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Another giant Bluegill!

A nearly 15 inch Bluegill! This giant was caught from a farm pond in Page County, Iowa, on a spinnerbait while bass fishing. Didn't get a weight on this beautiful trophy fish. This beautiful fish was mounted by expert taxidermist Jimmy Lawrence from Bedford Iowa.

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Comment by Jim Gronaw on June 1, 2015 at 8:25pm: Taxidermy techniques and skills have come a long way.

Thanks, gentlemen, for keeping this discussion both civil and informative and alerting the viewers that the 'recreation' phase of fish work can indeed reach new heights.

Many of us here at BBG are always hoping...dreaming...that the long standing record bluegill of 4 lbs 12 ozs may one day fall in our lifetimes. Mr Lawrences amazing recreation of a proportionately spectacular fish had some of us in that stage of 'hope'.

Great, great work!

Comment by Jeff Soto on June 1, 2015 at 7:16pm: Yes I had a feeling this was done, but seriously, the big fish I was talking about was "real", and I have seen other truly giant fish swimming around in private ponds, probably being hand fed. There's several down were my father lived in Lake Forest, Calif. Bluegill that are well over 12 inches just swimming with smaller fish that are also quite large.

It's funny how now you can just tell a good taxidermist that you caught and released say a 23 inch Black Crappie, and he'll make you a recreation of it.. I guess I got out of the business a little early.

Comment by Tim Overbaugh on June 1, 2015 at 6:38pm: No problem Jimmy, I've sculpted a few specimens to upsize them to get a customers dimensions and is very time consuming. You did a great job bringing the memory back for a lucky angler.

3d printing cannot get the intricate detail needed to pull off a good blank nor is it cost effective as molding off a good specimen.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 1, 2015 at 11:44am: I don't see any issue whatsoever Jimmy. For my part in this, I was simply wondering how it came to be known that the real fish WASN'T this actual size? You have created a stunning work of art based on the dimensions you were given...no need to pull it all down!

Comment by Jimmy Lawrence on June 1, 2015 at 11:06am: I had the information of the fish. I sculpted it based off of his Info, created a mold and pulled a cast that you see here. No 3d Printing. It is an exact recreation and representation of the fish I was commissioned to do. IF this is an issue I will just have it all removed as it wasn't meant to cause any controversy.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 1, 2015 at 11:02am: Beautiful work. Was a photo provided, along with the dimensions? Any means to verify the fish's size? I guess what I'm gently asking, is how do we know the actual fish was smaller than the mount? The math is possible, so if we're sure this mount is an expanded version of the real thing, then there must be proof somewhere that supports this idea?

Comment by Slip Sinker on June 1, 2015 at 11:01am: Tim... How has 3d printing impacted you as a taxidermist?....

do you use it ?

is there modeling software available to reproduce a fish? and scale it up and down?

Comment by Jimmy Lawrence on June 1, 2015 at 9:43am: Tim Overbaugh is 100% accurate . This is a Recreation for my customer. I did this fish from scratch . It was done to match his exact dimensions that he gave me. It was caught in Page County, IA , on a spinner bait while bass fishing. I dont know the weight, as I don't think he took one. Sorry for all the commotion, and stink. It wasn't my intentions. Tim knows his stuff, both in Taxidermy, and panfish knowledge in general. Nothing but the highest respect for him, and what he does. Sorry I didn't see this before it got out of hand. Thanks Timjo!

Comment by Tim Overbaugh on June 1, 2015 at 7:13am: And I grew a 9 pound koi in a 500 hundred gallon tank and is still growing, his name is Bubbles.

The point I'm making Jeff, is this fish was not a giant when allegedly caught in a farm pond on a spinner bait. It is a RECREATION of a smaller fish as its model. This Giant never existed in real life as you see it here.

As a fish molder myself, I don't like seeing people mislead by a "story" behind this beautiful reproduction.

Comment by Tony Livingston on May 31, 2015 at 6:22pm: The Indiana state record BG came from a pit that was around an acre and a half. 3 lbs, 4 ozs.