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Largemouth replica is home!!

Well after two years of thinking about it i pulled the trigger on a replica mount. I caught this big girl in Georgia public water in May of 2018. Texas rigged finesse worm and 8lb test on a light spinning rig. I was having a blast catching some keeper size bass for the grease when she bit. Honestly from the slow steady run i first thought i had a big carp or a catfish until she jumped and i about passed out, then she jumped again, and again. Of all times I was alone with no net in my kayak. After a good fight and a sleigh ride i finally got my paws on her. She was big and i knew instantly it was my best fish.

Thankfully i was able to awkwardly paddle myself to shore and a kind lady took my picture so i could put her back. Pictures and measurements were taken before she swam off into the depths. I gave her plenty of time and she had a very healthy recovery. I was super thrilled and sick to my stomach all at the same time watching her swim off. At the time i had 1 replica that looked like total garbage so i wasn't to optimistic about a second one and honestly thats one of the main reasons i have been dragging my feet.

Fast forward to this October i just couldn't shake off the fish mount fever. I asked folks, internet searched, and emailed i don't know how many folks trying to figure out what to do. I ended up going with American fish taxidermy out of Tennessee. Everyone has an opinion about what a fish should look like and my opinion is that his looked like what i wanted. Seems like no two people see the same fish the same way. So anyway i sent him the specs and pictures on October 26th 2020 and my fish was delivered today at lunch. To say impressed is an understatement. He captured the exact look of what i was wanting. He made sure to put emphasis on the belly wall as i requested due to the fish being slap full of eggs. To me the paint job looks exactly the way this fish looked when i first lifted her out of the water. I will never do another skin mount as long as i can get a replica on this level. Again im not saying its the best in the world or thats how a bass has to look, but this is special to me and American fish taxidermy nailed it!
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triple_duece

Ragin Cajun.
9,125
159
Great looking mount for a replica. Actually it’s the first one I’ve seen w actual gill plates. Tell us how big she was.
 
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