Mountable sunfish

[Huntin&Fishin]

What length do you guys think is a mountable sunfish.

[PerchPounder]

11+ is my personal mark but if I get a couple close to that it I will more than likely get them done.

[harvey lee]

I would not have a problem with mounting a sunfish that is around 9.5 to 10". Maybe the majic number for me is 10". Bit, if I had a good reason for mounting a sunny a little shorter because there was a good story behing it, then I would.

This is really a personal choice. I have a walleye mounted that is 11.5#'s and one that is swimming on a piece of driftwood that is approx. 4#'s. I really like the smaller fish on the driftwood than the pig eye. All depends on what you are looking for and the memories behind it.

[Bluegill1510]

Anything a pound or more...not 14 or 15 ounces but a true pounder! But the 10" mark is a good goal to shoot for also if you don't have a scale.

[james_walleye]

I got one in high school that was 1 lb 8 oz. Its in my mind by far the biggest "trophy" i've caught. I'll never touch a fish that size again.

[mr_jman]

10" has been my goal! Best I've done is about 9.75" and I'm hoping i'll break the 10" mark sometime and get a few mounted.

However like previously said.... I had one that was only about 7" but was a very bright hybrid and had so much color to it that I should've mounted it, but I let it go.....

[Scott M]

10.5"...should be enough to push you over the 1 pound mark. Lakes that hold fish this big are getting to be few and far between, so I consider this a true trophy. Maybe 1 in 500 fish, if you spend enough time on the right lakes. Was with a friend that finally got to 10.5"...Now I just gotta get there.

[Sandmannd]

Well I got one this weekend that was the biggest of my life. It was over 10" close to 10.5 but was so think that I couldn't get a hand around it. It was just a huge sunny, probably going to go on my wall. I want to mount it with something though. I went to red the next day to see if I could get a couple of pig crappies to put with it, but no luck.

[Deitz Dittrich]

 Originally Posted By: da_chise31

10.5"...should be enough to push you over the 1 pound mark. Lakes that hold fish this big are getting to be few and far between, so I consider this a true trophy. Maybe 1 in 500 fish, if you spend enough time on the right lakes. Was with a friend that finally got to 10.5"...Now I just gotta get there.

Da- I think you need to re-think your numbers brother... I have caught thousands, multiple thousands of gills in my life. Probably over a thousand sunfish just this winter. But maybe only 1 that would push 10.5"... and none this winter yet.

[blueroof]

Deitz, I think he meant 1 in 500 trips on the ice...

LB

[Scott M]

 Originally Posted By: Deitz Dittrich

Da- I think you need to re-think your numbers brother... I have caught thousands, multiple thousands of gills in my life. Probably over a thousand sunfish just this winter. But maybe only 1 that would push 10.5"... and none this winter yet.

You're right Double D...Somehow a zero dropped off (Meant to be 1:5000), but it can and usually is tougher than that. If you were targeting big fish on big fish only lakes maybe 1:500 if you had a horseshoe internally lodged in your backside. For me personally that's probably once in a lifetime of fish and counting since I haven't beat 10.5", and that's with spending a lot of time on some very productive waters. I guess that's why that fish is once in a lifetime and a trophy...That's how I view trophy fish, what are the odds of catching one that big...and you're right, it sure as heck isn't 1 in 500. The numbers are arbitrary, but to me in some small way they justify what a trophy is...it's not the same fish everybody else gets once a year.

[tisosy11]

Maybe Deitz just isn't fishing the right spots???

[boatfixer]

For me, alot would depend on the colors. For instance, if I caught a 9.5 or 9.75 that had nice coloring, I would be more apt to have that one mounted vs. a 10.5 that was plain. 2 or 3 9"-10" colorful fish on a nice piece of driftwood. And like Harvey said, if there was a good story behind it.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

10" for me but I dont know if I could get myself to actauly mount it, probably end up with a replica or a few nice 8x10 framed photos.

Ive C&Rd my one and only 10" 'gill from MN and I did C&R one in florida that went 11" but thats cheating.

[The Hammer]

I am in the same boat as you Dietz, although I have never caught a sunny over 11 ounces. When we were younger we use to catch 1/2 pounders all the time up near Park Rapids, but it is hard to see fish that size anymore. Most people don't realize how big 1/2 pound is. My father fishes for sunfish every weekday summer and winter and thats all he fishes for. He gets pretty excited when he gets a few 1/2s.

[Bobb-o]

i guess i want one that tops 11" i have gotten plenty that top 10" and several that top 10.5". I got one two years ago that went 10.75" but i still have yet to top that 11" mark.

[SDbowhunter]

My Brother has a secret little honey hole on a private lake... they regularily pull out 10-12 inch sunnies all of which they release unless gut hooked or rip gills then they go on the wall! They say the sunfish population isnt that as large as they would like on the lake so they dont target them execept for fun. Crappies are usally 10-15 inches and they almost allways take home a limit of walters in the 18" range when they want to. I still have to go out there sometime with him. Of course part of the reason it is so good is they dont abuse the lake and dont take more then what they can eat and normally release what most people consider trophy fish.

[Bluegill1510]

 Originally Posted By: SDbowhunter

Of course part of the reason it is so good is they dont abuse the lake and dont take more then what they can eat and normally release what most people consider trophy fish.

True, but as you said its a private lake, so only a few (1-5) guys can access it. Its not open to the world like a normal public lake in Minnesota, so the fishing pressure is not there like any regular lake. Count yourself lucky and your brother that you can have access to a private lake like that, cuz most guys don't. Still IMO it would be very tough for me to release a 12" bluegill for the wall if I ever got one that size.

[Craig Plummer]

 Originally Posted By: tisosy11

Maybe Deitz just isn't fishing the right spots???

Funny

[FishinChad]

1 in 100 or 1 in 50000 are your odds of breaking 10" depending on the lake your fishing :-)

I broke 10" last year twice in the same week, it was spring though and that increases the odds as well. They are out there but you gotta be on a lake that can grow a few.

[Huntin&Fishin]

I asked because i caught a 9 1/2 inch and a few 9's and a freind asked if i am going to mount the 9 1/2 and i thought it was too small.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

Probably 11 for a sunfish. 10 or better for a bluegill. I have a 9.5 bluegill on the wall and it looks plenty nice. Depends what size is rare to catch.

[Hotspotter]

Depends where you fish. There are some public and private waters in SD with load of shrimp that kick out 10" fish with more regularity than many MN waters. There are a few waters in NE that kick out handfuls of 11" fish, though I still think 10-10.5" is the number to beat in MN.

Of all the massive sunfish stories I've heard in my life, of "1 lb+ fish!" and "buckets of 10"ers", very few ever live up to the hype of a true-measurement with a bumpboard and tail-pinch. I can't tell you how many 10"ers turn out to be 8's and 9's when put to the tape.

Joel

[eyepatrol]

I've caught 1 - 10"er in my life....caught it last year (measured too, not guestimated). I let it go. I've never considered mounting a bluegill really and don't think I ever would. It would probably have to be 12" if I did....which means I never will.

[Jim Uran]

I caught a couple 10"ers in my fishing lifetime... how much do they run to mount??? I have a 15 1/2 crappie I have wrapped up in my freezer waiting to go to the Taxidermist. Just trying to find the right person.