How Big To Get A Mount?? 2025
Rangerphil reply :
Ok I really would like to mount a smallmouth or largemouth this year. I was wondering what size would you all consider getting a replica made? I am from south of Pittsburgh so there are some big fish here but if I wait for a 10# I will be waiting a long time..lol... I am thinking for largemouth anything over 6 pounds and for smallies any over five ( unless it comes from Erie then it would have to be over 6 closer to 7).
TC235 <*))))>< reply :
Yea i'd say a largie 6-7lb+ is worthy of a mount.. 5lb+ smallie too.
gripnrip reply :
8 for a largemouth and 6 for a smallmouth are my numbers. I'd love to beat my PB of 7-2 this year.
iabass8 reply :
Its more so personal achievement than anything. If a 7# largemouth or 4.5# smallie is huge in your area or the catch means something significant, no reason not to get it mounted. You are the one looking at it day in and day out so if you are proud of it, go for it.
jbsoonerfan reply :
For me, it is the environment that I am fishing. I have caught 8+ LM out of farm ponds, but I didn't have a mount done. If I caught a 8+ out of a lake I would have it mounted. Probably a 5+ SM.
flyfisher reply :
I want double digit for largemouth and at least a 6 for a smallie before i would consider having a replica made. Of course i don't carry a scale and i think i had one that met the criteria in the green variety since she measured a shade under 26" and was full of eggs but she flopped off my hawg trough before i could get a picture...oh well. Guess i have to catch her again 
Teal reply :
That's a really good question, I've got a 9.5 mounted from a farm pond. But I I've caught a couple 8+ and several 7+ fish and never thought about getting them mounted. But for my area a 8 lb fish is def worthy. I guess I'm just waiting onb that ever elusive double digit bass. 8.5 is my pb from a large lake body
00 mod reply :
My first replica was 8lb 9oz. Then I said when I got one over 10. Now it needs to be 12. And every pound thereafter. But it is all situational.
6lb smallie is getting one done for sure!
Jeff
Rangerphil reply :
Thanks for the replies.
Felix77 reply :
The estimates above are fair. 5+ for Smallies. 7+ for a LMB sounds about right.
If you are truly proud of a catch that might be another reason. Like winning a tourney with a lunker bass.
Wbeadlescomb reply :
It could weigh 15lbs and I wouldn't get another one mounted. Ive caught several bass than anyone would mount but couldn't justify killing them. I had two huge hybrid stripe I had mounted 7 years ago. They've been hanging in a local sporting goods store for the last 5 just got tired of looking at them gather dust. Same thing with deer heads just dust collectors/hat racks.
I'd much rather turn a big fish loose.
00 mod reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 10:11 AM, Wbeadlescomb said:It could weigh 15lbs and I wouldn't get another one mounted. Ive caught several bass than anyone would mount but couldn't justify killing them. I had two huge hybrid stripe I had mounted 7 years ago. They've been hanging in a local sporting goods store for the last 5 just got tired of looking at them gather dust. Same thing with deer heads just dust collectors/hat racks.
I'd much rather turn a big fish loose.
He asked about a replica.
Jeff
fishguy613 reply :
i could never bring myself to kill a smallie... but i would love to have a replica mount done of a smallie about to strike a lipless crank ive been thinking of having that done for a while
Loop_Dad reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 10:11 AM, Wbeadlescomb said:It could weigh 15lbs and I wouldn't get another one mounted. Ive caught several bass than anyone would mount but couldn't justify killing them. I had two huge hybrid stripe I had mounted 7 years ago. They've been hanging in a local sporting goods store for the last 5 just got tired of looking at them gather dust. Same thing with deer heads just dust collectors/hat racks.
I'd much rather turn a big fish loose.
I thought when OP said mount he meant replica.
Wbeadlescomb reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 10:26 AM, 00 mod said:He asked about a replica.
Jeff
Yeah I'm a dumb ass. Still wouldn't want another mount on the wall
Lucky Craft Man reply :
I live south of Pittsburgh as well and here are my thresholds for a replica for this area. A northern Largemouth greater than 8 lbs. will get replica consideration and Smallmouth over 7 lb. will make it for consideration. Anything under those will either get a nice frame around their picture or make it for wallpaper duties on my computer for a while.
