A five-pound largemouth from a farm pond or a football smallmouth from Sturgeon Bay is a fish worth keeping on the wall, and bass are some of the most satisfying fish we mount. Stehling’s Taxidermy has built largemouth and smallmouth bass mounts in Jefferson, Wisconsin since 1978, and we ship finished mounts anywhere in the country. We currently offer fish reproductions only. We are not accepting fish skin mounts at this time. Our bass reproductions are hand-painted from your photos.
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Largemouth Bass Mounts
The open-mouth strike is the bass mount everyone asks for, and for good reason: a largemouth’s bucket mouth and flared gills make a dramatic wall piece. We build largemouth in a strike pose on a water or driftwood base, in a relaxed S-curve for a plaque, or as a feeding scene with a bluegill or a frog. We build bass as reproductions, hand-painted to your photos, so a released fish or a tournament fish that went back in the livewell can still go on the wall.
Smallmouth Bass Mounts
Smallmouth from Green Bay, the Mississippi, and the northern lakes are the hardest-fighting fish in the state, and their bronze bars and red eyes make a mount that stands out from the usual largemouth. We paint smallmouth to your photos, since color varies a lot between a dark river fish and a pale lake fish, and the rock-and-gravel base is the natural fit.
Bass Mount Pricing
| Fish | Reproduction (replica), $35/in |
|---|---|
| 16″ bass | $560 |
| 18″ bass | $630 |
| 20″ bass | $700 |
| 22″ bass | $770 |
| 24″ bass | $840 |
Length is nose to tail tip. Driftwood, rock, and water bases, and two-fish scenes, are quoted with your mount. Pay in full, 50/50, three installments, or monthly through our Easy 8 Payment Plan. Delivery times vary by project. Contact us for current delivery times. Rush service is available on select orders. See the full price list.
Bass Mount Poses and Bases
- Open-mouth strike. Gills flared, body curved, coming up through a water base or off a driftwood snag. The signature bass mount.
- Feeding scene. A largemouth turning on a bluegill, crawfish, or frog. Best on a shelf or floor base.
- S-curve plaque. A relaxed, natural curve on a walnut or driftwood plaque. The most affordable and the easiest to hang.
- Bass and bluegill pair. The predator and the prey on one base, a favorite for a kid’s first big fish and a first bluegill together.
- Tournament replica. A replica of a released tournament fish, painted from your weigh-in photos, with the weight on a plate.
Field Care for a Bass Mount
- Do not gut or fillet it. Leave the fish whole.
- Photograph both sides wet, right away. A bass loses its bars and green within minutes out of the water, and the photos are what we paint from.
- Keep the show side clean. Pick the side that will face out and lay the fish on the other side.
- Wrap in a wet towel, bag it, freeze it flat. Fold the fins against the body, squeeze the air out, and lay it flat in the freezer. Never freeze a bass in water.
- Releasing it? Measure length and girth, take the photos, and let it go. We build the replica from that.
Full details in our fish field care guide. Drop off in Jefferson or at our New Franken showroom near Green Bay, or ship it. Contact us before bringing or shipping a fish.
Bass Mount FAQ
How much does it cost to mount a bass?
$35 per inch for a replica at Stehling’s Taxidermy. A 20-inch largemouth replica is $700. Bases are extra. We currently offer fish reproductions only. We are not accepting fish skin mounts at this time.
How big should a bass be to mount?
There is no minimum. Most bass we mount are 18 inches and up, but a first fish or a personal best is worth mounting at any size, and panfish-sized bass are among the most affordable mounts we build.
Skin mount or replica for a bass?
We currently offer fish reproductions only. We are not accepting fish skin mounts at this time. A replica lets you release the fish and will never fade or crack, and it is painted by hand to your photos.
Do you mount smallmouth bass?
Yes. Smallmouth, largemouth, white bass, and striped bass are all priced by the inch.
How long does a bass mount take?
Delivery times vary by project. Contact us for current delivery times. Rush service is available on select orders.
