How to Mount a Largemouth Bass

Show off your latest catch by learning a few skills in taxidermy.

Most fishermen like to have a trophy to prove their fishing prowess. If no one believes your big fish story, learn to mount your biggest catch to display on your wall. Mounting a largemouth bass takes a little study and some practice, but the effort will be rewarded by the admiration you will receive when the fish is properly preserved.

Things You'll Need

• Styrofoam fish form
• Razor blade
• Artificial fish eye
• Stapler
• Pins
• Pickling solution
• Molding clay
• Paint
• Clear finish gloss

Instructions

1. Purchase a fish form from the closest taxidermy retailer. Before purchasing, measure your fish so that you know which size of form to choose. Set the artificial eye in the socket of the form and secure it with molding clay. Decide which way you would like to display your fish on the form.

2. Skin your bass. Make a cut down the length of the fish, moving from gill to tail. Be sure to make this incision on the side of the fish that will not be displayed. Remove the skin carefully using a razor blade and place it in a bucket full of pickling solution. The skin should soak for one or two full days.

3. Remove the skin from the solution after a full 24 to 48 hour period. Arrange it on the form while it is still wet with the solution. Position pins to keep the skin in the correct place. Staple along the incision seam, which should run along the side of the fish that is not on display.

4. Dry the skin on the form by letting it sit for 48 hours. As the skin dries, it will shrink to a snug fit around the form. Once the skin is dry, remove the pins.

5. Paint the skin the original color of your bass. This step is necessary because the pickling solution tends to cause the skin to fade. For a more realistic aesthetic, apply a coat of clear finish gloss once the paint has dried. The gloss will make the fish look wet and give it the appearance of having been freshly caught.

6. Mount your large mouth bass on a display, such as a wooden plaque. The artificial form should come with an inside mounting block to help you display it. Place the mounted fish in a prominent place in your home or office and enjoy showing off your big catch.

Tips & Warnings

• When ordering supplies from Van Dyke's Taxidermy Supplies purchase a tutorial on mounting fish.

• Never get in a hurry while mounting your bass.

• 99% of the meat must be cleaned from the fish.

• Never let a fish stay int he freezer longer than three months.

• If a fish form is to big, sand and trim it down or order a new one.

References

• Taxidermy.net: Fish Taxidermy
• Taxidermy-uk.net; Fish Taxidermy; Philip Leggett