Also, any significant or memorable catch makes it for replica consideration in my mind. For example, my wife and I went fishing for King Salmon up in New York. We had no idea what we were doing and talked to a few people who said the bite was off. We decide to launch anyway since we already made the 5 hour drive. Wouldn't you know within the first hour, my wife catches one just over 20 pounds. Not a monster by any means, but she was so excited and it was just great to see her joy. Well, a replica of that fish is now on my wall. I smile everytime I look at it.
So to make a long story short, there is no real size minimum for a replica. It is a criteria just set up for yourself and once you achieve that mark (or special catch), the replica will be a great reminder of your special achievement and memory.
Dwight Hottle reply :
For PA waters a largemouth bigger than speedbeads would be worthy of a replica. For smallmouth it would have to be your choice based on where you catch her.
tomustang reply :
6 lb is the smallest I'd consider
AK-Jax86 reply :
To me largemouth anything over 6-7 and I can't speak on smallmouth because I have never caught one. But it's all about the memory not necessarily how big the fish is.
I wanted to mount this 7.7 largemouth that I caught she was a beauty! I caught a smaller fish maybe around 3-4 on a pop'r and it shook the hook on a jump and the second my pop'r hit the water my 7.7 beauty inhaled it.
But I let her go, this was before I knew about how good some people are at making replicas. The memory of how I caught her will still stay with me forever, I guess that's what a mount is for too though lol
slonezp reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 7:46 AM, Rangerphil said:I was wondering what size would you all consider getting a replica made?
Whatever size makes you all warm and tingly inside
Rangerphil reply :
It would be a replica!
WIGuide reply :
I'd say it's about what's in your area. If you've got a good idea what's big for around there then if you catch one that big or close to it I'd get the mount. If you're proud of it, go for it!
Fish Murderer 71 reply :
Thats a big investment for getting a dust collector. Just like when I go deer hunting, if it doesnt score in an unbelievable number I aint wasting 500 bucks! big picture in a nice frame is good enough for me.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 12:35 PM, Rangerphil said:It would be a replica!
Just try to remember during the excitement of the moment to measure the length & girth & take some detailed pictures. Once the taxidermist matches the blank with your dimensions it is all about the details & painting. Good quality close up pictures will really help getting the fish coloration and markings correct.
Bruce424 reply :
I would love to get a replica mount made!! I bet ya my girlfriend would love that hanging on our wall.(hehe) no but seriously I would like one. Just too dang expensive. I caught two fish I would have liked replicated. One was a 18" smallie ( a fat one too) and the other was a 21" largemouth. Maybe ill ask for one for christmas orsomthin. Maybe someone will be nice *cough** girlfriend** cough**!! Haha
Creekcrappie reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 8:06 AM, jbsoonerfan said:For me, it is the environment that I am fishing. I have caught 8+ LM out of farm ponds, but I didn't have a mount done. If I caught a 8+ out of a lake I would have it mounted. Probably a 5+ SM.
X2 I caught an 8 pounder from a pond last year but I released her.
Alpha Male reply :
Maybe its just me but i couldnt do a replica. the same way I dont have a replica elk, white tail, and sika buck on the wall.
Crookedneck reply :
I am waiting for that 7 lb smallie. Came close this last year with a 6 lb 14 oz a replica is the only way I will go. Largemouth, I don't know, it would have to be bigger than I will catch around here...
WRB reply :
Lake or state record. NLMB over 10 lbs SM over 6 lbs, replica mount.
Cost is about $350,
Measure the length, girth, photo and weight.
Tom
Lucky Craft Man reply :
On 3/11/2014 at 12:05 PM, WRB said:Lake or state record. NLMB over 10 lbs SM over 6 lbs, replica mount.
Cost is about $350,
Measure the length, girth, photo and weight.
Tom
Not to sideline the thread, but WRB, would you say that a 10lb. NLMB would be equal to a 6lb. SMB?
vikingbear8 reply :
For me largemouth > 10lbs. Smallie > 7lbs.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 3/11/2014 at 12:15 PM, Lucky Craft Man said:Not to sideline the thread, but WRB, would you say that a 10lb. NLMB would be equal to a 6lb. SMB?
I'm interested in Tom's answer as well. My opinion is that a grest lakes smallmouth 6lb class is the equal to a 10lb FLMB. A 7lb class Great Lakes smallie is the equal to a 12-13 lb FLMB.
Dead River reply :
On 3/11/2014 at 12:05 PM, WRB said:Lake or state record. NLMB over 10 lbs SM over 6 lbs, replica mount.
