maybe a wall hanger?

[kokanee kombine]

good day at wallowa.working on our limit of 13 to 16 inchers when this guy attacked a green hoochie on the dr.26 inches,6 lbs.6 oz. we sent him straight to the freezer with guts and all.he would look nice next to our sons whitetail buck.what would you all do?

 

[Petty4life]

Nice fish Dude. it defantly would go on my wall... but i would do a replica and not a skin mount 2cents

 

[skookum9]

I agree with Petty4life. Definately worthy of a wall, but the technology is such that all the taxidermist needs now is some photos and some measurements and you can keep the fish to eat. In large part, I think this way came about for those who choose to only catch and release and this way they can get their trophy mount and still be able to put the fish back to live another day. I think all you need is the length, the girth and the weight and then just a few photos to help with the finished look. My only question would be which taxidermists do this kind of mount. Do all taxidermists mount this way? Is there a way to find the kind of taxidermist that it takes to do a replica? I've only caught one fish that I would have liked to have mounted but I was very young and didn't have the resources it took to do so. Even then, the only way I knew of at that time was to use the real fish.
Congratulations on catching a kokanee of a lifetime! Or at least that is how I would view it if I had caught it. That is one awesome fish! And thanks for sharing it here, too.

 

[SilverBullets]

thumbsup Congratulations on one hell of a kokanee!!!! thumbsup

 

[eenakoK]

Very nice!!! did you use the 13" for bait?

 

[Kokanee-Toni]

wow

WOW101chromefish101

 

[kokanee kombine]

the fish next to him are a 14 and a 15 incher.my wife soaks the corn for 2 weeks in scent.she did a great job netting him but asked for help lifting the net into the kombine.

 

[KokeKruiser]

Congrats, I hope you are heading to the taxidermist. You'll have your work cut out for you trying to catch a larger one.

 

[Riverrunner]

Beautiful fish. Needs to be hanging on the wall. Headed to the lake on Thur, hope to find his little brother.

 

[fishslayer13]

I have been a taxidermist going on 30 years now. Most taxidermist can get you a replica of most fish in about any size you can dream of. But kokes arent one of them. Kokes like wallowa is kicking out are far and few in between. Most taxidermist are using sockeye replicas for a substitute.
They arent anywhere near the look of wallowa kokes.
Kokes dont skin mount well, they have large scale loss during skinning and have very high grease content making them hard to preserve.
So a taxidermist that takes a koke from you should custom mold the fish himself. Then the fish can be done for you plus be used for future replica.
Most taxidermist wont charge you for molding the fish and charge only the per inch price as they can sell other copys of your fish to other taxidermist or even other customers. Some will even do you a custom mold and replica of your fish for free just to get to mold your fish and make money on it for years after.
Its a good deal for both involved.
hope this helps and thats a great fish !
My biggest out of there is 5.4 pounds hopeing to get a better on this year.

 

[skookum9]

fishslayer13,
That is some awesome input, thanks for posting. I had no idea that a fish like that could be so difficult. I would have thought that a sockeye would have been the same as long as it was in the non-spawning condition. Nice to have someone with some knowledge putting in here, thanks.

 

[Kokonuts]

Wow!! Thats a great one for the wall mount!!
Thanks for the info from fishslayer, thats a good tip for anyone who catches a large one from Wallowa Lake!!
Also a great picture of you & the fish, have some enlargements made up !!
101goodpost101

Kokonuts 101chromefish101

 

[DLM]

Great Fish!

Now I am really feeling sorry for myself that we couldn't make the trip this year, but there is always next year.....

 

[Salmurai]

A couple of things come to mind. YES, a wall hanger for sure. Also, best way to "help" catch a bigger one! That's one nice fish. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

 

[Duroboat Rider]

Very Nice

Wow!!! Very Nice Fish!!!! Reminds me of the Sockeye we used to catch up in Alaska. I bet the fight was a lot of fun!!!!! 101chromefish101

 

[Metal Manipulator]

Awsome fish

Glad to see one of the local boy's do'in good. Could not have happened to a nicer guy!

 

[spoons]

*&%# me!
Nice fish!

 

[kokaneekid]

WOW now that's a kokanee.....

Fish On kokaneekid

 

[GURU]

Wow!! I can only dream about catching a Koke that big, great Job and definitely a wall mount, very worthyworthy12

 

[wulffman]

re: Wall Hanger

I think thats even a couple inches larger than the one you showed me this fall. Nice fish! I'm heading up with my boat 7/22 for a couple weeks, so maybe we can get out together one of those days. (If you aren't harvesting yet)



PS: Tell Deb she needs to take up some weightlifting if you keep catching fish like that
thumbsup