I am just starting out in Taxidermy. I have finished mounting a medium lg mouth bass...has not been painted. The bass was fleshed very well I believe, especially in the head area. I soaked it in slim off 30 minutes, degreaser 4 hours, grease buster 30 minutes, true tan overnight, and borax dry. Mounted it used preserve it in the tongue & cheeks. It's been drying for 3 weeks now. Did I miss something? Why is there a fishy odor? Can someone please give me some advice.
Return to Beginners Category Menu
fish has to be fleshed good. remove cheek meat through eye holes. brain must also be removed. i don't use all thos chemicals. after the fish is cleaned good i use plain borax powder from grocery store. i don't have any problems. get the Breakthrough fish manual or there are some good videos out there. hope this helps& stick with it.
Your's is obviously not dry yet. Set it in a warm place, in front of a fan or in the sun. I'd bet it's the throat area smelling or the gills. Don't get in a hurry. When it's dry DRY and sealed, you won't smell it.
Clean your fish as clean as possible. Wash it in dawn soap and rinse. Place in a 25% solution of denatured alcohol for a day or two, then rinse it thoroughly. Mount it as normal. After about 12-24 hour of drying on its own, adjust it and roll the scales with a wall paper roller. Then place it in front of a fan on a lower speed. Make sure the mouth is facing the fan. This way the fan can help dry out the esophagus and the rest of the head quickly. Most fishy smells come from the esophagus and other head areas that stay too moist for too long. Good Luck. You shouldn't have much of a fishy smell at all. Sealer and painting will help also.
Thank you so much for your advice.