What size fish would you keep for the wall? (major species)

[buzzsaw]

If you were to land a trophy (Bass, Muskie, Walleye, Northern, crappie, Sunfish) what size would it have to be for you to send it to your friendly neighborhood taxidermist? or would you do the replica thing? It seems as though everybody has a different idea on this and I wanted to take a little pole. Feel free to say what you have on the wall currently, I'd like to know.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Buzz, I've made a new set of rules for myself. Currently I have a 16 lb northern, 8 lb bass, and 3 HUGE perch(don't know the weight) hangin on the wall. The perch mount is really cool looking.

This will bring me to my friendly neighborhood taxidermist;

Northern- Gotta be 20 lbs or more.

Walleye- Gotta be 10 lbs or more.

Bass- Gotta be 10 lbs or more.

Crappie- I'd love to have a couple of 2 pounders hangin.

Pretty high goals, I know. I'm not seeing any new fish on the wall any time soon. But ya never know.

[Green&Gold]

Muskie = 55". Crappie = 15", (I have always thought 3 on a piece of driftwood would be nice.) I don't really fish for bass very often, so I am not sure. I currently have a L.O.W. walleye that was 31 1/2", ll lbs. I also have a Northern that was 42", 22 lbs (husky!). I normally would set my standards a little higher for a northern, but this one was caught by my father and I when I was a kid and it was kept for several reasons that were more important than just its size.

[Deitz Dittrich]

For me, with as good as replicas are... I would take a bunch of pictures and get a replical made.. then you wouldnt even really need a monster fish... just a nice looking fish!

I myself have 8-10 pictures of some large fish I have caught over the years.. a picture tells 1000 words. Gets your emotions.. stupid stains on your shirt...however, I have no problem with people keeping one for the wall... I personally just think that the replicas turn out better and last longer.

[LEECH21]

Deitz, I'm with you on this one. Replicas will last forever, real mounts will not. My standards for getting a repo made though are:

Lm Bass 22"

Sm Bass 21"

Walleye 30"

Pike 40"

Musky 50"

I really don't do that much panfishing so I really don't have any min. length for them.

[Willy]

Agree Deitz with replicas. I caught a walleye this winter that I probably will never beat and am planning on a replica. However, I haven't seen much for crappies or sunnies done for replicas and have a 15 1/2 in. dump in the freezer that I may have done sometime.

Walleye = replica 30" or 11 lbs.

Northern = over 20 lbs, still replica

Crappie = 17"

Sunny = 11"

Bass = if caught in MN 8.5 lbs,probably replica

[squeedunk]

I wouldn't keep anything for the wall anymore. A bunch of my college buddies gave me a replica mount of my 53" X 30" muskie for my wedding and it looks perfect! The replicas don't cost all that much more than a skin mount and you get to see the fish swim back to where it belongs.

If I were to get another replica for the wall it would have to be a monster fish.

15 lb. walleye

8 lb. bass

4 lb. crappie

or a bigger muskie than I already have

There's no chance a northern would get put up on my wall regardless of it's size.

Get a good tape measure and take pictures, then you don't have to kill any fish. Measure the length and girth then let them all go!!

[bearriver]

I think your standards should be high for putting one on the wall. If you settle for an average fish to mount, what do you do when you get the hog! The average one will end up in the garage next to one of those, Billy the bass "singing fish."

Walleye: 30inch 10lbs.

northern: 20lbs.

Crappie: 17inches (I have caught several very close on Red Lake this year!)

Bass: throw it back!

[art]

I'm with you on that one as well Deitz. Anyone can keep any fish they like as long as it's legal. Personally I'll never kill a trophy. My trophy would be knowing that a fish of that caliber is still out there swimming for some other lucky fisherman to catch and get the thrill of a lifetime out of. My replica length quotas would be:

Muskie-50inch

Northern-45inch

Walleye-30inch

Bass-25inch

Crappie-14inch if I had 3 or more of them for a mount. otherwise, 18inch

Bluegill-12inch for 3, one isn't worth it.

Trout-24inch

[The Yeti]

I had a 4 3/4 pound smallie mounted that I caught when I was younger, but my brothers dog ate it. Only thing left was a glass eye. I was not happy. So another smallie, 5-6 pounds would be nice.

I currently have a 29 1/2 inch, 9 1/2 pound walleye on the wall. Tried for over 20 minutes to release. Would not go. Nice mount, but I was upset that it would not release. But my next walleye, I want to be over 12.

Crappie. 2-3 pounds. Sunnie. 1 1/2 to 1 3/4.

Pike. Not sure. Biggest pike I've ever caught was only 8 pounds. So I'm guessing a mounter would be 20 - 25 pounds.

Musky. Again. Not sure. I did catch 1 on Tonka 2 years ago that was, in estimate, 25-30 pounds? Took a nice pic and let her go. I would say musky, 40 -45 pounds.

Just my opinion, I'm still torn on the whole replica thing. I'm a big proponent of C & R, but if I had a replica, everytime I looked at it I would think 'that's not really the fish I caught'.

[The Yeti]

Everyone please be careful on this post. Don't attack anyone for their opinions or answers.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Teti-so far everybody has been very respectfull, however, thanks for your warning!

[Stratosman]

I tend to favor replicas also, unless the fish won't release that is. A trophy is whatever the beholder thinks it is, so the answers will no doubt vary. I guess these would be my personal guidlines though.

muskie: 51"

pike: 48"

lm bass: 22"

sm bass: 21"

crappie: 15"

sunfish: 11"

[musky hunter]

Personally, I'd prefer a great photo, and with digital cameras getting so good it's easier that ever. But if I did want something I'd have a graphite reproduction made. This all assumes the fish could be released unharmed. If it died of course I'd consider a skin mount. This is just my personal philosophy and have no grudge with anyone taking a real trophy for a skin mount.

