Trophy Fish Care

[Jitterbug]

Are there any taxidermist out there? What is the best way to take care of a trophy fish that an angler hopes to mount? I'm think about the time the fish is caught and taken out of the lake and is in route to the taxidermist, so freezing is not an option. Any suggestions from people who have done this?

[Guest]

The faster your freeze it the better off you and the fish are.

Odds are the shop will not get to it right away anyway, so wraping the fish and freezing it properly and quickly will get you the best results for the mount.

Wrap the fish in a well soaked cotton bath towl after folding the fins in and be sure the fish is flat.

(NEVER WRAP IN PAPER!) This drys out the fish and will damage the fish.

After you wrap the fish soak it again to be sure it is sealed up well. Freeze the wraped fish solid.

Now slip the wraped fish in a garbage bag and it will be set for the trip and safe storage.

Take good photos of the fish as soon as it is caught. This will get the best color match as the shop will want a good detailed picture to get the colors and markings just right.

------------------
Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[Bodyman]

I remember watching a fishing show once and they had a segment on preserving a trophy fish. They covered it with Borax (the 20 mule team stuff) then wraped it up and froze it. Anybody else see or hear of that??

Fishing is Life.

[Ozzy169]

Eddy has hitt'er right on the nose!

------------------
Get 'er done

[Kidd]

At the risk of sounding preachy. Gently take the fish out of the water, measure the length and the girth. Take a picture. Return it and get a graphite mount. If you decide to mount the fish, good luck and follow Eddy's directions to the tee.

[KING]

Kidd,

Know of any good places to have graphite reproductions done in Minnesota? I have lots of pictures and measurements and would like to have some made.

[Kidd]

King. The Internet is loaded with places that will do this. I know the sponsors of this site don't like us posters advertising someone else's products or services so with respect to that, I can only tell you to search the internet and do some pricing. Try this search engine: www.dogpile.com and enter "Fish Reproductions". It will return plenty of sites for you to view. A tip. Make sure the place you select specializes in the species you want mounted. Also, make sure you get at least 5 - 10 quotes. You might be surprised by the variance.

[Jitterbug]

I have yet to see a graphite reproduction that that looks realistic. Most graphite reproductions look to animated. Hopefully they get better in the future.

Just a thought, Jbug

[Guest]

This is just a matter of opinion of course, but I agree with Kidd -- even if the repro doesn't look completely real, you still know you caught it. And what's the trophy mount for anyway? It's not just so you can look at it and see the actual fish. It's so you can remember how you felt when you caught it, and know you mastered (at least for a day!) the art of fishing!

A repro should be able to help you with that just as well as the real thing. Besides, we all know you'll show your buddies the real pics when you brag! I sure do!

[Guest]

Artistic ability is a big factor in a good reproduction, some are far better then others.

The mold they use is a key element, be sure to see what the product looks like before you commit. Detail will make the mount so look at it close and from a distance.

I have seen reproductions that look so good that I only knew it was a graphite mount when I looked in the mouth very closely.

For longevity you can't beat a graphite reproduction if it is done well.

------------------
Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html