Trophy Fish?

[Gopher_Man]

Hey everyone, I know a trophy is in the eye of the fisherman, but what is everyone's requirements for thophy fish? Crappie, sunfish, walleye, pike?

A buddy of mine is getting some crappies mounted, and to me they seem a bit small, but they are his fish.

[Minnetonka]

I would go: Crappie 15 inches plus, Sunfish 10 inches, Walleye 10 pounds, Northern Pike 20 pounds.

[fishingman93]

i have three crappies stuffed and mounted right now. the biggest one is 16 1/2" incher the second one is 16" incher and the third fish is 14 3/4" inches. the third fish is kind of small but i wanted three fish mounted on a piece of drift wood so i got the littler one stuffed. but it looks neat now all i need is a giant 20 pound northern chasing them with its mouth wide open

[LEECH21]

Smallmouth-21"

Largemouth-22"

Walleye-30"

Northern-40"

Musky-50"

Lake Sturgeon-60"

Just have the 22 inch largemouth under my belt. The pic is in my avatar.

[tunrevir]

Still looking for a bona-fide teen with the eyes to mount, Pike 25lbs, crappie white over 2 lbs, black 3 or above, sunfish 2lbs(got a 2-8) already, perch 2lbs+. The nice thing about mounts nowadays is that you can get the replicas made and save the fish! You are right also in that the fish to be mounted is a trophy for the person wanting to mount it. I was really tempted last winter to do a stringer mount on some 13-14" perch but I decided they were cheaper to fry and enjoy that way! I always have a bit of a hard time when folks catch a 40" muskie and keep it to get a mount because it was the biggest fish they ever caught when they could catch much larger ones but they also don't typically fish as much as I do and it may well be a "catch of the lifetime" for them. It is up to us to let these folks know that they can catch, photo, measure and release larger fish and get a reproduction mount done for nearly the same cost as having the actual fish mounted. I know not all situations allow for this due to conditions, ect. but all I can say is let him enjoy his mounts and educate him that replicas can do the same without killing the fish. Digital cameras and measuring tapes can go a long ways with the replicas they can do these days.

Tunrevir~

[Deitz Dittrich]

For me, I would rather have pictures.. I have the startings of a wall of fame.. where big fish or memorable fish get blown up to an 8X10 and framed and put on the wall... I Have a few fish I would like to get replicas of when I have a few more $$'s in the bank acct.

[basssmasher*]

I'd LOVE to get a crappie if 15 inches or better 4 the replica, got my walleye 10.5 lbs in a river not wider than my living room.. she would have been released and a replica made but she was bleedin bad so i kept her

[Gordie]

sunfish=11inches

crappie=15inches

northern=40inches

walleye=10lbs because I have one on the wall that is 10lb 2oz and is 29 1/2 inches and one that is 28 3/4 that went 9lb 14 oz weighed it 12 hours after it was caught

perch=2lbs

flathead catfish=50lbs

channel cat=25lbs

bass=6lbs both large and small mouths

[DTro]

Quote:

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For me, I would rather have pictures.. I have the startings of a wall of fame.. where big fish or memorable fish get blown up to an 8X10 and framed and put on the wall... I Have a few fish I would like to get replicas of when I have a few more $$'s in the bank acct.

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I totally agree, in fact I have my own "Wall of Fame". The Mrs done it up real nice. Stencils and everything.

[Eyehawk]

Those are some nice fish Tunrevir, not many people can say they caught a bluegill over 2 lbs. or even a pound now a days. I already got 2 crappies 14" on the wall on a piece of drift with a 10" bluegill and 9 1/2" pumpkinseed. Not the biggest by any means but to me they are monsters even though I have caught bigger fish since then. The bluegill is especially a monster to me, because I had earlier caught a 10 1/2" bluegill and ate it and I told myself the next 10" bluegill I get is going on the wall, so late ice last season I got em. The pumpkinseed I should of thrown back, because this fall I had awesome bluegill fishing and I am getting 7 more bluegills done all being a pound or more and 10" or higher. 4 of of them are pumpkinseeds, and the other 3 are bluegills, biggest one being 11" and a 1 lb. 5 ounces bluegill, and when can you catch pound pumpkinseeds or 13,14,15 ounce pumpkinseeds regualarly in this state? To me not to often! Plus I've always wanted to get a piece of drift wood with 4 or 5 bluegills/pumpkinseeds all a pound or over mounted, its been one of my goals even since I start fishing as a kid, and I accomplished this at the age of 23. So I am pretty pumped about that.

To me a trophy depends on the person, but for me the follow goes:

Crappie (Black): It was 14", but now its 15" after I got two 14" on the wall.

Bluegill: A pound, regardless of length

Northern: Anything over 40" is nice but has to be 20 lbs. or over.

Walleye: 10 lbs. or over, regardless of length.

Lake Trout: 30 lbs or over

Perch: 15"

Rock Bass: State record

Muskie: Dont fish for them, but if I got one it would have to be 50" or over to mount it, otherwise if it was legal to keep and under 50" I'd eat it.

Everyone has their own opinion and what they consider a trophy fish, and if they choose to do a replica and take a phone measurements and release it. I like Dietz idea of making a wall of fame with framed pictures, thats pretty cool, but if people want to spend the money and get a chance to mount a fish that they consider a trophy then so be it. I've caught alot of grief from buddies and others about keeping that many big bluegills and being as young as I am, but I really don't care because I know its going to look cool with those mounted in a school on a piece of driftwood, which I've always wanted to do. I figure once I start working fulltime when I am out of college, Im not going to have the chance as I do now (because I do go to Bemidji state and already live on lake) to get out and catch those big fish, especially if live in the cities and have to drive 4 hours north to get to my honeyholes.

