Recently caught a giant!!!

[fly651]

Just recently caught a 30 inch 10 lbs walleye. Looking for a taxidermist around the twin cities. It's going to be my first fish on the wall. Felt kinda bad because it's a giant and had to do this to it. But it's a trophy!!!

[Knute78]

Could of got a graphite replica. Eitherway good job on such a fantastic catch!!!

[PerchJerker]

Nice fish, congrats. How about a few details on how and where you got him?

[NE angler]

Do tou have a pic of the pig? Like to see her.

[fly651]

Will post it up as soon as I get the film develop. No water devices or wading on the lake so just shore-fishin'... Caught it on lindy riggin' leeches... on... Lake... Vadnais... place is always packed so... but yeah, I'm always over there fishing after work so stop by and maybe we can fish together...

[fishing-addict]

Nice fish, I would not feel bad about mounting it. I have caught a few 6 and 7 pounders threw them back, but a 9 or 10 I would mount also. Hopefully my day is coming soon. Hanging a replica on the wall would not do much for me.

[pikerliker]

Congrats on the nice fish fly651! I had a 9 pounder mounted back on 01 but it was near Nicollet MN. He does a great job. I'm not sure how far you want to go from the metro? North Star Taxidermy is the name of the place. Jeff Holmin is the taxedermist. Very nice guy and he does a great job.

[note from admin, no unauthorized links]

~piker

[fish2live]

i don't know what kind of work he does yet, i assume pretty good cause he has been there for a while the taxedermist is in hampton i don't know the name off hand but, he is in the phone book just look for the hampton address like i said i haven't seen his work but, i'm sure you could stop by and see something he is working on or just finished. just a thought

[black max]

Wild wings in Harris, mn which is about 45mi north of st paul right off 35. In my oponion the best taxidermist in the state, he will make your fish ( the whole fish, all sides) look better than when it came out of the water. I have had a few fish done there and highly recommend them.

[Mark Christianson]

Hate to disagree Black Max, but I'm not a Wild Wings fan myself. Not very good on the painting quality. Just my opinion.

And sadly, I dont have a recommendation either. I gave up on mounting fish about 6-8 years ago.

Its replicas only for me. Period.

[LEECH21]

I agree, repos are the way to go. They last forever and not just 15 years, tops.

[toughguy]

Sounds like a fish of a lifetime! A 30 incher is deffinetly mountable.

If your in the Metro there is a great shop in Hampton (a little north of Cannon Falls on US 52). Corcoran Taxidermy. He has done a LM Bass and a wood duck for a friend and they both looked great. He has a nice display in his shop if you want to check out his work first. Take 52 South to MN 50 West. The shop is on corner opposite the church at the next stop sign.

[fisherman]

Congrats on the fish. I'd have to recommend Jims Lakeland Taxidermy in St. Boni it is off HWY 7. He does the best job by far from all the fish I have seen. I can take a few pics of a couple walleyes he has done for me and send them to you if interested let me know.

[mnsnowdaboy]

is there a HSOforum for any of these taxidermist that you guys are recommending, if so post a link please.

[pikerliker]

I tried but they will not allow "unauthorized links" on this site, so mine was edited out. You can probably find them with a little searching on the web.

~piker

[fiskyknut]

Congrats on a beauty of a Walleye. It'll sure look nice on the wall. A mount of the real fish will look nicer and more realistic than any replicant can. Don't be fooled thinking it'll last only 15 years, taken care of they can look good far longer than that. Don't sweat what the replica pushers are saying to you on this thread, happens all too ofen by the same people!

Again congrats.....fiskyknut

[fly651]

Thanks guys! I recently met a fella down in cottage grove and is having him work on it. will get it back in a month for 200 bucks! thats a deal... saw some of his work and it's great. He's been in the business for 20 plus years so I can trust him. Thanks for all your info. and will post this pig up as soon as I develop the film.

[riverrat56]

It would be on my wall as well, replicas just don't feel right to me, they are like a copy of the fish, not the acctually thing, you can fake a replica, and if you don't mount more than a few fish in your life time, you have no affect on the population.

Congrads on the catch btw, still looking for one over 29 in for the wall, I have come close with a few 6's around 26 in but nothing bigger than that.

[Juan Grande]

Mine wasn't quite that big, but it was 28" and close to 9 pounds. Caught it on an ultra-light rig (4 lb test) with a crappie minnow in 8 feet of water this past Sunday. I was fishing a small 300 acre north metro lake that's not really known for its walleye fishing. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see this on my line. Before this fish, my personal best was 2 lbs as I don't walleye fish much. I might walleye fish more often now.

[matthothand]

I grew up by Harris and I'm not familiar with "Wild Wings". The only one I know of in Harris is (was?) Walton's Wildlife Studios and I have quite a few mounts done by him. He does great work but it takes FOREVER and it's happened to me and others as well...he has been known to "lose" animals to "freezer burn" and people never get their mounts. I've heard rumors that he mounts the animals and then sells them to higher bidders after telling the people that brought the game to him that they were un-mountable. There is also a place in North Branch that is 5 miles south of Harris. I can't remember the name but he did a pronghorn for me and a flying squirrel. He does good work and in a short amount of time. Like I said I don't remember the name but I don't think it is Wild Wings. Anybody else hear of troubles with Walton in Harris?

[Bobby Bass]

15 years? I have my walleye from 79 on the wall and one paint touchup during that time and still looks like I caught her yesterday. I have seen mounts 30-40 years old that still look great. You have to take care of them and they age just like you do.. Congrats on the catch, you are going about it the right way, find someone you like.

[nytelyter]

nice fish congrats i have a 29" 9# on my walll and have relesed several fish 27" and over has to be real on the wall for me too not like i am gonna get to many that size again but will not hang another unless i beat the old one will have to be over 10" just to beat dad's fish hehehehe

[randallt]

Both are nice fish. Maybe one of these days?

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

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It would be on my wall as well, replicas just don't feel right to me, they are like a copy of the fish, not the acctually thing, you can fake a replica, and if you don't mount more than a few fish in your life time, you have no affect on the population.

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[Northlander]

Buzzsaw who did that mount for you?