How big does a smallie have to be before you mount it? I know its all about regional sizing(growth times,etc.). I’m in MN. I always said over twenty goes on the wall but after catching 2 21″ last year I changed my mind to 23″. Now I’m staring at pics and an empty wall. BTW, I plan on releasing the fish and having a replica made-any arguments against that? Sorry bout the newdie shot-awwww summertime!!!
I just got a 23.5 inch and a 22 inch mounted this year and I always said that 22 inch is the minimum but you have to go with your own feeling since you are not ever guarenteed a bigger fish. 
That is a nice sized fish 
21 goes on my wall from my home waters. I know theres bigger but I don’t fish them much so beggers can’t be choosers.
Mounting any fish is totally up the individual. special conditions, special memories, children’s first fish, first bass.
A 23″ Smallmouth is quite a lofty goal, and may take a lifetime to attain.
A 21 or 22 is more of a reasonable, and catchable size.
With a repo, you don’t have to catch a 23″ to mount a 23″.
Good Luck in your persuit.
Jack
Its a personal thing… I have a a 11# Walleye on the wall but have caught five bigger ones since fishing P-4. Last September a Guiding client caught this 22.7″ (7.03 lb) Smallie but elected to try for a bigger one for the wall… I probably would mount a 7 lber like this. He CPRed it… 
I put a 23 5/8 on the wall almost 6 pounds.
was a little hesitant,but after a talking with the rest of our fishing party,the vote was unanimous. 
Its all up to the individual.(go with your gut.)
We catch many 18 to 21 inchers and I have always said anything 22 or bigger i would mount. I would go for it and put it on the wall. It will make a great mount.
I would never pay to get a fish mounted. Therefore, it would have to be a state record where there is a good chance someone would make replica’s and give me one of them for free.
I had a big largemouth mounted years ago when I first started bass fishing and the guy absolutely butchered it. 
It was a beautiful fish and went close to 6. Nothing monsterous, but at that time it was ridiculously huge for me. By the time this guy was done with it, a 22″ fish was down to 18″. The head was mangled and the guy painted the a-hole RED! I gave it to my parents and said they could get it mounted for me as an Xmas present so i never said anything about it and ended up throwing the thing away a couple years ago. it was THAT bad. Feel terrible about it, and the moment I saw that mount, i pretty much vowed to never mount another fish. Sad, because i’ve caught some giants that I’d love to have up next to the deer heads. however, I’d have to rethink that plan if I ever pulled a bass over 7 pounds out of the waters in WI.
Ice
Any 21″ fish is worthy of a replica. my best went 6lbs but was an ugly old fish that wouldn’t have made a good mount. Pick a pretty on and go for it.
John
Nice fish Rob!!!! 
“How big before you mount a smallie?”
At least knee high…
It really is a personal choice.
I set my goals for a 23 inch fish, lofty. It might never happen, then again it could happen on the next cast 
I will get a reproduction as I will want to keep those genes in that lake or river system.
Two maybe three years ago, I caught a smallie that taped out at 22.75. I thought hard and long about getting it mounted, never did. Yet I still have the measurements of that fish.
Do what you want and feels right. Get a reproduction or keep it and get a real mount, it’s your choice.
So get out fishing and catch one that your proud of and hang it from the wall
Ron
Quote:
BTW, I plan on releasing the fish and having a replica made-any arguments against that?
I think that’s a great call. There are advantages to a replica. I plan to do the same if I ever land one over 22 inches.
Your fish,your decision,but remember the big ones are usually always female,so if it’s springtime,it’s a replica. Hate to throw away 20,000+ eggs{future stock}. Caught plenty over 21 inches,never kept one to mount{love to catch’em more than look at them on the wall}.
I AGREE
ME TOO!!! I AGREE WITH THAT
Quote:
Your fish,your decision,but remember the big ones are usually always female,so if it’s springtime,it’s a replica. Hate to throw away 20,000+ eggs{future stock}.
What is the difference if you take it in the spring OR late summer? Wouldn’t you still be throwing away the future stock.
Quote:
Caught plenty over 21 inches,never kept one to mount{love to catch’em more than look at them on the wall}.
I agree with that statement
Ron
When i said springtime, i meant anytime a fisherperson thinks about keeping one they should have atleast let it spawn out for that year. And yes it is always a waste to keep the larger females,regardless of season and location, that’s why i prefer to never keep one, regardless of the size, and would get a replica.
I have #4.7 smallie mounted that died on me. Was just a freak thing that happened. Stick bait blew through the gills and blood was pouring out upon hook set. It was a beautifully marked fish from Mendota, so I made use of it.
My goal is 9+ lbs but I would probably do a mount of one that is 8 or greater.
The pig in my avatar is just under 7. & the book ends are 5.85 and 5.90. But the little guy is a picture I have on the wall and has one of my best stories from guiding. I normally do very little fishing myself while guiding. I had a client out is absolutely the most miserable conditions. We made a couple of mad dashes back to the truck to aviod the lightning and 30-40mph winds that came through. After a last heavy down pour and another front go through, we headed back to a deep rock bar we were getting walleyes on. To my surprise, in a two hour window the fish went from 26fow to 4fow. I had just re-tied a snap and put on a glass shad rap for this guy, when he stuck a dink eye on a ring worm. I took a quick cast to make sure the rap was tracking correctly when this smallie slammed it. When I set the hook, there was an enourmous boil a few feet behind the fish???? In that clear water, we could see about a 40lb musky chasing the smallie. Was quite interesting to try to keep this smallie from getting slammed. I landed the fish, and even with all the movement in the boat, that musky just stayed about 20′ out staring at us. I released the smallie on the other side of the boat and wished him well! That musky just slowly dropped down out of sight, but gave us quite the thrill. My piont in this is the largest smallie you may ever catch, may not bring with it the excitement you expect.
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