[Deitz Dittrich]

dtro- I knew I liked you for a reason!...

[eyehead]

Smallmouth-22"

Largemouth-23"

Walleye-30"

Northern-45"

Musky-50" Repo only, I would never kill a musky intentionally

[anyfishwilldo]

The size of a crappie to mount in my book has to be >17". I fished URL plenty in its heydays, an caught plenty of 15 & 16 inch fish, and ate every single one of them.

[john.wells]

I pretty much agree with everyone, except the C&R for EVERYTHING. Most of the time when someone does get that fish of a lifetime, the lifetime of that fish is pretty close to done. Please don't put me on the stake for saying this-I DO practice catch and release. All of the "trophy" fish I have ever caught have been put back (29.5" walleye:fat as a pig, 21" smallmouth, 40" northern (ok, not that big, but for some it is) 42" sturgeon(not that big, but nice none-the-less) 16" crappie). In fact, I C&R almost everthing I catch unless I know I am going to eat it. My point is that if someone gets something that to them is a trophy, or if they are going to use it for food, then why sit on a soapbox and condemn them??? I am against people who have so much fish (or wild game) frozen in their ice chest that they have to have a "feed" to get rid of it all to make more room. On the other hand, if someone is so poor that it is hard to make ends meet (which there are plenty of folks not just in Minnesota but everywhere) I have no problem with them poaching or going overlimit to feed their family. I fortunately don't have to worry about this, thank God. I hope I haven't painted myself into a corner.........

[anyfishaldo]

Mother in laws boyfriend took me to Rainy 12 years ago and I caught my first Small Mouth. I asked if it was any good and he said after 25 years on the ash river he never saw one that big. We weighed it when we got in and it was just over six pounds and I have it in my office ( elementary principal ) you should see a kindergartener's look when they see it. Any way, I said I would only hang up one per species and I ended up catching a second one that size the next day and threw it back. Still feel good about that. My daughter and I have two bull sunnies 12" + and now I am looking for a walleye and crappie... But now I can make a replica!

[Mark Christianson]

I ditto 100% of what Leech21 posted.

Except I will add that it will be replicas of any on that list.

I don't care if those fish at "trophy" size are at the end of their life or not. A replica will last for decades. A stuffed fish will show signs of age over time. I have a few "stuffed" ones on the wall and I am about ready to have a replica made to replace them. Heck, then I can move the "stuffed" fish to the cabin, and still have the trophy at home....

To each their own if replicas or "stuffin" a fish is their choice.

[john.wells]

That's true- graphite replicas are a better mount. I just hope that we don't ever get to a point where fishing is all catch and release, or worse yet, banned.

[Guest]

I dont agree that replicas make better mounts.. I think they still look too fake although greatly improved from the past. A replica to me is just for the memory of the fisherman.. kind of like a 3D blown up really expensive picture. To those that didnt catch it, even with a picture.. its just a painted fish manequin on the wall and I think a picture of a CPR fish holds just as much merit.

That doesnt mean I think people should keep every mountable fish either.

Real fish just look better. I worked at a taxidermy for a couple years and seen more than my fair share of both... some of the very best mounts out there are of small fish of a specie.

Taxidermy is an art that if done properly can show a lot of character of the specie of fish if mounted in a desireable, realistic way with a good background.. or it can be a pig of a fish/animal on the wall. With that being said, I would prefer 2-3 walleyes between 14"-18" chasing bait on structure any day on a realistic base built into the center of a hardwood and glass coffee table than I would a 32" pig on a piece of driftwood on the wall. It will cost a bit more, but it will be a piece of art for generations to enjoy.

[DitchPickle13]

Seems like everyone is close to being on the same page for sizes and what not. I have no problem with responsible fisherman keeping a wallhanger. I spent my whole childhood hoping for a Pike big enough to mount and then when I caught a 40 inch pike last year I got a quick photo and sent it on it's way(ok, 39.9 inches). I do have a mallard getting mounted now, but I don't know of any Shoot-Photo-Release programs, unless you're Gundy89...sorry Gundy! Did someone say they'd eat any legal Muskie under 50"? I'd stay away from taking a soggy 15+ year old fish out of a fishery to eat, but that's just me.

[basssmasher*]

hey Ditch!! did u know you are famous? theres a really cool bar in wisconsin named after you!! lol

[Blainebob]

22-24" largemouth?? Caught a certified 27.3 5 years ago.wanna know what lake, we'll fish it together-but i can tell you it was in the metro area!!! 8.131bs

[katoguy]

27.3"???

I got a certified 8-0# on a 23"er... fat late fall fish back in 1996. Definitely had the feed back going. Only largemouth I intentionally killed (on the wall now!).

Still waiting on a legit 2# crappie, 10# eye, or 6# smallie.

[Mark Christianson]

State record largie is 23.5 inchs/18 inch girth.

8 lbs 15oz

27.3" bass????

[Eyehawk]

yeah I said I'd eat a legal under 50" muskie, I want to try them sometime. Im sorry if you think that is gross or not ethical, I don't really care. I'd like to eat one younger and around 30" but law says I gotta throw them back, so what can you do??? Either be illegal or eat one 40" or over. Like I said I don't fish for them things anyways so my chances of getting one is slim to none.

[LEECH21]

I heard that real mounts will last way longer if they are put into a coffee table style mount. That way they are out of the eliments...dust, bugs, etc.

Anyone else hear if this or had any experience about this?

Just curious, but I'd probably still go with a repo.