To mount or not

[Dock Boy]

Just got back from fishing a small lake in Northern MN and my dad cought a 10 1/8 in Blue gill. Is this big enought to mount or not. Please advise asap or it's going to the knife

[harvey lee]

I believe that every fish that is mounted has a story behind it. If the fish is special to you I would say go for it.

In all the years I have fished sunfish, there have not been many 10+ inch sunfish caught on my line. Thats true 10 inchers. I would say that a 10 incher is trophy status and I would go for it.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Go for it!

[bull_head]

Its up to you. IMHO it would be ashame for a fish like that to hit the knife.

[FishGUY]

Thats a nice fish. Mount it and try for a bigger one to pair it up with.

[IcePro]

How about a replica mount.....

All you need is a picture of the fish and measurements

This will give you both of what you are asking

[JustinG]

If you feel a fish is a trophy, it is a trophy! It will bring you memories of that day on the lake for the rest of your life. So, I say- Go For It!!!!!

Justin

[fisherdog19]

Go ahead and mount it, a 10" is not common.

[ChuckN]

I have only caught one true gill over 10" in my life. It is a trophy IMO, and with this situation I would mount it.

[hanson]

I'd mount it as well!

True 10 inchers are special!

[nofishfisherman]

It kills me to think of one particular gill that I caught several years ago when I was too young to know what I had just caught.

The gill was well over 10 inches, based on the pic I had and after talking with the people who were with me that day and saw it we all are comfortable saying it was probably an 11 inch gill maybe just a hair over. Fortunetly when I took the picture I held the fish tight against my body so that it was actually touching my chest becuase I didn't want to do the long arm thing to make it look bigger, since it was pressed against my chest I could see where the fish lined up compared to the logo on the shirt and get a general measurement from that. The measurement was about 12-12.5 inches so I assume that is a little generous and estimate it at about 11-11.25

What kills me is I knew it was big but didn't think anything of trophy or CPR at the time, I just put it on the stringer and ate it later that night.

I guess I still have the memory and it did taste good.

Man was I a stupid kid, not a mistake that will happen again. Now a camera is always with me and fish like that get photographed and released, but I wouldn't mind having that fish on my wall.

[toughguy]

Mount it. An 11' gil a trophy according to the In-fisherman Master Angler chart. The same chart calls an 11" gil the equivalent to a 30" walleye. Both trophies IMO. So I would equate a 10 1/8" to a 28" or so eye. I'd do it. I'd head back to the same spot to try and find 1 or 3 more for a great mount.

[Mark Christianson]

To anyone that has a fish they caught and ate or released, get a replica. Whats the difference?

Take that picture and bring it to a place that does replicas. A mount is just the sking of the fish, so think about a replica. The painting is what counts, and they both need to be painted.

[JigginIsLife]

yup i would say go with the replica mount. taxidermists have gotten REALLY good at these and if a trophy would ever bite my line i know that i would get a replica and either release the fish or eat it. so since you kept it i would take the measurements take some good photos of it, and fry her up cuz i mean who doesent love a fish fry??

[river huntfish]

I'd mount that fish

[2dalake]

I caught one just a shade over ten in January and put it back. Make more big babies, right? When I told the guys at work and showed the picture they said I was nuts not to mount it. Yesterday I caught it's twin and this one is going in next week.