Hello, I am a Taxidermist in Columbus Georgia. I would like to take the time to give all the fisherman a few helpful tips on how to store a fish until you can get it to your local taxidermist. I probably have around 25 Large mouth bass come through my shop each year that I have to ether turn down or can barely save due to the customer not properly storing their prize fish before bring it into my shop. A lot of customers tell me they read on the internet or their grandfather told them to wrap the fish in a towel or newspaper then freeze it.
Some people bring their fish in a block of ice, or wrapped in foil and already frozen. All of these tips are nothing more than “fish tails”. Wrapping a fish in a towel or newspaper is the very worst thing you can do. Also leaving your trophy out in the sun can be very bad for it.
Wrapping a towel or a newspaper will suck all the moisture and slime out of the scales of a fish such as bass, bream, and crappie. So when I mount the fish all the scales tend to stand up like a porcupine. We would like for the fish to be nice and slimy when we defrost it. This will allow us to make your trophy better looking and it will also be easier on us to deal with.
If you follow this very simple step your fish will be fine stored in the freezer for more than a year compared to a month with these other methods. Are you ready……… is the suspense killing you……. All you need to do is……..
Wrap it in several garbage bags, tie them up and pop it in the freezer. ” Yes that’s it! ” Your Taxidermist will be so thrilled not having to fight to save your once in a life time catch!
I hope this has been helpful and If you have any more questions you need answered about hunting and taxidermy my husband and I would love to hear from you.
Jennifer Cureton
Buckhead Taxidermy and meat processing.
978 54th street, Columbus, Georgia 31904
(706) 323-9500
buckhead_taxidermy@yahoo.com 0r check me out on face book!