Keeping A Trophy Fish

[WRB]

WRB, true.

BTW, have I asked you before where you got your replica done, for your 19 ? That mount looks fantastic !

Fish

Thank you Chris, that is a high praise coming from your skilled eye.

Roberts Trophy Fish Mounts, however Robert Munose moved to Arkansas a few years ago and I don't know what happened to him. I believe he did your mount?

It's been nearly 20 years since I caught and released that bass and I have been prepared ever since with a certified scale, good camera.....no 20+!

Good Luck and enjoy Father's Day.

Tom

[hookedahawg]

Well that's the kicker of the story, Im a minimalist when it comes to fishing, 1 rod and reel, small Plano in my pocket and and scale in hopes of needing it. I leave my phone locked in my car because I don't get service where I fish anyway. My buddy who was with me is old skool so no camera phone. All I have is his verification to the story and a great memory do that's good enough for me. thanks again guys for the comments and opinions.

[hookedahawg]

*** let me clarify ***

I have lots of gear, but when its a hike to get to where im going I don't take much.

[Derriick]

I've thought hard about this and after seeing some awesome replica mounts I don't see any reason of ever killing a fish. I'd rather have peace of mind that I let the fish live to get even bigger and may give someone else the opportunity of a lifetime. Take measurements pictures and get a replica mount made that will outlast any actual mount and look better too.

[shimmy]

I will say this though, i wonder how many people who advocate for a replica have never had a real skin mount prior. It seems that many people will get that initial skin mount of their fish and then years later only get replicas and state, "i wish i never did the skin mount, replicas are the way to go." I think it is much easier to hold the replica stance once you have enjoyed the skin mount for all those years having no deviation from your big bass on your wall. I figure i willl skin mount my first big one and then replica the rest. I understand that replicas can look just as good, if not better. But it's not always about the look, it's about enjoying your fish, not something with close to very close measurements. I guess my point is best illustrated by someone who has never caught a 4 pounder and then catches one and gets extremely excited and mounts it. Then years later after having caught many 5's and 6's will probably not be as ecstatic when they catch a 4 and will advocate for others who catch a 4 for the first time to release them so they can get bigger to catch later. Getting a skin mount is a unique experience with your own fish skin and all! I figure If you have never done a skin mount, then i think you have more of a right to advocate for the replica stance.

[WRB]

Really don't want to reopen this can of worms.

If you know how a skin mount is made, it is less like your real bass than the replica mount.

I have 3 skin mounts of fish; 12 lb 4 oz northern strain LMB that died because I over handled it back in '71. A 37 lb musky caught on my father in laws birthday in '76, agian over handled the musky after a party full of people want their picture taken with the fish, couldn't revive it. 10 lb 2 oz rainbow trout when I was 12 years old.

All the skin mounts are top quality professional taxidermy and taken good care of over the years, they don't look very good today. The bass in my avatar is a replica mount, looks as good today as it did in '94 when it was made.

The taxidermist had a 19 lb bass mold, reshaped a little to the dimensions and photo of the bass. Use this mount to represent all my giant bass and simply write the weights and dates on the backside of the mount.

To clean it all you do is wipe if off with a clean damp rag. Can't do that easily with a skin as the moisture affects the skin and paint.

What you may not realize is a skin has very little color after it's pickled and cured, basically gray and must be streched over a manikin to be painted, similar painting process as the replica and that is where the artistry comes in, the skill of the finish painting. Resin doesn't crack, peel, shrink, deteriorate or fade and the scales can't fall out or leak and the fins don't break off after several years.

The replica is just as real as the skin mount, looks great a lot a lot longer and not a constant reminder of the fish you killed to get it made. Today we have a choice, back when my skin mounts were made, I didn't have that choice.

Good luck and hope everyone has the opportunity to make a choice.

Tom

[Bangin' Bucketmouths]

I may recieve a lot of hate for this, but I personally keep a lot of the bass I catch when ever I go fishing in lakes. The bass I keep however, are usually in the two pound range, and I've never kept one over 4 pounds. Bass are exceptional eating, and taste best before they get large. Their meat becomes more chewy, and can be more hazardous from mercury accumulation. I've caught plenty of large bass, but all were released safely. As for pond fishing, which makes up 90% of my fishing, all of them get released. I'm lucky to live on the Kissimmee lake system, so I know that my 100 2 pounders a year will not have an effect on the population.

[Bluebasser86]

I may recieve a lot of hate for this, but I personally keep a lot of the bass I catch when ever I go fishing in lakes. The bass I keep however, are usually in the two pound range, and I've never kept one over 4 pounds. Bass are exceptional eating, and taste best before they get large. Their meat becomes more chewy, and can be more hazardous from mercury accumulation. I've caught plenty of large bass, but all were released safely. As for pond fishing, which makes up 90% of my fishing, all of them get released. I'm lucky to live on the Kissimmee lake system, so I know that my 100 2 pounders a year will not have an effect on the population.