Cost is about $350,
Measure the length, girth, photo and weight.
Tom
that's cheap. a good replica will cost you more than that. it all depends how much detail you want. bass pro will do a fish for that money but it won't have the individual scale tipping. for top notch work you are looking at spending 5 or 600 bones.
Dead River reply :
since I live in the south, I'd day anything over 10 lbs. but not everyone in the south is going to catch a ten pounder. it's all about location. if you want to catch trophy bass you have to have access where they live, in my case that was access to primo farm ponds which overproduced boggling amounts of big fish for their size and of course low density trophy pfa. the private slough fish came off as did another from one of my favorite public lakes.
I think the 8 lb mark is reasonable for someone in the south, esp. for tourney fishermen who don't target big fish. beyond that whatever makes you happy. 5 lb shoalie, 5 lb spot, 5 lb smallie..
by the end of this month I will have six largemouth, three fx lms, and two f1s (positive on one of the f1s, very likely on the others), I have one shoal bass.
for me, I love replica mounts, if money was no object I'd have replicas of all my double digit fish done. hey, if I can outshine them in the near future, that's a good problem to have 
aharris reply :
I've got a 9.2 LM mounted so I doubt I'll be getting any more unless it's a giant. If I ever catch a smallie over 6, I'll get one made.
WRB reply :
Instead of debating price just go to a good taxidermy like Lake Fork Taxidermy, Pierce brothers for a quote.
It's been 20 years since my last mount...avatar is 19.3 lbs by Roberts Trophy Fish mounts, no longer in business. Never caught a smallmouth over 6 lbs, so no mount. FLMB over 15 lbs would be a trophy.
Tom
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
On 3/9/2014 at 11:42 AM, Dwight Hottle said:For PA waters a largemouth bigger than speedbeads would be worthy of a replica. For smallmouth it would have to be your choice based on where you catch her.
I appreciate it man.
The PB has gone up each of the last three years. I'll let you know when I hit a replica-worthy one. I'm thinking it will have to be 10 for me to shell out the money.
BigBassBarry reply :
I am getting my 11 lbs largie replica mount, I would get a 6+ smallie mounted. on Largie I would not mount anything under dd, but I catch a lot of 6-7 lbers a year.
jeremyryanwebb reply :
I help manage 18 pretty big ponds on a plantation where we run fishing activities for the members. I would say anything over 8 pounds could be mounted, but last year a rival of mine caught one 10 pounds 2 ounces and thats the record so far in the community....so I think my pride is gonna make me wait until i have found one that is 10 pounds 3 ounces or better
Bankbeater reply :
6 or 7 for a smallie. At least 8 for a largemouth.
Dead River reply :
On 3/12/2014 at 11:45 PM, WRB said:Instead of debating price just go to a good taxidermy like Lake Fork Taxidermy, Pierce brothers for a quote.
It's been 20 years since my last mount...avatar is 19.3 lbs by Roberts Trophy Fish mounts, no longer in business. Never caught a smallmouth over 6 lbs, so no mount. FLMB over 15 lbs would be a trophy.
Tom
Their fish are ok for what you pay for but if you've seen one you've seen them all. Their fish look very similar, esp. when you see the habitat scenes with 3-5 of the same looking bass. Have a look at some of the replicas that Dave Campbell, Travis Jones, or Rick Krane have painted. Rick Krane trains people, pretty much anyone he trains does good work. some of the smallmouth Dave Campbell painted are out of this world.
fishmounter1957 reply :
On 3/13/2014 at 10:41 AM, Dead River said:Their fish are ok for what you pay for but if you've seen one you've seen them all. Their fish look very similar, esp. when you see the habitat scenes with 3-5 of the same looking bass. Have a look at some of the replicas that Dave Campbell, Travis Jones, or Rick Krane have painted. Rick Krane trains people, pretty much anyone he trains does good work. some of the smallmouth Dave Campbell painted are out of this world.
thanks....
