How Much Does It Cost To Taxidermy A Fish?

UPDATED xx JULY 2022

by Robert Ceran

Have you defenseless a trophy fish that's your personal best, and want to get a skilful mountain of it?

In that example you're probably wondering how much information technology costs to get a high quality job done.

The price of fish skin mounting varies not merely past taxidermist, only as well past species, and past size of your fish.

So what kind of ballpark range tin you lot expect if you want to get your bays fish hung on the wall?

Mosts taxidermists charge per inch of length when they stuff a fish. Based on the answers nosotros got from contacting 11 taxidermy shops, y'all tin can wait to pay the following prices on boilerplate:

Fish species Price per inch
Bass $eleven-$15
Walleye $11-$xv
Motorway $xi-$15
Trout $14-$18
Salmon $fourteen-$xviii
Striped Bass $15-$20
Tarpon $fifteen-$20
Snook $15-$20
Billfish $15-$20
Replica fish mounts (all species) $10-$sixteen

Yous can probably find prices that are higher or lower than the ones quoted higher up, but these are the commonly charged prices at reputable shops.

Go on in mind: you tend to get what y'all pay for. A low price bargain may result in a low quality job, or one that deteriorates quickly and needs to be restored, which can plow out more expensive than getting it done properly right away.

You also need to keep in mind that many taxidermists have a minimum accuse. So if your fish is on the small side (a panfish, for case), the price per inch could plow out to be higher since otherwise it wouldn't be worth their fourth dimension to stuff it.

Finally, you also take the option of mounting your fish yourself. If this is something you're interested in, check out our beginner's guide to fish taxidermy.

The toll of taxidermy depends on the fish type

Taxidermists classify fish in three principal groups when it comes to peel mounting:

  • Warmwater fish (bass, walleye, freeway, etc.): $11-$xv/inch
  • Coldwater fish (salmon, trout, etc.): $14-$18/inch
  • Saltwater fish: $fifteen-$20/inch

Coldwater and saltwater fish are generally more than expensive to stuff than warmwater fish, since their peel tends to be more oily, and requires a longer drying procedure to stop.

Warmwater fish basically include all freshwater game fish, except for salmonid species such as trout, salmon and char, which belong to coldwater fish.

In case yous're non willing to pay that much for getting your fish mounted, you may be interested in our article on how to mount a fish.

Skin mountain vs replica: which ane should you cull?

At that place are two primary methods to create fish mounts:

The skin taxidermy method involves removing the skin, caput and tail of your fish, and then wrapping it around a foam mold that'south like in size and shape to the original fish.

So, with this method you get an actual physical office of the fish that you caught included in the stuffed version.

So at that place is the replica cosmos method, which basically involves building a highly accurate copy of the fish you defenseless, merely 100% artificial.

This means you lot just demand to provide the correct measurement details of your fish for this method, only non the actual carcass.

You may object that a replica has very footling to exercise with the original fish you defenseless, but continue in mind that even peel taxidermy is built around a plastic mold, followed by spray painting with artificial colors to replace the natural colors that bleach out during the drying process.

When you look at the work of really expert taxidermists, the results of both types of fish taxidermy look astonishingly similar.

And so it really comes down to your personal preference when you decide which one to choose.

While a skilful peel mount may take more sentimental value, since information technology includes an actual office of the trophy fish you caught, preserving and transporting fish correctly for this procedure is much more complicated than getting a replica.

Price of replica fish mounts

The price of replica fish mounts ranges from $ten to $16 per inch, which is broadly similar to the price of peel mounts (though replica mounts can be slightly cheaper when it comes to mounting coldwater fish or saltwater fish).

Just fifty-fifty if the toll is similar, go on in mind that a replica mount requires much less effort, since you lot just need to shoot a few good photos and record the fundamental measurements of your fish, and then ship those to the taxidermist.

Too, since replica creation doesn't require preserving the fish that you want to get stuffed, y'all tin even release it (or eat it) afterwards catching, and volition all the same become a proficient model to hang on your wall to remind you of your big moment.

For example, most tarpon anglers will release a behemothic tarpon afterwards communicable it, just they tin still go a fish mount made of a bays fish only by recording the length of the fish, and then using that for the replica mountain.

How to choose the right taxidermist to mount your fish

The best way to cull a good taxidermist is by getting a shut look at their recent work.

You lot can enquire for recommendations from your fishing buddies, and you tin can post a asking for recommendations on angling forums. Whenever someone gives you a recommendation, ask for a photo of the piece of work they got done.

I would say the quality of the piece of work is much more important than the price, since paying $8 per inch instead of $15 is a really bad deal if the result is and then shabby that you tin't display information technology.

Well-nigh professional brute stuffers accept fish from all over the country, then y'all're non restricted to choosing ones that are based close to y'all.

What to do if you want to get a fish mounted?

What should you lot practise when yous land a trophy fish and decide you want to get information technology stuffed?

The process depends on which method you cull, and is more complicated if yous choose skin mounting, equally you lot'll need to preserve your fish for taxidermy.

Before you kickoff, choose the "show side" of your fish, which is the one you want to be on display.

It'south essential to keep this side up when you store the fish, to avoid abrasion. And needless to say, avert damaging the fish in any way, such equally bleeding or gutting information technology.

1. Pare taxidermy:

  • Rinse fish
  • Wrap in a moist towel
  • Put towel-wrapped fish inside a big plastic bag, and record it shut
  • Place whole package inside freezer (with the "bear witness side" facing up)
  • Go along in freezer for at to the lowest degree 2 days until it is completely frozen

Once you've found the right taxidermist, yous tin then transport the frozen fish to them with a courier service that handles frozen goods.

2. Replica creation:

  • Use a tape measure to record the length and girth
  • Measure weight (if possible)
  • Take as many photos equally possible, covering all angles

In one case yous've decided on a shop, you just need to send them the data y'all collected, and they will take care of the remainder.

How long does information technology take to go a fish mounted?

The length of time it takes to get a fish blimp varies from 3 months to more than than one year, with 1 year turnaround time existence very common for most shops.

While the minimum fourth dimension needed can be compressed downward to ii months for some species of fish, the longer periods are mostly due to the fact that practiced shops take a big backlog of jobs they need to process before they can get to your fish.

Some shops do offering an expedited service, which is worth asking about when y'all contact them.

The longest role of the whole procedure is drying the fish, which takes at least vi weeks for warmwater fish, and a lot longer for coldwater and saltwater fish.

Because of their greasy peel, the latter species need to exist dried for a long time to get the job done correctly.

If this process is rushed, the blimp fish tends to leak oil, which can destroy its appearance.

So information technology'south definitely worth waiting for the shop to take as long as necessary to guarantee a high quality outcome, so yous tin can savour your trophy for many years to come up.