It’s hard enough to catch a trophy striped bass these days to risk ruining the trophy with poor handling.
Taxidermist and guide Aaron Miller offers these suggestions to help transition that trophy between the water and the wall:
• Ice the fish down as quickly as possible. Heat and hot water will quickly spoil the fish.
• Cut out thin cardboard protectors to protect the pectoral and tail fins. Make them slightly larger than the area to be protected and place one on either side of each fin.
• Keeping the fish wet, gently wrap the fish, with cardboard protectors in place, in a wet towel and then place it in a plastic bag to seal in moisture before freezing the entire package.
• Larger fish, especially those native to saltwater, tend to have a higher oil content. Because of this, Miller suggests having a replica made in place of reconstructing a skin mount. This also permits the angler to release the fish as it isn’t needed to create a replica mount.
• If accurate measurements can’t be taken, cut two sections of fishing line — one documenting the fish’s total length, and the other documenting the fish’s total girth at the widest point.
• Photographs of the fish will ensure any coloration characteristics or anomalies are transferred to the replica when it is recreated.
Miller said that even well-preserved striped bass skin mounts can begin to show signs of age or “yellowing” due to oil. Replica mounts, though tougher than skin mounts, are not immune to damage, either.
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