Sturgeon (tough scale: 9.5)
A native of North America, the white sturgeon is hardly as monstrous as the 3,000-pound beluga found in the Caspian Sea. But I’ll tell you what: When a 9- or 10-foot-long white sucks your cut-herring bait off the bottom of a river, turns and takes off, you’re going to know it. You won’t believe that what looks like the prehistoric, armor-plated, sucky-mouthed result of a catfish-carp liaison can leap, but leap it does. During a typical fight, a white sturgeon will repeatedly jump high into the air, slamming back down to the water’s surface without grace.

Its huge tail and pectoral fins ensure drag-melting runs, followed by bottom-hugging tactics that’ll force you to grunt him up. You’ll need a quick-release snap and float to leave your anchor and begin the chase. At boatside the fish will continue to thrash violently, so stay ready. Today the Columbia and Idaho’s Snake River produce fish in the 200- to 500-pound range, while fish up 
to 600 pounds have come from British Columbia’s Fraser River. Eighty-pound-test line, heavy-duty revolving-spool reels, boat rods and three-way swivel bait rigs get the job done.