More than likely you're helping the system by cleaning out the smaller fish. I wish I liked to eat fish so I could do the same for some of our overpopulated lakes but bass has got to be one of the nastiest tasting fish I've ever tried IMO. If it don't have teeth and marble eyes it isn't worth eating if it's from freshwater in my book   Even a lot of the 'eyes I catch get released, much to the dismay of anyone fishing around me. 

[SirSnookalot]

What I do in practice and I what I feel about my rights or anyone else's are 2 different issues.  Just about everything I catch get's released, I don't care to eat or mount them.  Any fish legally caught by me or anyone else becomes personal property and with it the right to eat, mount or release it.  Statements on one's own morality regarding on what should be done with a fish do not supercede the law.  

[WRB]

The ethics of catch and release is appropriate to the topic of trophy bass fishing in regards to trophy size fish.

Bass are very prolific, fast growing and provide both recreation and food as a renewable resource, in general terms. Trophy size fall into a different category of fish as their population is very small, only a few in each waterway and have become the target for most bass anglers to catch as there own personal best. There are a few anglers who fish to fish and catching fish of all sizes has an equal appeal....numbers are as important as size. To those anglers this thread isn't about you.

Dottie, the lake Dizon giant bass was a shinning star amount giant bass attaining superstar status being listed at least 3 times in the top catches of all time; 19.5, 20.8 and 21.7. It was her 4 th and final catch that brought her to the all favorite bass status when she may have risen to the coveted world record status at 25.1 lbs, however she was illegally snagged and never officially weighed before being released the final time before she died. If Dottie was caught at 10 or 12 lbs and killed for a mount, Dottie legacy would not have existed.

Tom

[bigbill]

The government did a survey on the fish population and how to keep the numbers up so we have a future in catching fish. They said to take the smaller fish to eat so the larger fish can still breed.

 

My home state finally got the message and now we have slot limits on LMB.

 

I always released my bigger fish anyway. For a mount all we need is a picture and the measurements.

[Broc]

Pure catch and release is the way to go.

[Hogsticker]

A picture is worth a thousand words. You did the right thing - Congrats

[Sam]

Never.

 

Would take a photo and have a facsimile made.

 

I don't have to hang a big bass on the wall to prove I can fish or to stroke my ego.

 

I believe in catch and release.

[Fish Chris]

Shimmy >  I figure If you have never done a skin mount, then i think you have more of a right to advocate for the replica stance.

 

I feel just the opposite.

 

I mean it would be like me sitting here and telling everybody that drugs / alcohol suck a$$, "just because somebody told me so". I've made "plenty" of stupid decisions in my life, so hopefully, a few people will be able to learn from that, without having to make the same stupid decisions, themselves.

 

I believe a many of the strongest advocates for C/R, have kept a fish or two in the past for skin mounts. But have learned better, since then.

 

I know I have had two skin mounts done... Gave one away. Had a lot of personal issues over the other one for a long time, but have since gotten over that by accepting the fact of > "Live and learn". Now its just a little dust collecting piece of fish art. Not near so impressive as the replica of my 18.4

 

Peace,

Fish

[shimmy]

Shimmy >  I figure If you have never done a skin mount, then i think you have more of a right to advocate for the replica stance.

 

I feel just the opposite.

 

I mean it would be like me sitting here and telling everybody that drugs / alcohol suck ****, "just because somebody told me so". I've made "plenty" of stupid decisions in my life, so hopefully, a few people will be able to learn from that, without having to make the same stupid decisions, themselves.

 

I believe a many of the strongest advocates for C/R, have kept a fish or two in the past for skin mounts. But have learned better, since then.

 

I know I have had two skin mounts done... Gave one away. Had a lot of personal issues over the other one for a long time, but have since gotten over that by accepting the fact of > "Live and learn". Now its just a little dust collecting piece of fish art. Not near so impressive as the replica of my 18.4

 

Peace,

Fish

 

Well comparing a mount to doing drugs are obviously going to be 100 percent different in comparison. Skin mounts are not a "mistake" nor are they synonymous with a negative connotation as you make them out to be. Yeh, the down side is you keep a fish. However, come on, everything about fishing puts bass in extremely dangerous positions as we yank their faces from their environment, hold them for pictures, stress them out, and most likely lower their longevity, if not kill them from over-handling. Taking a moral stance on it is obviously going to be ridiculous. If people really wanted to ensure that all of their big bass were caught again they would never take the fish out of the net that's still in the water after they caught them, not even for pictures. The issue i was making was people always have 20/20 hindsight when they are older and reflect back on stuff they have done and say, oh, i should never have tried this occupation, or i should have got more of an education, et cetera. However, it's important to note that you did what made you happy at that time. My thing is, i want whatever is the most authentic recreation of my fish, measurements, length, girth, head, skin, and all. 

 

Sam, we talk about fishing and more importantly, catching big fish because it does stroke our ego in a way. I really don't see how getting a mount is any different. It's fun to look at something you have caught. 

