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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | I do not think that a top nothch skin mount is cheaper than a replica. World Class fish deserve World Class Taxidermy.
Good Luck
Steve |
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Posts: 397
| The person i have had do some of my other fish, is only 1 dollar less than finttante, and he is worth it. He is by far the best painter of fish i have ever saw. That being said i think with a replica of a musky, if you have a good pic and painter,will look as said earlier like it just got pulled from the net. |
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Posts: 176
Location: Tomahawk, WI | Just looking at the side of a skin mount and a replica its hard to tell the difference, but you can always tell by looking at the mouth (inside). I never seen a taxidermist master the teeth and inside mouth color yet. I have 3 replicas from high end taxidermist and all have not mastered this yet, although i think they could, but it would take weeks of work resulting in high pricing. Me personally would always get a replica versus skin mount, i just couldnt kill a fish that somebody else could have the pleasure of catching in the future. |
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| Go replica, don't have to think about it. Last forever, always look good, fish swims away. I have a 50 replica of a tiger. What a moment it was to watch a 32lber swim away strong. That was twelve years ago and I still think about watching her swim away. I know for a fact it was caught the next year and photo'd by a guide. They live, they grow. Don't weigh the cost. |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Here is my process for handling mounting options:
1. Catch fish
2. Measure and take pictures of fish
3. Release the fish
4. Wait until the Sports Show or Muskie Expo
5. Get prices on a replica
6. Look at what else that money can buy
7. Forget about the replica
8. Repeat next year - or at least try  |
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| I just got my replica back this past fall from Artistic Anglers, it looks awesome!
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Posts: 427
| Herb_b - 3/1/2013 2:23 PM
Here is my process for handling mounting options:
1. Catch fish
2. Measure and take pictures of fish
3. Release the fish
4. Wait until the Sports Show or Muskie Expo
5. Get prices on a replica
6. Look at what else that money can buy
7. Forget about the replica
8. Repeat next year - or at least try :)
Exactly!!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 174
Location: Ontario | Picking up my replica in April.52" fish caught last year. I look at it as art. The guy does awesome work.Also look at the fish I caught as being alive. Worth every penny of the $1400 I spent on the replica |
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Posts: 1279
Location: E. Tenn | Took this pic at last year's Knoxville TN fishing show.
The top one is a skin mount, the bottom is a replica
(039 (1024x765) (2) (800x598).jpg)
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 039 (1024x765) (2) (800x598).jpg (271KB - 1641 downloads)
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | Definately not a world class skin mount! |
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Posts: 280
| Miket55....not sure of your point. Here are some dandy replicas....LOL!
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musky-48-3-1000.jpg (94KB - 572 downloads)
muskymount4.jpg (23KB - 330 downloads)
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Posts: 280
| IMHO, you make a mistake by trying to uplift the value of replicas by attempting to diminish the quality of skin mounts. There are many taxidermists who do absolutely beautiful quality skin mounts as well as replicas. Do some research and make your decision based on facts and not unfair comparisons. |
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Posts: 129
| In my experiences of a big northern, 46", I had skin mounted and several replica muskies I've seen, the replicas often look better than skin mounts from the back of the gill plate to the beginning of the tail. In other words the body looks much better. However, the head, mouth, teeth and fins have always looked better on skin mounts and are a dead give away of a repro. In my opinion that tips the scales in favor of the skin mounts. pardon the pun... |
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| I understand mounts for anything that has to be killed: deer, turkey. Don't understand why we need dead fish to remember the fish or have proof of a catch. Fish do die during the process, and then for sure I'd say skin mount. Otherwise it just seems like a selfish gesture that there is a need to kill something so we can look at it on a wall, when it otherwise could live. It seems that few muskies are kept vs. being released, so at least the resource can remain healthy. |
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Posts: 70
| If you can't REVIVE IT MOUNT IT! I SAW A NICE 50 PLUS FLOATING ON MILLE ONE NIGHT! GONE IN THE DARK, TURTLE BAIT!
