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what to do with trophy fish

skunked101

By skunked101
in Upper Red Lake Fishing Reports - Hunting

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skunked101 Explorer

skunked101

Posted
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Just a quick question on what to with a trophy fish when caught when your going to get it mounted. I've heard tons of different ways to keep them. I've heard newspaper and plastic bags. Some of you must have gotten some your fish done. JUst wondering what you did. Thanks for any input

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iceman_44 Contributor

iceman_44

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I just brought one in to get mounted the other day. What I have done with all of my fish that I have got mounted in the winted is put them in a garbage bag or some sort of plastic bag and then wrap them with newspaper. Make sure that all of the fins are down and are not going to get damaged when you wrap it. Wrapping it just makes sure that it doesnt get freezer burnt. After that I just duct tape it all up. Make sure to use the plastic before the newspaper!!! Other wise the newspaper sticks to the fish and it is just not a pretty picture. After that get it in the deep freeze and then to the tax. Good Luck hope this helps!

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roscoe2669 Explorer

roscoe2669

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I use to do alot of fish mounting, and the more care you take with the fish, the better the mount comes out. Keeping the fish moist, then freezing it as soon as possible. I would wet down paper towels and put them on the tail and fins, keeps them in good shape. Wrap them well, freezer burn

shows up on a mount. Hope this helps

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stuffer1 Rookie

stuffer1

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Like the iceman said earlier, wrap it in plastic first to keep the moisture in. Then a good thing to do to help keep the fins protected, is to wrap it in a wet towel to keep it safe in the freezer. Keeping the fins in good shape will help you get a better mount back in the end.

Good luck with your trophy!

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hanson Grand Master

hanson

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Newspaper is a NO, NO, NO!!

That applies to anything you are going to mount. The newspaper absorbs the moisture and dries your specimen out.

I just place my fish in a plastic bag. Make sure the fins are down, that is probably the most important part. Taxidermists can fix and even replace fins but most do that at an additional cost.

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fisherdog19 Veteran

fisherdog19

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Ditto on wrapping in plastic, the wet cotton towels are a good idea after that as they will freeze and become stiff, protecting the fish from damage.

Fisherdog

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igotem Enthusiast

igotem

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If you've got a vaccuum sealer, they work great. Make sure the fins are all down and seal it up. No freezer burn to worry about and the fins are well protected.

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boneyslayer Apprentice

boneyslayer

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I've had plenty mounted and first thing to have is a plastic bag big enough to store it flat, when caught do not discolor the sides by storing in ice water or a bucket with the others. flatten out the tail fin and use pop cartons to staple or paper clip flat the tail fin, wrap tape around the platic bag and fish so the dorsel and pectorial fins are protected, you can freeze it outside or in a freezer at that time. Some taxidermist say you can then wrap over this with 1" thick newspaper and ship it to your favorite taxidermist, just use crumpled newspaper as cushion in the box. Watch so you do not damage the scales.

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igotem Enthusiast

igotem

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63" Sturgeon/dancing partner! blush.gif Didn't weigh it, obviously, but by length girth measurements it was around 58lbs. Might be close to 70lbs now. I caught it 2 years ago. I've caught a lot of 50"+ since, mostly summertime, but have'nt broken 60" since. frown.gif

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iceman_44 Contributor

iceman_44

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Hanson are you telling me that I should not use the newspaper for an insulator after the fish is in a plastic bag??

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thore Collaborator

thore

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I prefer to take an acurate measurement of the total length and the girth or widest part of the body then release the trophy for another

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skunked101 Explorer

skunked101

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Hey I just want to say thanks for all the responses. You guys answered most of my questions. But can you pack the fish in a bucket with snow until frozen or should you wrap fish right away.

Thanks again

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hanson Grand Master

hanson

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Quote:

Hanson are you telling me that I should not use the newspaper for an insulator after the fish is in a plastic bag??

You might be alright with that. Just make sure your plastic bag is sealed up tight first. Like I said, newspaper will absorb moisture which isn't good for something you are going to get mounted.

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