Well, what's the verdict? Do you have any stuffed bass on your wall (replica, real thing, the kind you buy from bass pro shops, ???)

I don't have any.

I don't but I kind of want one. I have to admit, from the ones I've seen, I like the rugged look of the real thing. I'd never kill a big bass for that purpose though. The replicas look a little silly to me.

I have one of the "Big Mouth Billy Bass" plastic singing mounted bass that I got in the 90's, does that count!! :)

Didn't every fisherman get one of these as a gag gift from some relative??

Pictures on the wall tell a better story...

No fish, lots of ducks. I actually really want to mount a 3+ crappie, totally cool looking fish especially when they get really big.

replicas only look bad if taxidermist did a bad job. The very best replicas look better then all the skin mounts except maybe the best in show at a world taxidermist competition. And even then give the mounts 10 years and the replica will look better. Give them 20 years and the replica will look much better. And yes I have a few bass mounts along with a few other fish and many other mounts.

15.1 & 15.2 Largies, 6.1 smallie and a 51" Muskie

And soon to be 60# Striper after I catch it in December.

I got an ancient ancient skin mounted 12.5 lb largemouth from Lake CayDee, Florida!!! My dad caught it when he was 19 on the lake he lived on. The story is an incredible one too.

He was fishing in a canoe with a plastic worm in Feb. CayDee is in central florida and has some clearish water and ofcourse lots of grass growing even in the middle of the lake. White sand bottom florida lake. He was throwing to white spots that he could see in about 7 feet of water. Most likely on a bed, she bit the worm and he set the hook. He was fishing a spinning rod and the fish was dominating him for the most part. She went out to deep water and buried herself in the grass. Panicking, my dad searched the nearby shoreline for someone to help paddle while he went swimming for her. He looked and there was a 16 year old boy by the looks of it that responded to his yell for help paddling. The guy seemed "special" to my dad but he was desperate for someone to paddle. By the time he paddled over to the kid and the kid got in the boat, my dad

instantly regretted his decision to let this kid paddle. It was becoming clearer and clearer that the kid was indeed mentally handicapped. So now hes in the canoe with a kid who can't paddle and the bass is still buried in the grass. Finally he paddled back to above where the fish was buried and put pressure on it and she somehow just darted out. He landed her all the while the kid is yelling and screaming and trying to shove my dad out of the canoe.

When he lipped her the hook fell out....My dad then dropped off the handicapped kid while getting hit by him the whole time.....Filled the canoe up with water on the bank and put the big momma in. He was torn about what to do. Back then it was a no brainer that if you got a fish over 10 you should stuff it. He debated for a long time and decided to have it done. He now regrets his decision as he is an avid catch and release tropphy bass guy. But I am looking at the mount as I type this. It's the only decoration besides a snowboard and fishing rods in my room as im not very fancy with my interior decorating. He hated killng the fish and on the very same lake he had his very own pet bass that he hand fed daily. Dragonflies and earth worms mostly. The bass grew from 11" to 4 lbs as my dad fed it daily. he literally got the bass to jump out of the water and take a worm from his hand that was hovering 2 feet above water.

Surprised we have not had anyone post their stuffed bass photos yet :) Bueller?

I have this dream of catching one over 20 and getting a replica. But I get mad in advance thinking about what would happen if it didn't come out like I was hoping. It just seems like the odds of the taxidermist getting the fish right are small.

Now if it was the world record spotted bass, that thing would be going to the taxidermist in my livewell, skin mount style. On the plaque I would have engraved

"Stupid spotted bass"

Matt, thanks for setting me straight about the replicas. I searched around and I agree now. On just a few random sites I checked, the replicas looked really good. For some reason I seem to remember the replicas looking unnatural with too much bright white on the belly.

I'm gonna have to rethink getting a mount now. Maybe if I get a teen fish out of Santa Margarita, I'll take the proper measurements and have it done.

glad yall enjoyed the story

I'll get a pic soon....this mount is ancient !!!

I've got four bass mounted, three skin and one replica. The first one I got mounted was 8-9lbs, I caught in on a golf course in Florida when I was playing baseball there. The second one was 11.75lbs replica mount), and the third was 11.30lbs.

When I caught that first one over 10 I decided I was going to have it mounted. It was a tough decision but I didn't know if I was ever going to catch one that big again. The second I had a replica made of. I don't think it came out very well, the taxidermist told me he put a little extra belly on it for me. I just wanted it to look like the one I caught, it didn't. The last one I caught out of the Delta and figured there were a bunch in there like that so I got it mounted. Two of the three I had mounted from Ca were caught during club tournaments so I didn't have to pay for the mounts so that played a part in why I did it. I regret having the two skin mounts done now, they are just sitting in my spare bedroom. I need to get them hung up in my garage. When the swimbait thing kicked off I decided I wouldn't mount anymore fish.

3 out of the 4...


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/8827-replicas.JPG

Those are clean.

I have three. A 9 and two 10's. I didn't know any better back then I guess.