nice fish

[slab seeker]

I caught a 26inch walleye with a 13inch girth weighing about 4.5 lbs while my family and I were on a trip to Little Lake Winnie. we froze it as is that night. My dad thinks we should filet it but I would like to get it mounted. Is it too small or is it okay to mount? Please reply!

[croixflats]

Not to small at all. The memory of catching a big walleye with the family will be imortallized and able to relived when you look at that fish on the wall.

[mainbutter]

a fish certainly doesn't have to be a state record to mount!

[riverrat56]

Well, chances are good it is to late to fillet it, fish that is frozen whole and then thawed don't taste the greatest, and 26" fish aren't to tasty anyways. Get it mounted so you always have something to remeber that trip by.

[Sandmannd]

You can mount whatever you want as a trophy. Nothing says what size it has to be. I released a 28" this year. Kinda wish I woulda kept it to mount, but I'm waiting for a 30" or 10lber. As far as filleting it, I have never had a fish that sized filleted, but you will be fine if you decide too. I have frozen a lot of fish hold to wait to clean till I have a couple more to do. Don't let it si more than a week or they aren't as good, but nothing wrong with freezing and then cleaning.

[Jim Almquist]

The length for walleyes on Winni to release everything between 17 to 26" From the regs

WINNIBIgoShISh LAkE (Beltrami County) and connected waters:

Mississippi River to Knutson Dam, Third River Flowage to Little

Dixon Lake, Pigeon River to Pigeon Lake Dam, First River, Egg

Lake through Cut Foot Sioux Lake, Raven Flowage to Raven

Lake, and Sugar Lake. (Cass, Itasca Counties) walleye: All from 17 - 26" must be immediately released. One over 26" allowed in possession.

[riverrat56]

Ya......? He said it was 26" making it a legal fish.

[Eric Wettschreck]

There are no rules regarding weather or not you should mount a fish. If it's a fish you want to remember, and you're thinking of putting it on the wall, then by all means take it to taxidermy.

I have a lot of mounted fish. The smaller ones are the ones that strike the best memories and that's why I had them mounted.

It's not about the fish, it's about the memory. If it's a trophy to you then mount that bad boy.

[wanger29]

I've got a good friend that happenned to have a 26 and a 28 mounted in his rec-room. The two look awesome! And, in all honesty, there isn't much difference in the sizes. Both big-beautiful eyes.

[Eskimoman]

Mount it! It will last longer than a meal.

[Down Deep]

The taxidermist will skin the fish and give you the meat. So you can have your fish and eat it too. The 1st mount of a walleye I ever had was 27 inches. At the time it was the largest fish of any kind that I had ever caught.

[dan z]

get er put on the wall 26" fish are nice looking when mounted some of them big fish look fake cuz thier so big also they loose thier color when they get big too. couple years ago I caught a 26x15 and I should have mounted it but my bro has a bigger one and I did not want to have another eye on the wall so I sliced it and it tasted good.

[Scott K]

Just a friendly reminder, one could just measure the fish, snap some photos and release the fish and get a replica made of the fish.

As for your question on what to do with the fish now, I would say mount it! The filets wont be that good after being frozen for awhile, and you are excited about the fish, and thats all that really matters!

[dfruechte]

Just take it to get it mounted. Doesn't matter what size it is. As long as it was a legal catch, and you like the way it will look mounted, you will enjoy it. I've never had a "real" fish mounted, I have always had Replicas made, as mentioned above, but either way from what I've seen they both turn out, and look good. I have a 24" that was replicated and I gave to a resort to hang, they thought it looked pretty nice.

[paceman]

I have seen lots of walleyes that range mounted. They look great!

[slab seeker]

Thanks for all the advice. I made a mistake it was a 1/2 inch longer than I said but I think I will get it mounted. I will definetly ask about getting some of the filets from it. Maybe I will get them and they will taste good. Thanks again!!!!!!!

[fishinmajishin]

Some people will fish a lifetime without having the opportunity to catch a fish like that...actually alot of people. The only ones that will scoff will be the ones that weren't there to see what that moment meant to you. I had a dandy WT buck shoulder mounted from last year...have a much bigger one already hanging, but if you were there with me to witness the events, you'd understand why.

[prov1900]

I would say if anything, your scale is off. That fish should have weighed heavier, right? Sounds like a heck of a mount.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

I agree, mount it! I fished L.O.W. for 15 years before I caught my first trophy which was a 28" walleye. Not a monster by L.O.W. standards but it was the biggest fish I ever caught and it was special to me. I remember that day every time I walk into the room where it's mounted!

[machohorn]

I have a hard time catching northerns that big. My wife has a 29.75 on the wall so I have to hold out until that 30" hits.Go into any northern bar and look at the mounts they have , most are 25-27 and look impressive, I say get it done, next year if you get another mount that too and put them in the same mount swimming together.

[Iambjm]

When I first started fishing I caught a 27" walleye that went 7 pounds, I had it mounted and a friend criticized me. He said it was a waste of 6 pounds of good meat, I am not sorry I did. I have it on the wall in my living room along with a 10 pound northern and a 2lb 2oz crappy. Haven't caught a bigger one yet.

[purpel sock hat 1]

sometimes its the lengh of the story not the size of the fish that makes me mount a fish

[jefflake]

I agrree it should have weighed more, unless it was a very skinny fish. 26 to 26.5 inches should go around 6 to 6.5 lbs, on the average. I would say mount it. I caught a 29.5 inch walleye that went 10 lb 6 oz. and I don't regret mounting it. I caught grief from friends who thought I should eat it....it was going on the wall or back in the lake.

[Gary Crichton]

If he was fishing on Little Winnie those regs Jim would not apply. Also I agree a 26" out of Little Winnie should weigh more than that. Closer to 6 Lbs.

After what I saw this week up at Winnie, better take them now as Big Winnie may turn into a Red Lake situation, real soon.

G.C.

[slab seeker]

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to have my cousin mount it for me. He said it will only cost $50-60. I think I am getting a very good deal.