You catch a big fish, it’s a citation, a record, or maybe just your personal best. You know you’ll eat it, but what next? Below are four ways to remember your catch forever, because sometimes a picture just isn’t enough.
Gyotaku
This is the cheapest and easiest. Pick up an Iko Print kit, wash off your fish, print it, and frame it. For under $50 you can have a real, live imprint of your trophy catch. Kits like this let you do it yourself, which adds to the lore of the legend.
Skull Mount
This is crazy, but also crazy cool. Boil down your fish head, pick it apart, and put it all back together. There are a few ways to go about it, but for cool fish like wahoo, grouper, and tuna, there’s no cooler way to keep your catch. 813 Bonez are some of the best skull and skeleton guys around.
Traditional Wall Mount
Take your trophy to a taxidermist. You’ll pay a pretty penny, and you may not be able to eat the fish, but the artwork is amazing. Nothing beats an old-school wall mount above the bar or in the man cave. This is a dying art, but traditionally timeless.
Replica Wall Mount
This is a convenient option, but definitely not as cool. Snap a photo of your fish, take its length and girth measurements, and send it off to a company like King Sailfish Mounts. They’ll recreate your beast to the best of their abilities. It’ll make cool decor, but it’s somewhat removed from the fish you actually caught.