How big does it have to be?

[outdoors forever]

Just wondering - how many of you fisherman out there would get a fish taxied? What would the minimum weight and length have to be on a pike or a walley to consider spending the bucks?

I saw a 13 pound walleye come out of Lesser Slave that is now hanging on the guys wall. My father - in - law caught a 42 inch 21 lb pike on the same lake last Aug and released it. I don't know.......that one may have tempted me to cough up the money!

How many of you HAVE fish on your wall? Pictures would be cool.......

Lets hear your opinions.

[WayneChristie]

Personally Id rather have photographs than a dust collector. To each his own tho.

[jts1]

Wonder what this HOG would cost. Could put him on the dash

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCF0185.jpg

[Fordman150]

Originally Posted by jts1

Wonder what this HOG would cost. Could put him on the dash

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCF0185.jpg

Is that what you got today??? Nice fish.. You could smoke it.. like a cigar..

[Braun]

Originally Posted by jts1

Wonder what this HOG would cost. Could put him on the dash

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCF0185.jpg

hahahaha. its funny cause its small.........


anyways. i definately do plan on getting one done someday. I also would prefer to have pictures. but i do want one done. But it would have to be the perfect storm of reasons why; 1. it would have to be a big fish. biggest if not damn close to it that i will ever catch in my life. 2. it would have to be a good fish story. I wouldnt want one that was like, uh ya perfect day, everything went right, caught lots of fish, and this was the biggest...... i would want it to be a story like that guy posted of his first laker the other night(but actually a big fish)

Ps when i get mine done i will get the hook that i caught it on sent to the taxidermists to have it put on with him. unless its like a stupid one like a pickerel rig. (then i might sent a big 5 o diamonds instead. ha)

[outdoors forever]

Originally Posted by jts1

Wonder what this HOG would cost. Could put him on the dash

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCF0185.jpg

Dude, you just made my day! I laughed out loud!!

If your taxi guy charges by the inch, I'd say he'll owe YOU money on that one.

[pikester]

I have 2 fish mounted, a 9lb rainbow & a 20lb pike but I have to say I'm not really a fan of taxidermy anymore. My pike mount is ok but it's only 5 yrs old, whereas the rainbow mount is 18 yrs old & starting to fade & fall apart now. The only way I get any fish mounted anymore is if it's a new Alberta record pike. If I could do it over again I would get the rainbow done as a fiberglass/ graphite reproduction & let the pike go.

Personally I wouldn't get a pike done unless it's 25lbs or better but then again if it's your 16 yr old kids first 18-20 lber & he/she absolutely refuses to let it go then maybe you make an exception. Walleye I would say anything above 12lbs. & likely due to catch & release regs in most lakes you would have to get the reproduction but I think that's the way to go anyway.

[Krisrf]

I'd do a reproduction as they last much longer and with lots of pics and a few measurements you can get it pretty good. As for size, 20 pounds as a minimum but more likely 25. I think its gotta be well into the 20s. Walleyes I'd look at 10 pounds plus. I find you get too big and they don't look great anymore. An 8 pound trout looks good too. With that all said it would be based moreso on where I had to put them up as they aren't really a bedroom thing but might be a cabin thing..

Kris

[floppychicken]

Originally Posted by Braun

hahahaha. its funny cause its small.........


anyways. i definately do plan on getting one done someday. I also would prefer to have pictures. but i do want one done. But it would have to be the perfect storm of reasons why; 1. it would have to be a big fish. biggest if not damn close to it that i will ever catch in my life. 2. it would have to be a good fish story. I wouldnt want one that was like, uh ya perfect day, everything went right, caught lots of fish, and this was the biggest...... i would want it to be a story like that guy posted of his first laker the other night(but actually a big fish)

Ps when i get mine done i will get the hook that i caught it on sent to the taxidermists to have it put on with him. unless its like a stupid one like a pickerel rig. (then i might sent a big 5 o diamonds instead. ha)

BAWAHAHAHAHAHAH....

Now that's funny right there!

[floppychicken]

Originally Posted by Krisrf

I'd do a reproduction as they last much longer and with lots of pics and a few measurements you can get it pretty good. As for size, 20 pounds as a minimum but more likely 25. I think its gotta be well into the 20s. Walleyes I'd look at 10 pounds plus. I find you get too big and they don't look great anymore. An 8 pound trout looks good too. With that all said it would be based moreso on where I had to put them up as they aren't really a bedroom thing but might be a cabin thing..

Kris

X2 here... I think Kris hit's the nail on the head. Although, it would be NICE to keep the fish, I personally would feel MUCH better about letting it go back for someone else to 'freak out' on when 'they' catch it....

I saw a TON of Replica's at Cabela's and they were 'PHENOMENAL'! Also, with todays cameras, the Video function is of VERY good quality (even on a $200.00 camera) and video of the fish can actually be more helpful than the photos (you'd need measurements too). I normally take 'both now', if the fish is worthy... although that seems to be a 'rare thing' for me these days!

Cheers,

[aulrich]

I would rather have a wall of pictures, to date I have not seen a replica that has moved me to go that way, but I could see that happening as the product improves.


But for sure the hog would go back into the water.

[Rockymtnx]

For the past couple of years I have kind of had the 12 pound mark for Walleye and 30 pound mark for Pike stuck in my head.
With today’s reproductions I would have one of them done verses a skin mount. They last forever and there are lots out there that are so realistic you can’t tell the difference.

Originally Posted by aulrich

I would rather have a wall of pictures, to date I have not seen a replica that has moved me to go that way, but I could see that happening as the product improves.
.