 

So here is my main question with replicas to date and maybe WRB can chime in as well. I noticed that you said you had your 19 pounder made from a plaster and had the taxidermist adjust the mold to get the specific measurements of your fish. My question is, how common is that to have a replica made where they can match your measurements perfectly as requested? My other obvious concern is that the mouth could be a completely different size than the replica; thus, for me taking away the individuality once again of the fish. But, maybe i am wrong on this? 

 

Thanks,

Stay classy San Diego

[Texfisherman]

Like Felix77 and several others, I'm all about CPR.

 

If you're planning on doing replicas the next time you catch that monster bass.........

 

 

Do your research on taxidermists in your area ahead of time!

I got burned on my 8lb, 4oz replica, and that's by someone who is supposed to the "best of the best", according to several hunters I talked to.

 

Ask questions like how closely can they get molds to match an x-pound bass? Can they get the mouth and flared-out gills to the right size?

How long of a wait before they can even start on it? (I waited 13 months for him to complete it.) 

Do they work on a lot of bass replicas each year, or mostly animals? What should you expect to pay for a replica?

If you provide pictures, will they paint it to closely resemble the bass that you caught?

 

I know the last question seems silly, but after getting home and comparing my replica to all of the pictures that I provided the taxidermist, I'd swear he never even looked at them. It looks like a bass, just not my bass...

 

Just food for thought.

[00 mod]

Like Felix77 and several others, I'm all about CPR.

 

If you're planning on doing replicas the next time you catch that monster bass.........

 

 

Do your research on taxidermists in your area ahead of time!

I got burned on my 8lb, 4oz replica, and that's by someone who is supposed to the "best of the best", according to several hunters I talked to.

 

Ask questions like how closely can they get molds to match an x-pound bass? Can they get the mouth and flared-out gills to the right size?

How long of a wait before they can even start on it? (I waited 13 months for him to complete it.) 

Do they work on a lot of bass replicas each year, or mostly animals? What should you expect to pay for a replica?

If you provide pictures, will they paint it to closely resemble the bass that you caught?

 

I know the last question seems silly, but after getting home and comparing my replica to all of the pictures that I provided the taxidermist, I'd swear he never even looked at them. It looks like a bass, just not my bass...

 

Just food for thought.

 

 

I had the same experience on my previous 8lb 9oz. PB.  I am currently waiting on my current PB replica right now.  I will post pictures of both(fish and mount of both PB's when complete)

 

Jeff

[fishking247]

i will never keep a bass.

[WRB]

If your bass is very unque in shape you need some a custom replica mold made of your specific bass, this is very rare., but a possibility. In the case of my 19.3 it was 28.5" long with 28" girth. The 19 lb bass mold that existed was 27.5" long, 28" girth. The next mold was a 21 lb bass that was 29"X 28", the difference was in the body section near the tail, so we decided to shorten that area a little, everything else looked identicle. I didn't feel right using the 21lb mold as is and didn't like the shorter 19 lb.

most good fish taxidermist have hundreds of bass molds to chose from between 10 to 15 lbs, every conceivable shape and bass vary very little in that size from each regional area. The average northern strain LMB will be in the body same body shape where the girth is 75% of the length for light bodies, 80% girth to length for medium bodies and 90% the heavier body shapes. True giants approach the 95 to 100% girth to length ratio; if your bass is in the 18 lb+ weight class it has a nearly equal length to girth body shape and very few molds.

For this reason it is important to make length and girth measurement and a good color photo of the bass laying on a tape measure or ruler to help determine what body shape the taxidermist is dealing with if they don't have the fish.

My advice is look at the taxidermists work before making decision where to spend your hard earned $$$ for a good mount.

Tom

[2Burd4Dawg4]

Take a few good pics and send her swimmin

[Dwight Hottle]

shimmy on the subject of measurements & blanks.

I got a replica of my pike from LAX taxidermy. He was one of the original replica taxidermists in the country for pike & muskies. He charged the same amount for skin mounts as replicas trying to advocate for the replica. They have amassed a tremendous inventory of blanks to cover almost all lengths & girths possible. He matched my fishes length & girth exactly. So if you shop around you can find a shop that has your exact measurements for the replica trophy. The first two shops I called did not have what I caught and I would have had to settle for a replica that was not an exact copy. Like Tom mentioned above you can get what you want if you are working with the right taxidermist.

[gotarheelz14]

I caught the fish on my avatar at a local pond and released it. If I had to do it over again, I would likely do the same, especially since I am a cheap wretched and don't want to spend the money on having a taxidermist mount it. 

If anything, I would probably get a replica made. HOWEVER, if it was the world record bass, I would probably "remove" it from its pond so nobody else could catch it form under me lol! I would donate it like Fish said, to a tank or some place that would give it a good, nice, long life. 

I have absolutely zero problem if anyone ever decides to keep their PB and have it mounted. As long as it is within the law, have it my friends!