[gspman]

Well I'd probably put nothing on the wall anymore except for photos. I still don't like the replica's so I wouldn't go that route. If I were forced to set my limits it would be this.

30" walleye - 10# min weight

45" pike (had one on about 10 years ago and I still dream about it)

50" muskie

20"+ largie - 6# min weight

haven't decided on a smallie - probably 5#+

17" crappie - it'd have to have really nice coloration too

haven't decided on a sunfish

But as I stated earlier I'd just hang the photos. All my current mounts are relegated to the back room so they are a waste of money for me and I'd just rather let the fish go anyway.

gspman

[Bushwacker]

My personal goals for a trophy fish are as follows:

Muskie-50"

Pike-40"

Walleye-30" (Caught a 29 1/4" Measured twice to make sure)

LM Bass-23" (I CPRed a 23 1/2" and that was a MN hog)

SM Bass-22" (I CPRed a 22 1/2" while dragging a leech for walleyes in 32 ft of water so it didn't really count)

Crappie-16" (A lot of 15" URL crappies, but no 16")

Sunfish-10 1/2"- I have one on the wall that I caught while trolling a Red Eye Spoon, Grandpa was with and he was a taxidermist)

My opinion on skin mounts is that its everyone's choice. The average person isn't going to mount more than one fish every 5 or so years.

[guideman]

How you do it is up to the individule, I like to see them all put back, however I know that won't be happening. I have several old skin mounts from back in the day, and everyone of them has had to be repaired.

I haven't mounted a fish replica or otherwise for many years, however if I did here is what I would consider a worthy trophy for mounting on my wall.

Muskie, 55"

Pike, 45"

Walleye, 32"

Smallie, 24"

Largemouth, 25"

I already have a couple 2lb+ Crappies mounted and

I released one a few years back that went 17.5".

Good Luck hunting down your fish of a lifetime!

"Ace"

[Bigfife]

I would strongly consider a replica first. Mounting size fish would depend on the lake and circumstance. Most lakes I would say a 11 lb.+ walleye, but I would drop that to 28" on a smaller lake that I fish quite often.

Smallmouth: 22"

Walleye: 11 lbs.

Crappie: 2-14 inchers 1-16 incher (Red Lake standards might be higher)

Northern & Muskie: very big

[Trouthunter]

I'd only consider putting trout on the wall, and I've caught so many I just want to get a replica made and painted the way I want, not modeled after any one specific fish i caught...everytime I see trout in magazines, catalogs, etc. I remember different fish and experiences.

Brown 24"+

Laker = 20lbs+

[abens1078]

I have my biggest walleye to date on the wall. It was 11lb 13 oz and 31" long. It came out of Lake Erie so it really isn't a trophy for those waters but it's probably the biggest walleye I will ever catch. It would take a state record of any species for me to put another fish on the wall. I have my fish so now the others will be blown up photographs.

Are you having second thoughts Buzzsaw? I hope not, that fish is something to be proud of.

[Mark Christianson]

I wont keep any for the wall. Replica!

I am 100% in line with Leech21:

Lm Bass 22"

Sm Bass 21"

Walleye 30"

Pike 40"

Musky 50"

Here are pics of replicas from Fibertech. If you want, I can get you all the info you need to get one with turnaround time in 4 weeks or less. Gauranteed!

[email protected]

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

---

Are you having second thoughts Buzzsaw? I hope not, that fish is something to be proud of.

---

No sir, no seconds thoughts at all. It just made me curious as to what other sportsmans opinions where on this matter and I'm glad I asked! I guess my sizing would be:

16' Crappie (nice color)

7-8 Lb Largemouth Bass

5+ Smallmouth Bass

50' Muskie

25 Lb Northern

11 Lb Walleye

Not sure about what size Trout I would keep.

[Moose-Hunter]

For me..... NONE!! I'm not going to fish until I get the three waiting in the wings done... LOL!!! As if....

Replicas Baby!!! Live release, last forever and look as good if not better than a skin mount. BLB... We'll be talking!! Soon I hope.

For further replicas...

Walleye: A "teener" minimum... (Gotta beat a 32.25")

Pike: 50" minimum... (Gotta beat my 49.5")

Muskie: 60" minimum... (Gotta beat a 54.5")

Crappie: 2 pounds minimum... (Gotta start someplace )

Sunnie/Bluegill: 1 pound minimum

LM / SM Bass: LM, 10 pound min? SM, 7 pound min? (Don't fish bass usually, but those seem like nice numbers.)

Hmmmm.... I wonder how many of those I'll get this season and if I can get a bulk discount...... LOL!!!

[Fish Head]

Good topic Buzz. No doubt catching a pig like yours will get you thinking about this.

No question for me, it would be a replica. Seeing it swim away would complete the experience for me. My measurements would be pretty much in line with some others.........

Walleye 30"

Musky 50"?

LM Bass 23"

SM Bass 21"

[Tonka Boy]

For me, things keep changing. My list started out similar to most listed here. Only problem is I get there and am not satisfied. I always have to go one bigger...

This thread got me thinking and I realized I haven't done it for one reason...cost. I don't want to have the same old thing you see on any resort wall. I'm looking for a glass coffee table or something along those lines. Add those costs and it would have to be a jaw dropper before I considered it. Then of course I would have to get the ok from the wife which is even tougher than catching that trophy!!