What sized fish would you mount?

I have always told myself that when I finally caught that 10 lb walleye I’d get a replica made. Or a 40″ pike, 16″ crappie ect… I have never considered what sized trout I would mount, because I really don’t fish for them much, and when I do they are generally small fish from a pond.
Well, today I caught a beast of a brown trout. To me at least. My personal best. I honestly don’t know what you would consider wall mounter for a brown trout.
It was a momentus occasion for me catching this fish. It was unexpected and I am so grateful to have caught this beautiful fish. It was released unharmed and I think I will have a replica made.

Would you mount this fish? Of course I didn’t have a tape with me, but by my scientific method of measuring off my rod it was around 23″

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It’s discretionary and completely up to you. If that’s considered a very rare fish in your area then go for it. I’ve always thought anything over 20″ for a brown in my area would be mount-worthy.

My father had over 90 fish mounted. A few were trophies, all were great memories. I’d say mount it. It will remind you of that day forever.

Don’t let anyone else’s expectations determine whether to mount a fish or not. It is up to you and the value of the memories of said fish. Only info i have, is pick a really good taxidermist and look at their work.

To me that is a beautiful fish I am not a trout fisherman but live in awesome trout country that hook jaw is awesome!! Make sure your replica has that same feature. Al Bartz Scenic Taxidermy in Altura MN has done some replicas and a skin mount for me which turned out excellent.

Thanks for the input guys. I will definitely be getting a replica made. Mentioned it to the old lady, and she’s ok with it going on the wall in the living room 😍

I caught a 23” brook trout I’m debating for a replica. The bar in my mind was 24” but opportunities are hard to come by (and expensive).

If you mount the 23″ you for sure will catch a bigger one.

It all depends on your personal best and what fish are in your area. No different than mounting a buck.

Some areas of the country a 120″ deer is a monster, others it is not.

buck-slayer wrote:

If you mount the 23″ you for sure will catch a bigger one.

Sounds like a good strategy!

With replicas today I’d error on the side of mounting it if it has some important memories attached or was an at the time PB.

I’ve got all the measurements and an assortment of pictures to go with a 29″ walleye that is not my PB, but was caught with a lifelong friend who I rarely see anymore. It was an awesome outing with tons of laughs reminiscing and reliving the glory days. That fish will remind me of a lot more than others I have caught by myself.

I have always said that when I get my 30″ walleye it will go on the wall. I catch and keep a ton of walleye every year, but in my boat no fish over 20″ are kept. 15-19″ fish are the ones that we keep for the fryer, even knowing if the next guy catches that 20″ fish it will go into their livewell.

Jake Thelen wrote:

Of course I didn’t have a tape with me, but by my scientific method of measuring off my rod it was around 23″

Is that a steam trout Jake? That’s a monster for a stream trout. All the stream trout around here are much smaller.

Beautiful fish. As others have said, if you feel it is big for your area or has a story you would like to remember, mount it. I had a mount made of a 21” pike. I typed that right. 21” pike. It was the first fish (that was not a pan fish) that my son caught all on his own. He was casting the shoreline with me and it bit. He set the hook, battled it in, and I netted it. I didn’t want to even net it but he insisted I net such a big fish. That fish kept growing with him. When the mount came back he said they made it wrong. The fish should be bigger. It is a small, common fish but it makes me smile when I look at it.

Rodwork wrote:

Beautiful fish. As others have said, if you feel it is big for your area or has a story you would like to remember, mount it. I had a mount made of a 21” pike. I typed that right. 21” pike. It was the first fish (that was not a pan fish) that my son caught all on his own. He was casting the shoreline with me and it bit. He set the hook, battled it in, and I netted it. I didn’t want to even net it but he insisted I net such a big fish. That fish kept growing with him. When the mount came back he said they made it wrong. The fish should be bigger. It is a small, common fish but it makes me smile when I look at it.

That’s a great story!

Yes Gim, it was caught in a small pool of the south branch vermillion river. I know there are monster browns in that river, but by far my biggest.
This fish is actually a huge redemption. Twenty or so years ago I hooked into a giant at the exact same spot. Couldn’t land it because I was standing on a bridge. I had a buddy run down to the water to help and in the chaos the hook was bent, and the fish was lost.
A week or so later the same thing happened. Same fish straighted my hook and was forever gone.
Since then I only sporadically fish for stream trout, and my biggest brown was probably around 12″ before this biggun.

buck-slayer wrote:

If you mount the 23″ you for sure will catch a bigger one.

FOR SURE!!!!!

A number of years ago I boated a 30″- 10# lake trout in an Ontario lake that we had never targeted lakers in before. Beautiful fish so I took a bunch of pictures and had replica made. Of course the next year up there we target Lakers and I caught a 38″- 20 pounder. Sigh!!!!!!!

tegg wrote:

I caught a 23” brook trout I’m debating for a replica. The bar in my mind was 24” but opportunities are hard to come by (and expensive).

Wow! Do you have a picture you could share!? I’m guessing it didn’t come from the lower 48…?

Brian wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tegg wrote:</div>
I caught a 23” brook trout I’m debating for a replica. The bar in my mind was 24” but opportunities are hard to come by (and expensive).

Wow! Do you have a picture you could share!? I’m guessing it didn’t come from the lower 48…?

I’m guessing he meant Brown Trout – MN Record Brookie is 24″, but correct me if I’m wrong.

Told my 5 year old, if he catches a 4lb LMB or SMB I will mount it or 20″ walleye.

Just depends.

Brian wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tegg wrote:</div>
I caught a 23” brook trout I’m debating for a replica. The bar in my mind was 24” but opportunities are hard to come by (and expensive).

Wow! Do you have a picture you could share!? I’m guessing it didn’t come from the lower 48…?

Correct. Fish was from Manitoba.

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Don’t know much about trout but some of the ones that come out of the Great lakes are absolute units. Some of those German Browns got to be pushing 25 pounds or more!

For me, I would only do a walleye or maybe a huge SMB? The eye has to be 30″ or 10lbs. Been close but not there yet. I have been working on a corner panfish mount for 15 or so years and finally got it completed this spring.

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It’s not the size of the fish, it’s the size of the memories it made.

I already posted this replica in March when I picked it up but it is a 41 inch tiger muskie I caught last June, done by Lax Reproductions in Conover, WI.

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