If you get the right company there is some pretty good looking ones. I think they have came a long ways in the past couple of years.
These guys out of Ontario do some pretty amazing work. www.advancedtaxidermy.com

[boot]

Originally Posted by jts1

Wonder what this HOG would cost. Could put him on the dash

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...s/DSCF0185.jpg

Heheh... nice!

[S-in-Cochrane]

I've only got one mounted.

It is a baby sturgeon, probably about 8 inches long. It's on a little sand base with a plant sticking up near it.

The mount belonged to my great grand father. One of my cousin's found the sturgeon in his nets. (Commercial fishing on Lake Winnipeg)

I think I would do a reproduction of almost anything if there was a good story to it. Would like to get a walleye one done, but like someone said earlier ... the huge ones don't always look so good. My uncle has a 40+ lb lake trout on the wall. Its a monster fish, but the mount is huge and its been relegated to the garage now.

[whitewolf]

personally for me it is not the size of the fish...its the look...special colorings..different markings...something like that...sometimes you catch that brookie and you go wow is that a beautiful one...best looking i ever caught...thats when its time to get a replica in my opinion.....

[nicemustang]

I think mounts are tacky IMO. Some kind of male pride thing that makes them feel better about themselves somehow. I personally would never keep a trophy fish either, since that is the life blood of the healthy fishery. Lots of pics and measurements for documentation and possibly a replica made, but thats it.

Actually, even if I catch a provincial or world record, I wouldn't keep it. Pics, measurements and back she goes.

[bobbypetrolia]

I wouldnt get a skin-mount, but heres my numbers for a replica....
Pike....50 inches
Brown.....25+ inches
Brookie....20+inches
Arctic Char....probably any size with amazing colors (over 25" tho)
Bull.....35+ inch
Not interested in any others on my wall.

[fisherwoman]

Originally Posted by whitewolf

personally for me it is not the size of the fish...its the look...special colorings..different markings...something like that...sometimes you catch that brookie and you go wow is that a beautiful one...best looking i ever caught...thats when its time to get a replica in my opinion.....

I'd have to agree with whitewolf here.
My boyfriend caught a nice brown last year and sent it in for a skin mount... its been 18 months. Still don't have it back or I would put up some pix. This fish was his first brown an BEAUTIFUL colors.
I want to have a fish to match his on the wall, just waiting for a brookie just a bit bigger then his brown, lol. More and more I'm leaning to a replica. Then I can release the fish, and the mount lasts forever.
Just my 2 bits.

[thenaturalwoodsman]

Like some of the other posters I agree pictures are great but only after you have atleast 1 on the wall.

For me 10lbs. for walleye (which is roughly 30" long out of a lake) River's vary

And 23lbs. for pike (which is roughly 44" long out of a lake) again river fish vary.

Both of these are tough to achieve a guy can fish alot of hours and possibly never catch one of either species this size.

And replica's truthfully don't look good but they should get better in time.

[DarkAisling]

I don't think size would be the deciding factor for me. The story behind the catch would be the deciding factor.

[Coulee]

In 1997 I landed a 9lb, 29 inch brown trout in the Bow, upstream of Cochrane. I was using 4lb tippet, and it took me an hour and a half to land him one mile downstream from where he was hooked. And I do mean "He". Had a big kyped lower jaw. I tried to release him, but he was done for. I had him mounted and I still like it, but I like photo of the fish better.

[steve]

Ive released 10 lbs walleye and 48'' pike, but man would I like to get a replica done of 15''+ perch if I ever get one.

[TexasTornado]

10lb Walleye
25lb Pike
30lb Laker

Are the three i want.........

[Big Red 250]

I released a 45in pike and a 29in walleye. Also several 14in perch.

[outdoors forever]

I appreciate the discussion, and I agree with the people who say the story behind the fish helps too. I would think also the location would be a factor. I wouldn't get a 10 lb walleye out of Gods Lake mounted, as 6 - 10 pounders are pretty average there, or a 20 lb pike from the Flin Flon area lakes, since those are common. But you bet your ***** a 12 pound walleye from Lesser Slave would get done, or a 22 lb pike from Utikima. So, yeah I really agree on the story behind the fish plays a role.

But I also think a lot of replicas look kind of fake and cheap. If I were going to get one replicated I would research and find a taxi outfit that I like and does a cool job.

[lone wolf]

Reproductions are definitely the way to go. My father & I were fortunate enough to boat a 50 lb chinook at Rivers Inlet back in 2000. There was an incredible story, including the fish wrapping around the prop of the outboard !! The size of the fish, the location and memories of the battle made it a "fish of a lifetime" for dad. After looking at some of the reproductions at the airport in Vancouver he decided to have one done by Gander & Sons in Vancouver. The mount now takes pride of place in his house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The photos were taken 7 years after the reproduction was made. Absolutely no fading, cracking, peeling etc...... Looks as good as the day it was made.

[oagie]

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. A fish does not have to be a certain size to have a mount made. A trophy represents a day you were fishing, so when you look at the fish on the wall you remember that day.

It may very well be a large fish you caught that day. But that mount may also be the first fish you caught with a child, or maybe the last time you fished with a grandparent, it may be the first Steelhead you caught on a fly.

Regardless of skin mount or reproduction a good picture is always important.

Some people don't like skin mounts because they degrade after time. A good taxidermist can repair the damage, and techniques used in skin mounts today provide a much longer shelf life then the techniques 20 years ago.

[Warren77]

Texas Tornado aka Sylvan spinner haha was right on the money

10lb + Walleye

25lb+ Pike

Measurements taken and fish releashed.