Mount question

[Ice Hoosier]

I caught a big crappie 2 winters ago.  Did not have it mounted for a couple reasons at the time, but did ask someone who did mounts what to do.  He suggested I wrap it in a soaked towel and then in plastic, and freeze it solid.  Embarrased to say, it is still frozen.  What are the chances of it being mounted now???

[Surly]

Should be fine froze a king I caught  for 6 months but I had pics to show taxi color it was if not they paint them like a typical fish would look

[Ice Hoosier]

Thanks.  I felt ok about it at 6 months.  Not feeling so good now.  How big was that King?  Keep it in a chest freezer?

[IceBucky]

I was told the same thing but vacuum seal it  and it will last over two years just have good pics of it so the tax.can get a good paint job on it.

[Surly]

Thanks.  I felt ok about it at 6 months.  Not feeling so good now.  How big was that King?  Keep it in a chest freezer?

I would just wait to defrost take it to taxi and let him defrost and decide he wont or should not do it if will look bad one thing to think about iws it a frost free freezer they really drie stuff out quick but taxi is going to dry out anyway maybe youll get a discount good luck  the king was 39" 23.7

[Ice Hoosier]

Nice king, beasty weight.  Thanks again, and you can believe this thing is only going to thaw one time in front of someone who is going to take care of it.  I do have a few pics as well.

[Surly]

you should be ok hope it works out. as soon as it gets done you will catch a bigger one anyway

[Ice Hoosier]

you should be ok hope it works out. as soon as it gets done you will catch a bigger one anyway

I hope you're right.  I thought the same thing when I caught this one.  I was doing nothing special, it will happen again.  Not in the last 2 years it hasn't.  If it does, there may be two swimming on my wall causing problems with the wife. lol

[Surly]

just tell her your doing it to keep her busy ya know dusting and stuff

[Latebite]

Freezer burn is a bigger issue than most of you guys realize no matter what kind of game it is. All you can do it take it to someone and just do not get upset it if does not turn out. Two years is long long time!!! Just sayen....

[wax_worm]

I don't know about 2 years, but when I took my son's walleye to the taxidermist they had us do the same...wrap in wet towel ,then in plastic and freeze.  He showed us fish in all stages the process.  He took us into the drying room and showed us fish being dried in their final forms with all kinds of clips and pins in them holding them to shape.  The fish looked ugly at that stage, but then after he showed us the painted fish being dried it was like magic how good it looked.  If you have some pics of the fish for painting purposes that should really help.  Good luck!

[Ice Hoosier]

Good info wax.  Are there different ways this is done?  Options???  Or does every guy do it basically the same.  First time I've seriously ever thought of mounting something. 

[wax_worm]

Good info wax.  Are there different ways this is done?  Options???  Or does every guy do it basically the same.  First time I've seriously ever thought of mounting something. 

As for diff ways it is done....That I don't know...All I know is they are not cheap...from 9-12 bucks an inch and that does not include the driftwood.  I know there are replicas which are just painted froms to match length and girth of your fish and there are real mounts which use the fins, skins, tails, head...basically everything but the eyeballs.  I am sure each have their own ways of doing it, but it is really an art to see the fish in the different stages and then how good it looks at the end.  I would ask whoever you are thinking of doing it to kind of explain the process, then call around to others and do the same.  It all describe the process the same then you can choose whichever has the best reputation or who fits your budget.  For options, I was given several choices as to how my son wanted the fish shaped (sliightly curved, mouth open/closed, tilted up/down), if we wanted it on driftwood, or in a scenery mount (which has sand,, rocks, gravel weeds, other small fish, etc.).  We chose the driftwood, as the scenery mount was several hundred more.

[Ice Hoosier]

As for diff ways it is done....That I don't know...All I know is they are not cheap...from 9-12 bucks an inch and that does not include the driftwood.  I know there are replicas which are just painted froms to match length and girth of your fish and there are real mounts which use the fins, skins, tails, head...basically everything but the eyeballs.  I am sure each have their own ways of doing it, but it is really an art to see the fish in the different stages and then how good it looks at the end.  I would ask whoever you are thinking of doing it to kind of explain the process, then call around to others and do the same.  It all describe the process the same then you can choose whichever has the best reputation or who fits your budget.  For options, I was given several choices as to how my son wanted the fish shaped (sliightly curved, mouth open/closed, tilted up/down), if we wanted it on driftwood, or in a scenery mount (which has sand,, rocks, gravel weeds, other small fish, etc.).  We chose the driftwood, as the scenery mount was several hundred more.

Great, that's what I'm talken about.  Worse case scenario, I could get a replica of my fish.  Not the same I know, but what can one expect after 2 years?

[Latebite]

Really when it comes to warm water fish the process is about same for everyone. you need to look close at what they have done in the past and make sure the body & eyes look like a fish should (not lumpy or un-natural), and make sure they are good at airbrushing it back to look like the speices should.

[abishop]

I would add that once the fish is wrapped in a wet towel Then put it in a sealed plastic bag. Also, there is a way to rehydrate the fish to eliminate some of the freezer burn. I waited 8 months and didn't seal the fish in a plastic bag and still turned out beautiful. I think that if you have a reliable taxidermist he could fix most things or at least make you aware of the possible outcome.