said he has never caught a fish as large as this one, and it was his first sturgeon, too.

While catching unique and rare fish such as this one are perks of a fishing trip, Friesen said what he enjoys most about the sport is relaxing and being outdoors.

Lake Sturgeon are identified as an endangered species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and are currently being considered for listing under the Species at Risk Act.