Skin Mount vs Reproduction Fish Mount

How a skin mount is made

A skin mount uses the actual fish. The skin is removed, preserved, and fitted over a form carved or cast to the fish's shape. Fins are pinned and dried, the head is rebuilt, and the whole fish is painted. Fish lose almost all their color when the skin is preserved, so the paint work is what brings it back. That is why the photo you take in the boat matters so much.

How a reproduction is made

A reproduction, also called a replica, is a cast of a fish of the same species and size. The blank is trimmed, the fins and eyes are set, and it is painted to match a photo of your fish. Nothing from your fish is used, so you can release it after a photo and a measurement.

Skin mount: pros and cons

• It is your fish. For some anglers that settles the question.
• Shows the exact shape, scars, and fin wear of the fish you caught.
• Skin and fins can crack or fade over decades if the mount is in sun or humidity.
• The fish must be kept whole and frozen properly. A gutted or freezer-burned fish is hard to mount.

Reproduction: pros and cons

• Catch and release. The fish goes back in the lake.
• Holds color and shape for a lifetime. No skin to shrink or crack.
• Size accuracy depends on your measurements. Length and girth both matter.
• Blanks come in set sizes. Craig matches the closest and adjusts the paint to your photo.

Which fish suit which method

• Walleye, perch, crappie, and bluegill: both work well. Skin mounts are common for kept fish.
• Bass and muskie: reproductions are popular because most are released.
• Salmon, steelhead, and lake trout: oily fish that are harder to skin mount. Reproductions hold up better.
• Ice fishing displays and multi-fish stringers: skin mounts of kept fish are the usual choice.

What to bring either way

• A color photo of the fish right after the catch, both sides if possible.
• Length and girth measurements.
• For a skin mount: the whole fish, wrapped in a wet towel, flat in a bag, frozen. Do not gut it.