Replica mounts, legitimacy, and other thoughts on the subject: Need feedback

[can it be luck?]

My best day walleye fishing for big ones was 96 fish. The smallest at about 23". I was concerned about the taste of these large fish, but I filetted a 28 incher and it was oh so good! Hard to believe, but true. I'm talking Great Lakes, inland lakes are a little different. Big fish are more scarce and precious.

[Chris Haley]

Who cares??? If you get a replica that you didn't catch, who's going to care anyway?? Who would you show the replica to?? If it's a replica at a sports show, they usually have photos to boot. What kind of person would make a replica of a fish they didn't catch and plant the thing on their wall?? I would guess the number of people that would do this are very few, and are not taken seriously anyway.

[Granny]

The replica thing has crossed my mind also. I am in the hunt for a LM Bass to put on my wall. The same time I am trying to catch this fish I also think of how nice of a fish this is and no one else will ever be able to enjoy catching this exact fish if I keep it. CPR is a given. I would like to know what the price difference is between the real and replica mount. If they are close to the same price I would rather get a replica made.

I don't know of that many people who would get a replica made of a fish or animal they never caught/killed. I can see people adding an inch or three which is fine with me, I don't have to live with the guilt. You can usually tell the kind of person who lies about everything. So if the fish is real or not you probably still won't believe them.

[can it be luck?]

Disadvantage to real fish mounts, shrinkage. That is the only reason I may opt for a replica.

[Guest]

I am all for replica mounts, When talking trophy sized fish you just don't know if it is old enough to be on its "last legs" or perhaps have a few more seasons left in it. I think with the millions of people out there fishing, with more and more joining the ranks each year, it is a benefit to all to release trophy size fish. Catching of trophy fish has gotten more frequent and less rare than it used to be. I think spending the taxidermy money on a great camera and learning how to use it, in my opinion, is the best way to enjoy many more fish, including the trophies, and to share with others. I know alot of guys who bring disposable camera's, or have a cheap kodaks in their boat, but have a few thousand dollars in skin mounts on their walls. Personal sense of priority I guess, I have a few thousand $$ into camera equipment, I have photos of the dozen "trophy" "once in a lifetime" walleyes my wife has caught(>30" & >10lbs), all were released in good condition, as well as many other trophies. If we want a replica, we can use the photos to get one of the same size, color and proportion, if not, the photo in itself is the trophy. I no longer hunt with a gun or bow, but come hunting season, you may find me "hunting" in a blind with a 600mm lens, I have several trophy deer, moose and turkeys hanging on my walls, even a few animals that do not have open hunting seasons. Photography and painting replica's are every bit of worthy artwork as taxidermy skin mounts. Taxidermist have long used tricks of the trade to make the fish appear larger or better proportioned anyway. And there will always be fish stories and "whoppers", and if someone has so little self respect as to lie with a replica, I hope they can sleep well at night.

[Guest]

I agree with Chris... you can always have a pic handy if your worried about people believing you. I could care less if someone believes that I caught the fish on my wall. You could just as easily have a skin mount on your wall that you didn't catch as well.. I'm 100% in favor of replica's over skin mounts. You can release the fish for someone else to catch and you have a mount that will last forever.

[This message has been edited by fishnAddict (edited 07-31-2003).]

[united jigsticker]

To have a fish on the wall and claim it as "mine", the only way I personally could take the same amount of pride in it is if it were legitimate and honest.

If I were to open a bait shop or tackle shop, I could see having some "fake" replicas made for ambience and decor, but I'd at least keep them within realistic proportions. Hey, its gotta be somewhat believable... Right?

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Good fishing,
UJ
[email protected]

[Bushwacker]

I am personally a fan of skin mounts. I come from the background that my grandfather was a taxidermist for 50+ years and I can remember being a toddler and marveling at the big fish and the full mounts of antelope and deer. This is a tough topic because there are so many different arguments for both sides. I tend to think that there are thousands, if not millions of fish in each lake and if I take one "trophy" out of a lake that it in not really damaging any echo system or really decreasing anybody elses chances of catching a trophy. It is a sad fact that not every angler is educated as those of us on this site. I have seen and heard far too many people that keep every fish that they catch. I have asked dozens of people if a fish that big can actually taste good. I have fished over 50 times this season already and have not taken any fish that would even be considered boarderline too big- But if I go out tonight and catch a 30"+ Walleye its going in the livewell and on the wall. Last week I caught a 29" and it was CPR. 30" is my personal goal I have been trying for since I was five and saw my grandpa's. To each their own. Good luck and tight lines!

