Hey guys,
I've been a fish taxidermist for 39 years. I want to give you all a heads up on how to handle a trophy for mounting.
The ONLY way I suggest to handle your trophy for freezing is to Get length and girth and a few (good) photos. Then fold fins close to body and wrap in a WET towel. Then place in trash bag (do not tape around fish) and put in the deep freezer. Get to your fish guy ASAP.
The Absolute best way to handle is put in cooler on ice and bring it over that day.
Never put in newspaper as it draws out the moisture and freezer burns the fish quickly.
This is for custom molding of your trophy.
For catch and release : length, girth good pictures and let her slip back into the water!
Hope this helps!
feel free to ask questions!

Sounds right to me. Of course I'm sure everyone on here prefers the catch and release technique. You get a less fragile mount and they're really just as good looking.

I prefer it also! I only do replicas and have for well over 20 years.
I put the instructions here for people that choose to keep theirs (still a few).
I started doing replicas only in 1992 as my way to promote catch and release(way before it was popular).
Most people do not understand that a fish has to be used for the mold. I make all of my own from scratch and always have. I have made over 1000 molds over the years. I have numerous bass molds that have produced dozens and dozens of replicas, That's a lot of bass saved from harvest!

I actually prefer the real mount, even if they do fade I think it just adds character. I like walking into an old tackle shop and seeing a big fish caught in the 70's or 80's.

Good information

Thanks now all I have to do is catch one worthy of mounting.

I caught an 8 pounder a couple years ago in an evening tournament and it died in the livewell so I had it skin mounted and I think it looks a lot better than the 2 replicas I have had done.

I think it all depends on the artist. I would put one of my replicas up against any skin mount or replica in the country. (wow, sounds egotistical)! I am very confident in my replicas. I make them myself from my own molds. 99.9% of the fish guys buy the same ones with the same poses and lack of detail from the same place. Only a handful of artist can take a raw fish and produce a replica that is hard to tell its a replica.
Scales must be hand painted 3-4 times to create depth.

^^^^nice

Very nice. You will get my business if I get that lucky bite this spring. What's your price per inch?

Wow!
Do you have any more replica example pics representative of your work that you wouldn't mind posting up?
Looks like you are a true artist.

Thanks guys!
http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/fishmounter57/library/?sort=3&page=1