"Trophy Sizes"

[SWMuskeye]

Reading another topic got me to thinking...what size fish would you have to catch of each species to consider getting a replica or a mount for the wall?

Here are my limits where I would debate how they'd look on the wall. Granted, I would never get all of these fish mounted or even replicas made, but they are what I would consider "wall-hanger size"

Walleye - 32"

Pike - 44"

Muskie - 55"

Largemouth - 23"

Smallmouth - 22"

Crappie - 16"

Sunfish - 10+"

Perch - 15"

What are your thoughts??

[SledNeck]

I think your standards for trophy bass are a little high

[Matt Johnson]

Good topic... but as far as how they look on the wall I've seen some fish that are considered small to look great on the wall... I once saw a set of 25-inch walleyes mounted side-by-side that looked incredible. Here's my opinion on what should be considered the average trophy size fish for our area...

Walleye - 28" (not one of those Mille Lacs 28er's either )

Pike - 40"

Muskie - 50"

Largemouth - 21"

Smallmouth - 20"

Crappie - 15"

Sunfish - 10"

Perch - 13"

My personal sizes for myself are...

Walleye - 31"

Pike - 45"

Muskie - 54"

Largemouth - 23"

Smallmouth - 22"

Crappie - 18"

Sunfish - 12"

Perch - 14.5"

I told myself that in order to create anymore replicas then they have to be complete brutes

[SWMuskeye]

I think you may be right. In the south- they might be dead-on, but in Minnesota they would be almost unattainable.

[riverrat56]

Walleyes 28" is a good milestone, but on some bodys of water it isn't that uncommon, not that I've broken it ever....but for me to put a walleye on the wall it will need to be over 30".

Northerns-40"

Sunfish-10"

Crappies- 14"

Bass, I don't target much, I really doubt I would ever mount a bass, being as they are only accidental catches while fishing for real fish, but over 20" would be something to shoot for.

[SledNeck]

I think the trophy status for bass should go by weight as bass from different lakes are differently shaped. My son caught a bass yesterday that wasnt even 21" and it was almost 6 lbs. Last sunday I caught one that was 21" and about 6.5 lbs. Some lakes you can catch bass that are 21" and barely 5 lbs.

My personal best smallmouth is 22" 6.5 lbs. But Ive yet to catch a largemouth over 22". Caught a few 5 lb plus smallies last year that werent quite 21" but in my book they are trophies.

Walleye= 10 lbs.

Muskie= 52 in

Pike= 42 in

Largemouth= 6 lbs

Smallmouth= 5.5 lbs

those other fish... who cares

I guess my list would go like this.

[Eskimoman]

Walleye- 31

Smallie- 21

Crappie- 15

Largemouth- 22

Muskie- Would only mount a true mamoth

[JohnMickish]

IMO it totally depends on the lake. My best two walleyes are a 27" on Mille Lacs that I don't consider a trophy and a 30" on LOW which is a pretty nice fish but not all that rare on that body of water either. Now if these two fish came out of WBL, then they'd be trophies.

[TrophyEyes]

Personal Best so far

Walleye- 33 1/2"

Smallie -22 1/2"

Crappie- 12"

Pearch- 13"

Pike- 45"

Muskie- None

Lake Trout- 38"

Largemounth- I did catch a 9# one in Florida a months ago.

My new Trophy Sizes to earn a spot on the wall.

Walleye- 35"

Smallie -24"

Crappie- 15"

Pearch- 15 1/2"

Pike- 48"

Muskie- State Record

Lake Trout- 35+ lbs.

Largemounth- I don't care....not a trophy in my book.

[MetroWalleye]

Walleye - 30

Smallie - 20

Northern - 42

Muskie - 50

[Travis1]

Are you kiddin me with the smallmouths, I usually catch at least 3 that are 23" each week during the summer. Plenty over 20" Maybe you should head up to elephant. Everything else seems spot on though.

[TrophyEyes]

I second that. I have caught many over 20". Just fish mille lacs and you can hit all these numbers. I know for a fact you can catch the state record Muskie and smallie on that lake. You can easily catch a 30" walleye, 15" pearch and 42" pike as well.

I know my numbers are a bit high (posted earlier), but that is why they are goals. If everyone could do it, it wouldn't be special.

[riverrat56]

Ya there high alright, I'll shake your hand when you catch that 35" walleye.

[SledNeck]

Are you kiddin me with the smallmouths, I usually catch at least 3 that are 23" each week during the summer. Plenty over 20" Maybe you should head up to elephant. Everything else seems spot on though.

elephant lake?...is that supposed to be funny

[slick814]

I think he's got a bad ruler, sledneck... never heard of that many big ones in Elephant...