[Guest]

will taking one big fish hurt the fishery....prolly not....BUT.....i have the true good feeling you cant match or beat when you release that fish for someone else to catch!!!!.....if you take pics.......and have a rep made...ppl can compare and see if youre "stretching" the truth....but most of all....you're the one who knows the truth and if you can sleep every night and then look in the mirror everyday knowing you not only lied to everyone else about it but you lied to yourself everyday......well then in the words of bugs bunny.......you have to say to yourself.......self!!....."WHAT A MAROON YOU ARE!!!!!!!".....NO......not moron.....a "MAROON"...like bugs tells yosemite sam......if you can do that....then i dont care to know or meet you in person.......CPR is the only way to go!!!!!!!!

[Surface Tension]

Releasing with the feeling that someone else will catch it some day sounds good. Chances are good that no one will ever see that big walleye again after its released. It is also safe to say its over the hill as far as spawning. Anything over 19" I put back to swim again, spawn again and possible be caught again. I've slipped many 30+inchers back into the water so I know how it feels. A 20-26" walleye is far more important to release then a 30+. I've got one walleye on the wall. A 32", got her in the spring, she didn't spawn, she absorbed her eggs. That was 25 years ago and she still looks great.
Have you ever watched the DNR strip walleyes. You see a hog once in a while but most are smaller and have many years left to spawn. If your eating walleyes your impacting the lake just as much as the guy taking a mount for the wall.
If your into replicas good for you.
I've never watched anyone awe struck over a replica but have so with a mount.

On a lighter note I'd like a 55" pike. I'm thinking on having a replica done now so I'll have it when I do catch him.

[can it be luck?]

ST, You put it in good perspective explaining the effects of keeping 1 big fish vs. 6 "eaters" which can still spawn. Can you get me one of those 55" northerns? I can set it next to my Billy Bass. Lakes very in fragility, each lake has a different trophy standard and capacity. Harvest should vary from lake to lake, and most sportsmen will make the right choice if truely a sportsmen. I have "meat lakes" that put out large numbers of big fish year in and out. Most of these lakes have a natural producing fishery. Whether walleye,crappie,trout,etc. I know which lakes can handle it. I
f I catch a 22-29" walleye in Minnestoa CPR. 30"+ ? Might be comeing home. English River at Ear Falls, anything over 21" tasted like crap! Too fatty. 28" on L Erie tastes like a 16" from Winni. it's comeing home. I CPR on all lakes, but on some I add a little twist to CPR. Catch,photo,release, into the grease. The twist?....LEMON!

[This message has been edited by can it be luck? (edited 07-31-2003).]

[Guest]

I'm noticing alot of talk about people getting replica mounts. I think that as far as preserving fish for others to catch, it is a good idea. However, What is to stop someone from just going out and getting a mount of a fish that they didn't catch, or maybe trying to sneak in a little extra size and get a mount a little bigger than their actual fish? I guess what I'm trying to say is how can we trust the acuracy of people's claims or their mounts if they're all replicas? What about those unuasual fish that happen once in a lifetime that your just lucky enough to catch? You know, those oddities that occur. A fish with too many fins or two heads or crazy stuff like that. Do they make replicas for those?

I don't know how much skill is required to make a replica mount but I'm sure it probably isn't as hard to do as an actual mount. What happens to the knowledge and skill required to actually preserve and mount a fish? Can taxedermists still say they are taxedermists if they don't preserve the fish? If all they make is replicas, then they might as well just train to be artists.

Also, were does the replica mount craze stop? How long until someone goes on a hunt and doesn't shoot a trophy animal but wants a replica made? He might as well just skip the hunt and get the replica.

I sincerely hope that I didn't anger anyone with this post, I just want to get some feedback from people and see what they think. Am I way off base here? I just don't see anything wrong with keeping a trophy fish if you keep a trophy deer or moose. Let me know what you think.

[basguy31]

Shoot and release doesn't quite work.

[can it be luck?]

No replicas on my walls, for the reasons you stated. Just the "real" deal!