Mainebass1984 reply :
Mounting a fish is a personal choice. There is not a set guideline to how big it must be. Perhaps a particular fish that wasn't very big could have a special memory attached to it. If your going to mount a fish depending just on size I think it entirely depends on the region of the country you catch it in. I have 2 mounted largemouth bass a 7-12 I caught with my dad on fathers day a few years ago and a 8-9 I caught in 2009. I have caught a couple fish bigger then the 8-9 but I have not had them mounted. All caught from Maine. I do not think I will get another mounted unless it is 10 lbs or close to 10 for largemouth. Last fall I got a 9-1 and have yet to decide if I want to get a replica or not. I am still waiting for a 6 lb smallmouth, they are very rare in where I fish and I do not fish for smallmouth much. For Florida strain largemouth and there hybrids a true "trophy" would be in the teens. A northern largemouth anything over 7 lbs and 5 lbs for smallmouth. When it comes down to it though, when you catch a fish its your choice to mount it or not no matter what the size.
Rangerphil reply :
Well thank you for all the posts! I have realized throughout reading them that I need to focus on fishing for bigger fish! It seems that a lot of you think a 6-7 lb Largie is somewhat common, also I think if we set the threshold at 6# for smallies and 8-10# for largemouth I will have a lot of smallmouth on the wall!
Dead River reply :
On 3/14/2014 at 8:12 PM, Mainebass1984 said:
Mounting a fish is a personal choice. There is not a set guideline to how big it must be. Perhaps a particular fish that wasn't very big could have a special memory attached to it. If your going to mount a fish depending just on size I think it entirely depends on the region of the country you catch it in. I have 2 mounted largemouth bass a 7-12 I caught with my dad on fathers day a few years ago and a 8-9 I caught in 2009. I have caught a couple fish bigger then the 8-9 but I have not had them mounted. All caught from Maine. I do not think I will get another mounted unless it is 10 lbs or close to 10 for largemouth. Last fall I got a 9-1 and have yet to decide if I want to get a replica or not. I am still waiting for a 6 lb smallmouth, they are very rare in where I fish and I do not fish for smallmouth much. For Florida strain largemouth and there hybrids a true "trophy" would be in the teens. A northern largemouth anything over 7 lbs and 5 lbs for smallmouth. When it comes down to it though, when you catch a fish its your choice to mount it or not no matter what the size.
I agree with most of what you've said here. but bear in mind the fx intergrade endemic to Georgia and the florida panhandle isn't a proper hybrid like the f1, you can make fx intergrades that way but this is Georgia's native blend so to speak. it has occurred naturally over millions of years as the best fit for the environment- the compromise between the two subspecies. While there are florida genes as far north as Maryland naturally, The Georgia fx is said to have 70-90 % florida alleles- you can get this intergrade from a state hatchery. This is indeed George Perry's bass but as it goes fx or pure florida strain, Very few people catch legitimate ten pound largemouth, they just aren't as common as the lore and media let on, even fewer people are going to catch a teener. A thirteen lb bass is very scarce. So by that rationale there wouldn't be many bass mounts done. We had a guide on here from Okechobee and he says he's caught only one double digit there... tenners aren't that common even in purported bass fishing paradise. I will feel very, very lucky if I catch a teener largemouth.
I'm going to say 8 lbs for trophy, if you want one for sentimental purposes otherwise that's ok.
Mainebass1984 reply :
On 3/16/2014 at 4:42 AM, Dead River said:
I'm going to say 8 lbs for trophy, if you want one for sentimental purposes otherwise that's ok.
If an 8 lber is a trophy southern largemouth then, in your opinion, what is a trophy largemouth from the Northeast ?
Dead River reply :
On 3/16/2014 at 8:11 PM, Mainebass1984 said:If an 8 lber is a trophy southern largemouth then, in your opinion, what is a trophy largemouth from the Northeast ?
off the cuff in that climate I would say a 6 lb northern largemouth would be a really big fish that people would brag about and be proud of. I think an 8 lber would be much harder to come by, a 10 lb northern strain would probably be more like a catching a teener down here. maybe even more like catching a 15 lber down here which is extremely rare.
the point I was making was that 10 lb bass are not as common in the south as people let on. they are not in every farm pond, in some cases there may be only one fish that size in a pond if at all.
Dead River reply :
besides isn't the Massachusetts record bunk anyway? wasn't it full of lead? what is the legitimate largest northern strain lm on the books
skeetercraig reply :
new York 11-4
Mainebass1984 reply :
Where did you here the Mass record was full of lead ? I "heard" angler stories it was caught in FL then brought up to Mass and the angler said he caught it ice fishing. That fish was a giant at 15 lbs 8 oz.
Maine record is 11-10
New Hampshire 10-8
Vermont 10-4
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