Personally, my standards go like this:

Walleye - 30"/10lbs., either way is fine

Pike - 42"

Muskie - 52"

Smallie - 21"/5.5 lbs.

Largemouth - in MN, 22"./6 lbs.+ not MN, 10lbs.

is anything else worth really mounting?

[Travis1]

Originally Posted By: Travis1

Are you kiddin me with the smallmouths, I usually catch at least 3 that are 23" each week during the summer. Plenty over 20" Maybe you should head up to elephant. Everything else seems spot on though.

elephant lake?...is that supposed to be funny

Throw away you're artificials and you might catch the big ones.

[updecreek]

Crappie and sunfish are worth in my .02 you ever caught a 15 inch crappie or bigger? 10" sunfish

30 inch walleye

some people fish a life time and never get a 22 inch small mouth....i got one on tonka last week crappie fishing? or a 50 inch muskie.

my biggest 40 inch muskie.

A trophy is in your own eyes.

for all you walleye guys a 25 inch Sauger you forgot

[SledNeck]

Hes measuring them both ways

[LEECH21]

My goals are pretty close to everyone else's.

Smallmouth-21"

Largemouth-22"

Walleye-30"

Northern-40"

Musky-50"

I've only hit the Largemouth mark so far....Got the replica a few months ago.

[Bluegill1510]

I'd have to agree Up that catching big panfish is hard to beat! But the trophy is in the eyes of the beholder, so to each his own.

But IMO trophies to put on the wall for each species would be:

Walleye....10 lbs. it could be 28" or 31" but 10 lbs is magic #

Northern....20 lbs. again could be 39" or 45"

Muskie....I don't fish for em, never caught one but anything over 50" would be hard to not put on the wall, but then I dont fish and prolly won't fish for em ever

Crappie...2 lbs.

Bluegill...1 lb.

Pumpkinseed...1 lb.

Laker...35+ lbs.

Smallmouth + Largemouth....6-7 lbs...Smallie over 24", Large over 23"

Green Sunfish... 1 lb.

Perch...2 lbs. or over 15"

Rock Bass...state record..2 lbs. or over

My personal bests:

Walleye... 7 lbs. 27"

Northern... 17-18 lbs. 42" scale wasn't the best

Muskie...NA

Crappie....14", No weight

Bluegill...11", 1 lb. 5 oz, with 10 others 10" or over

Hybrid Sunfish....10 1/2", 1 lb 2 oz, with 4 others 10" or over

Pumpkinseed...9 1/4", No weight

Laker...31", no weight

Smallmouth...21 1/2", 5 lbs.

Largemouth...19", no weight

Green Sunfish...8 3/4", no weight

Perch....12", no weight

Rock Bass...1 lb. 10 oz, 12"

I usually don't fish bass, so I caught my biggest largemouth while bluegill fishing and my biggest smallie while walleye fishing! So if some of you guys that fish bass regularly say catching a 21" or 5 lbs smallie is good for the wall is interesting to me, because I wasn't aware of what a trophy sized bass is really. But like Up said catching a 15" or in my case a 14" crappie or a 10" bluegill is something to be proud of. Im just 24 and have alot more fishing to do yet but I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished so far on the water and Ice.

[SledNeck]

24" smallie, eh?

[Bluegill1510]

It could happen Sled, they are out there I believe, ya never know but like I said I don't target them, but just impressed when we are walleye fishing and you tag into a smallie of 20-21" is fun but at the same time disappointing because you think you have a big walleye on.

[SledNeck]

a 24" smallie is very very rare. Not saying it wouldnt ever happen, but there just arent that many that size caught.

A good way to tell if its a smallie as opposed to a walleye is if it fights back when its hooked!

[Bluegill1510]

I see thanks for the advice Sled....so would you say if I did catch another 21 or get a 22" smallie to mount it or get a pic of it and get a replica?

[chickeywing]

Numbers and stats don't mean that much. If that's all you're looking for, pick up some fishing mags and check out their 'trophy' sizes. What about the 6# Bass your son caught his first time fishing? How about the 13# Northern your 13 year old sister caught in bare feet? How about the 15" Crappie your wife caught on her only fishing trip of the year and then let it go? 10# Walleye your Mom caught on a west metro lake on Labor Day? One person's trophy might be another's minnow.

The best part of a wall mount is the story behind it!!!! I've never met a fisherman that couldn't tell a story.

TC