[Surface Tension]

As long as you practice C&R I don't see how keeping one large fish is going to hurt the population. How often dose anyone keep a trophy to mount. Theres a lot more guys taking stringers of large fish to eat.
Educate on the importance of releasing big fish instead of them ending up on the table. If you understand this then you can see how insignificant keeping one fish to mount is. I'd rather see a mounted fish then a replica. In either case you should have photos to go along with it. What I dont like is the price on replicas. Its much less labor intensive yet they cost more then a mount. In the end it all comes down to paint job.

[RuKiddingMe]

Well I think of it this way. I like the thought of the fish swimming away after a few pics and a clean release. As far as someone making their replica a little bit bigger, well that is a lie that they will have to deal with on their own. The way I see it I want that replica as a reminder for me and the day I caught it, and if I lie about the size and make it a little bigger then the only person I'm cheating is myself because it was my fish.

Granted I would like others to see it and admire such a trophy and the feeling of being able to tell them that the fish is still swimming is really neat too.

Another thing is how long that flesh mount will last on the wall, from what I understand they start to detieriate (sp?) after awhile, were a replica will look great forever.

It's all personal choice, and I stand with letting someone else experience the thrill of catching that fish, even if he or she does keep it.

Matt

[Scoot]

I agree with most of the posts here- I love the thought of a fish swimming away to be caught another day. I think of my little six year old nephews having a chance at another trophy that I put back into the water.
As far as "how do you know it's legitimite"? I really don't care. I won't fudge if I ever get a replica and if someone said I did, I'd chalk it up to jealousy.
In fact, I probably won't ever get a replica- I'll frame a picture that I have blown up.
I agree though- I don't have a problem with people keeping a large fish to mount on a very rare occasion. It does tick me off when people keep several fish each year to mount or really makes me mad when people keep large fish they don't intend to mount.
My .02.
Scoot

[Guest]

What if everyone, everytime they caught a "trophy" (interpretation varies from person to person) harvested that fish? To justify taking just one, because there may be millions of smaller fish in a givin lake, is a bit selfish. There may also be thousands of people fishing that lake. That's the problem, I have caught so many walleyes at 30" (+,- 1") that I no longer even consider that category to be "trophy" size. That is just normal adult size in many Minnesota lakes. So every person that harvests something close to 30" is taking something away from those that set a higher standard for what is considered a "trophy". I personally am looking for a walleye over 33", even then, I would release it, would I have a replica made? Maybe, but I would definately take some photos.

Sure skin mounts look a little better when scrutinized close-up, when they are fresh from the taxidermist, but give each 10-20-30 years and then see which looks better.

[King Canada]

I was up at Mille Lacs a few years ago at one of the launch offices, I don't recall which one...they had a Trophy Stringer made up of 6 monsters...they had left them off the wall while they did some remodelling and mice had eaten the tails and fins off. It nearly made me cry. At that point I decided the replicas make some sense....

[Surface Tension]

Colone If everyone caught 30+ eyes then they wouldn't be a trophy. Thats usually a fish of a lifetime. I think you'll find that guys that do catch a lot of 30+ eyes may have 1 mount and release the rest. I don't know anyone with more than one mounted fish of the same species.
I don't think its selfish at all to keep a trophy. Wouldn't keeping six be more selfish? Thats six less for the next guy and six less spawner's, and six more potental trophy's. If you believe the DNR and carrying capacities of lakes, wouldn't taking out a big eating machine that isn't a spawner make sense?
If we see less trophies caught its not because folks are keeping them. Its because they're caught when they're smaller.
I would rather settle for a good picture over a replica. Yes replicas look nice, it isn't the fish I caught and it never will be. Its like saying why take a photo of your fish when theres millions of fish photos already. Look at the chemicals and paper needed to develop pictures. Plus the gas you burn to drop them off and pick them up. Yes a trophy is in the eye of the beholder and I'll beholding a real fish at the taxidermist. I like gazing at a Terry Redlin, letting myself feel the sunset with a pair of mallards with cupped wings settling into the glassy pond at dusk. I get carried away to past fishing trips when I look at my mounts.
I feel nothing when looking at a replica. If you can thats great.

[This message has been edited by Surface Tension (edited 08-01-2003).]

