Mouth on Fish

how often do you ever see fish swimming around like that? Even when they are eating it is so fleeting you can't even see it......I personally can't stand the look...

 

I didn't see the comment, but I have always known that technically, it's not "often" that a fish has its mouth wide open and the gills flared at the same time. I do it to show off all the cool stuff "under the hood". A closed mouth or a closed gill cover sure makes life easier for us, but seeing the cool gills and cool inner mouth makes the mount more complete and more interesting. On bass, it's tricky to pose one for molding in a really aesthetically pleasing pose. I don't think very many people realize that. It's especially tough with the new, rotomolded bodies and seperate heads. The gill plate really looks stiff and detached from the body instead of soft and flowing and a part of the whole system. If you wanted to do an "accurate" feeding bass, you could have the mouth closed tight and the gills flared wide, with all kinds of debris shooting out of the gill pocket, OR the mouth wide open and gills closed tight, with a fish being bent in the middle to come head-first into the mouth, but I'm not sure how great either of those would really look. The other choice is to have a resting bass with the mouth slightly open, and the gill cover slightly open, but that wouldn't be exciting enough for some clients.

 

Well thats all fine and dandy for shows and clients that know. But try mounting a largemouth bass in the south with its mouth closed you might get an arse beating.

 

He he he................. John said arse :

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twiggy, just to add some fodder to the fire........I would guesss that I've probably seen as many LMB with mouth and gills flared simultaneously as I have walked along the banks and found perch lying on chunks of driftwood............................................................

seriously, I must admit that we don't always duplicate nature or even try too!!!! sometimes it's at the client's request and sometimes it kindalike Dave said, translated......artistic license

I've done LOTS of LMB in this old STANDARD pose but am getting away from it, personal fish approaching closed mouth more often and have samples on display trying to encourage clients to consider this option......often they willl select it because they don't have one like that in their collection already.

please don't be offended twiggy...................!
jerry

 

I'm not offended at all...This is one of those "The customer is always right" things......I know their wrong lol...But in the end, they have the final say...

 

This is a great topic. My opinion is that mouth open/gills flared is tradition. Some still like it for the reasons you guys have mentioned. I will add that I love closed mouth mounts and have done them for show every year, I get booths at several local fishing shows each year selling baits and taxidermy. I always have several people each year wanting to buy my show pieces. I usually sell them because I love to paint them and this gives me a reason to paint another one, plus I always seem to think I can do it just a little better. But bottom line is i'm finding people love them! I don't mold yet and find that there aren't too many molders that offer closed mouths replicas. And the ones that do don't have many. But in my area they love'm...

 

I sure do see a lot of pictures on google with the mouth wide open. Most with a lure in its mouth but here's a good photo showing the mouth wide open in a natural setting:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rQO2ZeLYldE/S-tPPJxSlrI/AAAAAAAAAaI/JnxWaByGz_Y/s1600/bass-jumping160.jpg

 

does there happen to be a thumb in their mouth's?

 

Lures not required:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY0YlPL2Fsw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I personally don't like the full open mouth pose but I thats what most customers want in a LMB pose.

 

I'm partial to the closed mouth pose.
Many clients like the open mouth look, but I have sold a fair amount of "Closed" mouth largemouth blanks as well.
Personally I do not like it when the mouth is "Jacked" way open...but thats just me, I guess.