If you've just landed the catch of a lifetime, knowing how to store a fish for taxidermy is the only way to make sure that memory actually makes it onto your wall in one piece. Most people get so caught up in the excitement of the catch that they forget the fish starts deteriorating the second it leaves the water. If you don't handle it right in those first few hours, even the most talented taxidermist in the world won't be able to fix the damage.
It's not just about tossing it in a cooler and hoping for the best. There's a specific process to keep the scales, fins, and skin in pristine condition. Here's a breakdown of how to handle your trophy from the moment it hits the deck until you hand it over to the pro.
Don't gut the fish
This is the absolute number one rule, and yet it's the mistake people make most often. If you're planning on getting a mount, do not gut the fish. I know the instinct is to clean it right away so the meat stays fresh, but for taxidermy, the internal structure and the belly skin need to stay intact.
When you cut into the fish, you're ruining the natural shape and making the taxidermist's job ten times harder. They need to see the original girth and proportions to get the mold or the mannequin right. Plus, blood from gutting can stain the scales or seep into areas where it's hard to clean, which can lead to odors or discoloration later on. Just leave it whole. Your taxidermist will handle the "cleaning" part as they prepare the skin.
Handle with care from the start
The way you handle the fish while it's still alive (or freshly caught) matters more than you'd think. Fish have a protective slime coat that keeps their scales healthy and gives them that natural sheen. If you handle them with dry hands or let them flop around on a carpeted boat floor or hot dock, you're going to rub that slime off and potentially lose some scales.
Once a scale is gone, it's gone. A taxidermist can sometimes "rebuild" a missing scale with epoxy, but it never looks quite as good as the real thing. Try to use a rubberized net if you can, as these are way gentler on the skin than the old-school nylon nets. If you have to touch the fish, wet your hands first. It sounds like a small detail, but it makes a huge difference in the final quality of the mount.
Take photos immediately
Colors on a fish fade incredibly fast. As soon as a fish dies, those vibrant reds, deep greens, and iridescent silvers start to dull. By the time you get it to a shop, the fish will likely look like a grey version of its former self.
Take high-quality, close-up photos of the fish while it's still fresh. Take pictures from both sides, and try to get shots in natural light if possible. These photos are the only reference your taxidermist has for painting. Since modern taxidermy involves painting the skin after it's been preserved (or painting a fiberglass replica), having an accurate color guide is essential. Don't rely on their "standard" color patterns—every fish is unique, and you want yours to look exactly like the one you pulled out of the water.
Keep it cool, but keep it dry
You need to get the body temperature of the fish down as fast as possible. If you're on a boat, get it into a cooler with ice immediately. However, there's a catch: don't let the fish soak in a pool of melted ice water.
When a fish sits in water for a long time, it starts to get "waterlogged." The skin absorbs the moisture, which can cause the scales to lift or even fall off—a process taxidermists call "slipping." The best way to do this is to keep the fish on top of the ice, or better yet, wrap it in a damp (not soaking wet) towel before putting it on the ice. This keeps it cold without letting it drown in slush.
The right way to wrap it for the freezer
If you aren't headed straight to the taxidermy shop, you're going to need to freeze it. This is where most people drop the ball. If you just throw a fish in a garbage bag and toss it in the deep freeze, you're asking for freezer burn. Freezer burn ruins the delicate skin around the fins and the face, and it's almost impossible to fix.
Here is the step-by-step for a pro-level wrap:
- Lay out the fins: Carefully tuck the fins against the body so they don't stick out. If they're sticking out, they're almost guaranteed to snap off once they're frozen and brittle.
- The wet towel trick: Take a very damp (but not dripping) white towel or several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Wrap the fish snugly. This provides a layer of moisture that will freeze into a protective ice "shell," preventing the air from reaching the skin.
- Plastic wrap is your friend: Once the fish is in the towel, wrap the whole thing tightly in several layers of plastic wrap (Saran wrap). You want to squeeze out as much air as possible.
- The final bag: Put the wrapped fish into a heavy-duty plastic bag, squeeze the remaining air out, and seal it tight. If the fish is too big for a bag, use a trash bag but tape it shut so it's airtight.
Choosing the "Show Side"
Most wall mounts are designed to be viewed from one side. While you're prepping the fish, take a look and see which side looks better. Is there a side with fewer missing scales? Is one side scuffed up from the hook or the net?
When you wrap the fish, try to keep the "good" side as flat as possible. Don't bend the fish into a "U" shape to fit it into a small cooler. If the fish freezes in a curve, it can be tricky to get it back to a natural position without damaging the skin. Keep it as straight as you can.
How long can you keep it frozen?
Ideally, you want to get your fish to the taxidermist within a few weeks. However, if you've wrapped it perfectly using the method above, it can stay in a good deep freezer for six months to a year.
Just a heads-up: a "frost-free" freezer (the kind in your kitchen) is actually bad for taxidermy. Those freezers constantly cycle their temperature to melt ice buildup, which is exactly what causes freezer burn. If you have a dedicated chest freezer that stays at a constant, bone-chilling temperature, use that instead.
Transporting the fish
When it's finally time to take the fish to the shop, treat it like a piece of glass. Don't let it bang around in the back of a truck. Keep it in a cooler during transport so it doesn't start to thaw. If the edges start to soften and then refreeze, you risk damaging the skin.
If you're shipping the fish to a taxidermist further away, you'll need to use an insulated box and dry ice. But honestly, most local guys are great, and it's always easier to drop it off in person so you can talk through the pose and show them your photos.
Why all this effort matters
At the end of the day, a mount is an investment. They aren't cheap, and you're going to be looking at it on your wall for the next thirty years. Taking an extra twenty minutes at the dock or in your kitchen to store the fish properly ensures that the final product looks like a living creature rather than a piece of painted wood.
Your taxidermist is an artist, but they can only work with what you give them. Give them a well-preserved, clean, and properly frozen fish, and they'll give you a masterpiece. Treat it poorly, and you'll both be disappointed with the result. So, keep it whole, keep it cold, and get it wrapped tight. Your future self will be glad you did.