Replica Ideas

[Chirofish]

Hey Guys-

I caught my personal best 2 weekends ago (53.5 x 22) and am now researching replicas, styles, and trying to come up with a unique way to display it.

I like these, but am open to suggestions... Have you guys seen anything really unique that you thought would make a good mount?

From LAX:

[TheHawgTrough]

That's a small fish. You should wait until you catch a bigger one.

[50inchpig]

Personally I'd go with a wall mount, can see the fish a little better and that one is a beauty. Whatever you decide you should work in a way to display that picture with it, great photo. I think a coffee table mount would be cool too though, especially if you had the bait you caught it on as part of the display.

[mrklean]

i have always been a fan of the table mounts they look pretty sweet

[muskiemanAD]

I have a bar in the basement that i would like to incorporate a mount into someday. I would think that I could get the mount back and do all other things myself (ie light, rocks/driftwood, lures) I got a couple 52 inch metro fish that would look good but wife thinks 52x12bucks an inch is to expensive, espically with junior on the way!

[scsavre]

I always like the wall mount with the slight turning angle.

I know this question gets asked, but do these replica guys put any effort into making a fish look like the one you caught. I have never seen one even close. It seems for the money they costs they could atleast be the right dimensions, colors, scars etc. I know it sounds dificult to get correct lenght and girths and patterns, but for $600 plus, I would think they could do it.

[Meat-Run]

chirofish,

I wouldn't do the coffe table but do a nice wall mount personally just because it's very expensive and may scare the living cr@p out of your pets that low to the ground....

Seriously it really is up to you and what your home decor is like? I hope to hear about the story and what lure you caught it on next week out in Vegas....

Meat-Run

[Shoot2Kill]

]I always like the wall mount with the slight turning angle.

I know this question gets asked, but do these replica guys put any effort into making a fish look like the one you caught. I have never seen one even close. It seems for the money they costs they could atleast be the right dimensions, colors, scars etc. I know it sounds dificult to get correct lenght and girths and patterns, but for $600 plus, I would think they could do it.

I often wonder the same thing myself. To me most of them look overly fake. I'm not a fan of the ones with their mouths wide open either...I saw a skin mount a few weekends ago that looked like it was going to swim off the wall. I know they don't hold up as long, but they look so much better. I'll never thump one for a mount but if I were to ever consider a mount I'd have to do the real fish which means it would have to die on me after I did everything I could to make a solid release.

Just my .02

To the original poster...NICE FISH!

[Tragic_Mishap]

Great looking fish...congrats. Could someone do a coffee table mount but maybe use it in a bookcase or something similar to that? I think a mount that's got some structure that recreates the scene is the way to go, and like the other poster said, something that incorporates the lure you got it with would be the ticket...but then you've got a nice lure that you know catches fish sitting behind glass or glued to the mount, however they do it. You've got one of those "good problems" to deal with there.

[50inchpig]

chirofish,

I wouldn't do the coffe table but do a nice wall mount personally just because it's very expensive and may scare the living cr@p out of your pets that low to the ground....

Meat-Run

LOL, i thought about that too

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

know this question gets asked, but do these replica guys put any effort into making a fish look like the one you caught. I have never seen one even close. It seems for the money they costs they could atleast be the right dimensions, colors, scars etc. I know it sounds dificult to get correct lenght and girths and patterns, but for $600 plus, I would think they could do it.

My fish from Lax is SPOT ON. I was nervous when I ordered it wondering the same thing but all I can say now is I have the best looking replica that I have ever seen on my wall. I asked him at the show what happens when someone isn't happy with thier mount and he said that he appreciates when a client tells him straight up he isn't satisfied, he wants the fish to be perfect more than the client does. He will take it back to his shop and redo it but I doubt that happens very often if at all.. the measurements are right on too.

Chirofish, shoot me a msg or post your phone number if you want some info. If you are up in the Brainerd area, I'd be happy to show it to you.

[10,000 Casts]

I like the coffee table idea but like mentioned above it is expensive. You have to get a 2 sided replica and the price goes way up. If you really want to get fancy, you can do a pdistal with the fish jumping out of the water or a mount on top of a crappie crib like they had at the shows last winter, there are probably pics on thier websites.

I don't know about you guys but my wife put the hammer down on any coffee tables huge theme mounts.. I was lucky to have her let me put it in my own office. The $750 was tricky too.. You only live once!

[scsavre]

How about coffee table style as kind of a built into a wall insert type of thing. If that makes sense. Im thinking, behind/above the bar, large rectangle hollowed out into the wall (i guess you need some serious wall depth) then basically copy the coffee table mount. Have some weeds or timber etc on the bottom and then mount the fish above it. Of coarse have the lure pined into the side of the lip with the line going up diagonal to the top. Hopefully that painted a picture, looked good in my head.

Glad you got a good replica 10,000 cast. I have just seen too many that dont look good, including ones from the guy who did yours. I am no expert though. I dont want to deter anyone from using that guy.

I wish skin mounts didnt look so good, I have a no keeping fish in my boat rule, but when you put your years and $$,$$$ into the sport. You want the most realistic representation you can get.

[10,000 Casts]

There is a huge difference with the ones that they are doing now vs. 3 years ago, it has been a work in process and they seem to get better with every one they do. I have seen replicas that I don't like from all from the main players.. When you spend that kind of doe and plan to display your fish proudly, it better be perfect imo. Some guys call them up and have them do a fish with no pics and some tell them to do it however they want. I told Lax that my fish was a Leech Strain Mille Lacs fish that just came up after being in open water all summer and she was very light and a slime green color (I'll never forget the color, it was slime green and super pale) against the dark water. I said that I wanted a moderate S curve left facing with the tail down and most importantly I didn't want the gills flared as much as he usually does and I wanted him to match the marking exactly and he nailed it..

I also like the fact that if I ever scratch it or break it while moving, they can fix it. The skin mounts seem to age really bad and I'm not sure if they can be fixed.

One idea that I have thought about is going to the guy that does chainsaw carving here in Pequot and asking him to make me a pedistal and carve it out making it look like cabbage and coontail and putting my next mount in it.

All in all, I say get what ever makes you happy, the research of it all and anticipation is half the fun.

[muskiemanAD]

10,000 Cast, would you mind posting a picture of your mount? Would like to see it. Thanks!!

[10,000 Casts]

I took the video on my phone. It really doesn't show the detail behind the spots and it was tough to get decent lighting. You really have to see it in person.

[muskiemanAD]

Wow! That is a great looking mount!

[mainbutter]

Just had a thought pop into my head.. Does Lax do anything other than esox species?

[FlyPiker]

I think I remember seeing walleye, northern, and brook trout from them this spring at the Expo.

[Tim_Anderson]

Rick Lax does it all, and really specializes in muskies. Someone asked if anyone tries to match your individual fish - and again, Rick really does. He's done a couple big ones for me and several for my clients and everyone has been really pleased. Wall mounts are great. I like the coffee table mounts alot. He also does a revolving platform where the fish looks like it is coming up to feed - sort of standing on it's tail coming up at an angle with it's mouth open. Very cool. Maybe check out their HSOforum if you haven't already.

[mainbutter]

Cool to hear

One of these days (when the wallet allows) I'd love to get a few replicas made, but they're not exactly typical Minnesota taxidermy fair.. so far a redfish and a ling cod are at the top of the list until I can finally tie into a true 50+er musky or 44+ northern.