I fear that my son or wife may catch a big-un one day and we may have to have it mounted. What is the best way to save and store a fish before taking it to the taxidermist? Do you wrap it in someting and freeze it?

You never know, this weekend may be the one.

John N.

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John N.

How about a replica? http://www.ets-systems.com/fishcreations/

I agree with BigLeslie. Take some measurements and maybe some pictures and go to a good taxidermist and check into a replica. I have one Ron Kelly made for me back in 1993 and it looks the same today as it did back then. And who knows who might have caught that 9 1/2lber years later when it could have been 12 or 13lbs or better. So think about a replica for your memories and releasing the fish for maybe someone else's catch of a lifetime.

I always just wrap em up in foil and take them A.S.A.P. just try and wrap as many layers of foil as you can. Also take some pictures of it while it's still fresh so he can get the colors correct.

There may be a better way to do it. I think I have heard of paperbags before but can't remember. Hope that helps.

I just wonder how most on this forum feel about this subject. I would not want the replica but would only cherish the real fish(LMB) that made that once in a lifetime (or twice) feeling. It seems that if a fisherman consistantly practices catch and release on hundreds if not thousands of LMB he then deserves to hang that one or few fish on his wall. Is this selfish?

Yes.

NO

Since you responded with a capital "NO" I feel I must elaborate. I was writing up some of the obvious reasons why harvesting trophy bass simply for mounting purposes is well, heading the way of keeping bass for the skillet, when I came across this article that says it quite well. http://www.trophybassonly.com/id143.htm

Sr fishery biologist Gene Gilliland (Jan 03 Fishing Illustrated) states biologically there is " no reason to release trophy bass". Quote " That ten plus pounder was somewhere between six and twelve years old, the odds of that fish being caught again are pretty slim, not to mention the spawning capabilities are declined, their contribution to the gene pool have already been made. It is doubtful the lake will be any worse without it."

Didnt really mean anything with the capital "NO" but your response of just "Yes" to his question seemed quite short as well... I am aware of all the biological and conservationist reasons to realease fish and have done so all my life. I do not have any trophy fish of any kind hanging in my house ,den or office. But I think it is every persons right and own decision to keep and mount or even eat for that matter any fish as he sees fit. If you catch it .. do with it (with in the law ) as you like without fear of what others will say

I think that any fish under ten pounds or so should be released, anything over that should go to share-a-lunker if possible and if not it should be the choice of the angler. Like the above post noted, a fish of that size most likly will not be caught again and most likely will not live much longer anyway. The fish I like to see released are the ones between 4lbs and 9 or 10lbs, they are the ones that still have the most potental and are more likly to be caught again. Just my thoughts!!!!

Anyone can go down and give measurements to a taxidemist and say they caught a huge bass.I want the fish that I actually caught to go on my wall.If I wanted a fake I could go to Wally World and buy one that is already mounted on a plauqe and you can push a button and it will sing to you.

[This message has been edited by Turk (edited 07-24-2003).]

Z71 getting back to your original question, before all these bleeding hearts came on the thread. I have one bass hanging on my wall. It's now over 20 years old, and it's kind of like that ratty old Moose that you find stored in Grandpa's attic because nobody really wants to hang it anywhere nowadays.

My wife keeps trying to sneek it out to the garbage. Not that it doesn't still look good, but because she doesn't think it goes with any of her decor.

Anyway, my neighbor at the time I caught this fish happened to be a non-practicing taxidermist. I came home and ask him what I should do to keep this fish ready for my taxidermist search period. I didn't know who to use, and I wanted to do a little shopping....Not just run to the first Tom Dick and Harry with a sign out front.

He had me bring out two or three large bath towels soaked in water, layed that still wet fish on the first towel and began wrapping. One towel, then the next, until he had this fish completely wrapped in wet towels. Then he wrapped this whole get up in foil.

Then I put this very solid little package in the freezer and let if freeze even more solid.

A little advice for you and anyone considering getting something mounted. Be sure you stop and think about the fish you want mounted. Make absolutely sure some time down lifes road, you and your wife will not be cussing and discussing whether or not you should toss out this trophy that means so much to you today. Make sure it's a prize that you will long cherish, and not just happen to be the first decent size fish you happen to catch.

Also examine the fish for mountable characteristics. For example, a ten pound bass that comes out of an old lake, and has a large head and great big old bucket mouth, can make a better looking mount, than a 12 - 13# fish that comes out of some fast growth lake, and has a mouth about the size of a smallmouth.

A good taxidermist can add size in the girth to your mount, but he can't add much size to the mouth and head.

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Mike
www.WhiskerKitty.com

I have done taxidermy in the past and I would be in favor of the replica for this reason. If you mount the real fish it is going to have a large visible scar on one side that runs from the gill to the tail. This is done to remove all of the flesh from the fish. The fish is then stitched up around a foam mold. A replica does not have this scar since it is a fiberglass mold. Also depending on what position you mount the fish in the scar may be visible while hanging on the wall. A fiberglass replica will last forever where as after a few years the real mount will start to show signs of age. A good taxidermist that specializes in fish will be able to match the size of your catch nearly to the once. Also some taxidermist charge more to mount the real fish.I would suggest looking at both before you decide.

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Bleeding Heart!? OK let me just say that I value everyone's opinion and I am not some environmentalist wacko, quite the contrary. Hunt, fish, club baby seals, heck I don't care...I just want there to be plenty of big bass to go around.

As to the fisheries biologist's comment that it is doubtful that trophy bass are still contributing to the gene pool in the later years of their life. Hmmm, that sounds pretty strange since the share-a-lunker program is devoted to breeding only big bass with other big bass, are we to assume these bass would not be breeding on their own in nature? Doesn't seem likely. Obviously since he used language like "doubtful" he is only speculating and does not have hard data to back up that statement. Now what is obviously irrefutable is that killing a bass for a mount takes it completely out of a gene pool and destroys any potential it has for growing bigger or being a trophy for others. And as many fishermen as there are today (which is fine by me) that means more people who may fish their entire lives without landing that true monster. Anyway, I've stated my case, good fishing to all and I truly hope that this weekend will be the one you land that trophy!...BL