[Guest]

Im with ST on this one. I would rather get a real mount than get a replica. When I look at a replica I see nothing when I look at the real thing I can remember the fight and what I went through to get that fish of a lifetime. So far in Minnesota my biggest walleye is 26" not even close to 30". For me to mount a trophy walleye it has to be over 30" otherwise is gets released. When I was in Canada fishing I caught a 29.5" Walleye I wanted to keep that fish so bad but my rule (more of my dads) was it had to be 30" so I released it. Not many people catch more than one trophy walleye in their lifetime and some are lucky if they do. Once I get my trophy thats the only one I will mount so I will want to make it good.

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Fish ON!

[Granny]

Anyone have a clue on what the price difference is between a skin and replica mount? Obviously it will depend on species, length,.......... Are they close to the same price or is a replica much more?

[Steve Foss]

I would get a replica, period, if I caught an eye that big, or a pike over 40 or musky over 50 or bass over 21, or laker over 40, etc.

I have a 9 lb walleye dead on the wall from a trip when I was 19. Of course, that was before replicas.

Legitimacy isn't an issue if you bring a camera, photograph it from a few angles, measure length and girth.

That's all a taxidermist needs to make a replica, and then you put a little metal tag on the wood with name, measurements, date and place caught, and frame the picture to put alongside the fish. Then legitimacy is not an issue, and that's gott be plenty to remember the moment by.

Here's my thing: A 30-inch walleye is about 10 lbs, give or take, and the state record is 17 and world record 25, doesn't it seem likely that this 30-inch walleye would normally live on for at least half a dozen years? Not only, as a big female, would it keep putting lots of its own genes back in the pool (I know, once they reach true old age, they aren't as effective as spawners), but it'll keep getting bigger.

Same holds true for those other species I mentioned.

I agree that catching fish this size is rare, and that taking one now and then that big isn't going to hurt the population, and that taking a bunch of 2 to 6 pound fish to eat them hurts the population more. It's just a matter of: Now we don't have to kill fish to get and mount and legitimize our trophy fishing experience, so why should we?

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 08-01-2003).]

[Surface Tension]

My Dear Friend,and I do mean that.
Its not about legitimizing. Lets pretend. You went to pick up your mount from the taxidermist. You walk in and theres another guy standing at the counter. Clerk walks out with 2 walleyes the same size 32". Says here ya go fellas. You say which one is mine? Clerk says doesn't matter they're the same size. LOL

Ok lets try this. The taxidermist switched antlers of your deer head mount.
Butter or ole
Cheddar Cheese or CheeseWhiz
Angus Beef or Tofu
Whole milk or Soy milk
Linnei's or Blazt

To each their own.

[Guest]

I got a question.
Does a 30"+ eye spawn as successful as it did when it was bout 20"?

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Fish ON!

[traveler]

I know I don't spawn as successfully as I did when I was 20

[Dr. Bob]

This is really getting funny .

Great points on your last couple of posts S.T.

traveler - I don't spawn as successfully as I did when I was 20 either. But - now I get to spawn more often .

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CWCS Supporter - Keep it open for Everyone.

Crank the Shank!

[Surface Tension]

Oh God! There go's the gene pool....

[Royce Aardahl]

Well My buddy got a 21 1/2 in smally tonight and I got a 19. I am looking for a 20 and I've allways liked the skin mounts so when I catch her she's heading for the taxidermy. He released the fish after a couple pics and plans to get a replica made. I released a 48 inch musky last year that was caught before season so I didn't have to decide to kill it or not. Maybe I'll find one on ebay some day, haha. I've got walleye,rainbow and lake trout mounted and I really prefer the skin mounts over the replicas that I've seen. Nice but not for me. Doesn't bother me if somebody kills a fish to have it mounted. To each his own. Keep your lines wet!

[This message has been edited by eyeguy54 (edited 08-01-2003).]

[can it be luck?]

Other than a 3 credits of Economics in college, by no way do I claim to be an Economist. After listening to the referances to costs, I started to think. Eliminate the taxidermist. Mass produce fish mounts. Injected plastic molding, styrofoam, something or another. For the most, fish look pretty much the same. Different sizes,fat,skinny,dark,light, you name it we'll make it. You could have a large display and choose your fish based on its photo, just like the real thing! Available at Fleet Farm,Wall Mart, even at Holiday gas stations. The savings would be phoenominal! I personaly mount my own fish for other reasons some may not understand.....it's spiritual. Capture the spirit of the fish. can it be luck?