NICE RELEASE! |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | It's my observation and understanding that after the tanning process a fish's skin actually has shrunk some. The few big fish I've seen live and later mounted seemed definately smaller than when live. Frankly, I've never understood why quality pictures don't trump the extravagant pricing of any mount whether a repro or a skin mount. Different strokes I guess. |
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| If you fish in wi, may as well get a skin mount. At least the fish won't end up as first place in a spearing tourney... |
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| stephendawg...a fish skin is not "tanned" and does not shrink in the mounting process if properly done. If a mounted fish measures smaller than the "in carcass" measurement it is because of improper mounting methods or inaccurate original measurements. |
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Posts: 62
Location: Rhinelander,WI | Replica all the way easy to clean and take care of. I have two that are eight years old and still look brand new. |
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| I have a skin mount 47" that was done in 1993...looks as good as any replica I have ever seen....STILL...easy to clean and MY fish! Not cheap to have mounted but the best decision I have made in my "trophy room". |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Guest - 3/18/2013 6:29 PM
I have a skin mount 47" that was done in 1993...looks as good as any replica I have ever seen....STILL...easy to clean and MY fish! Not cheap to have mounted but the best decision I have made in my "trophy room".
what will you choose when you catch a big one? |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | jonnysled - 3/18/2013 5:32 PM
Guest - 3/18/2013 6:29 PM
I have a skin mount 47" that was done in 1993...looks as good as any replica I have ever seen....STILL...easy to clean and MY fish! Not cheap to have mounted but the best decision I have made in my "trophy room".
what will you choose when you catch a big one?
Haha! |
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Posts: 62
Location: Rhinelander,WI | Here are the two replicas i have.
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DSC04531 (800x600).jpg (105KB - 945 downloads)
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| the "MY fish" comment above is a great example of "ownership" that reminds me a lot of the control many people seek over things like land, fishing spots, a certain fish on a fishing spot, or a deer that wanders across a road and gets shot. All the arguments are pointless. Yes, it is your fish after you kill it. We are allowed bag limits, so that is fine. I disagree with keeping fish to mount them in most circumstances so you can look at "your" fish. Congrats to those that have enough security to let one go. Pictures and video are so cheap and easy these days. I wonder if skin mounters ever bash the guys who catch the monsters and keep them. I sense a lot of control issues when a big fish is taken and men are upset because they won't have a chance at it, to make it "theirs". |
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| Mr. johnnysled....that fish to me was and still is a "big one". I don't get to fish very often and I'm certainly not as good at it as many of you here, especially some of the "guides" who spend most of the season on the water. Nevertheless that fish is important to me and I don't need your confirmation to make it so. I guess what I will do IF I ever catch a big one, as you say, is really none of your business as long as I stay within the law, now is it sir? |
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Posts: 32895
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Guest,
The question was, replica or skin mount. If you enter the conversation you probably should expect folks to answer, so yeah, it sorta is.
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| Yeah....maybe I took johnnysled's question in the wrong way. I thought it to be a snide comment on the size of my skin mount. I still think it was, but I apologize if that's not what he meant.
To answer his ?....I don't know. I may just release and settle for photos if I get to take a good one. |
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| I will say that aside from the "quality " aspect a replica has an advantage since there is no worry about preserving and transporting a large fish carcass back home. There is also the fact that a replica of appropriate size may be ordered from anywhere in the U.S. That is much easier and less costly than shipping a large musky to a taxidermist in another state. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Guest - 3/19/2013 11:39 AM
Yeah....maybe I took johnnysled's question in the wrong way. I thought it to be a snide comment on the size of my skin mount. I still think it was, but I apologize if that's not what he meant.
To answer his ?....I don't know. I may just release and settle for photos if I get to take a good one.
you were right.
hope you get a good camera for your birthday ... get a ram-mount with a camera holder and practice at home on a timer and good luck!! |
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