They should have weighed it

[NTW]

I'd like to think it was. Definitely a prespawn belly. I can palm a basketball easily and it felt strange how much room I had when I put my hand in its mouth to get the lure.

I posted the other pic of it below...

[Duffman]

That's one sweet mount ya got there Leech!

[NTW]

I didn't notice the first time I looked, but I think the picture on the wall next to the replica is just as cool!

[toonfish]

This one was longer.....didn't think of having weighed, put it back...bigger than the one in the article, but still not close to any record

[grab the net]

Swamp Donkey, toad, monster, hawg, etc......

[Fever]

Toonfish,

I remember seeing that pic before. Congrats again on that pig. Like NTW, I think a replica and a framed photo near it is very classy. Leech, what was the girth of the bass you had the replica made from. I measured mine but not sure if I did it right. It was a touch over 21 just behind gill plate near pectoral fins as they (fins) lay flat on her sides. I wasn't really thinking to clear at the time and just wanted her back in the lake. Plus at the time had no intention of a replica. But Man, I think it'd look sweet. I like the way yours turned out. I'm guessing same year class and a product of the slots they had there several years back. Leech, Superduty, I'd like to swap stories with ya being as though they came from same puddle. Although prob not on a public forum and prob not specific (private) spots.

[LEECH21]

Thanks on the replica compliments. I get a lot of people telling me that there's no way its a repo when they see it right away. My neighbor has a real largemouth mount in his house and its amazing the difference between the two. I understand each taxidermist is different and there are some out there that do amazing work....but, my neighbor is kicking himself after mine showed up on our front door.

[LEECH21]

Fever.... not 100% sure on the girth. We took the length and weighed it (a tad over 7lbs) and a few pics, and she went back in the water. I knew right away I wouldn't keep her. I was more concerned about the fishes health...plus I was freaking out a little, lol. When I ordered it from Artistic Anglers, I gave them the pics, the length, and told them the weight. He said they have blanks for fish of all weights and sizes. So I'm guessing they went thru their inventory and found one that was 22" and from a fish roughly 7 lbs.

Not too much of a story on the fish. Went to Waconia musky fishing, throwing a 8" Inhaler in-line spinner and she "in-haled" it, haha. The fish was caught in '04. Biggest bass I've ever seen.

[LEECH21]

Here's the real fish...remember this is from '04. It's amazing how advanced cameras have gotten since then. Its seems so fuzzy, lol.

[Fever]

I've heard of alot of guys catching nice bass while targeting Muskys. Wow. Anything in the 7 pound range is awesome. I was actually fishing in our weekly league when I caught my 22. Had a three bag limit of that 22, a 19.5, and an 18.75. All on a specific color, specific brand of 7 inch worm, (don't even make them anymore). Anyway, I've posted this info in other posts but it was on my wife's birthday in 07. My partner wasn't really catching fish till I gave him what I was tossing then it was game on. Between 8:30-9:00 we probably caught 15-20 fish all between 17-18inches... I started off with the 19.5 about 5 min into the night about 6:05- so, good start, then it got slow but we stuck with it and got the pig around 7:45. We were looking for another nice one to go with the 19.5 and 22 but couldn't best the 18.75. It still was enough, and we won that league night with a 13 lb 9 oz bag edging out a friend of mine (Tim) by just a few oz. Funny how well I remember it. Goes to show you that it doesnt happen too often. Here is pic of the 22 and the 19.5. Not the best quality of pic here either. Flash was weird and in 07, I was probably using a camera from 03 or 04... Not too up on my technology.

[img:left]http://