Fish Jaws
Submitted by Yewiefish85 on Tue, 2012-10-09 20:33
Hi guys just wondering if anyone out there has cut out jaws of fish the have caught? and how you went about doing it?, i have cut out shark jaws but only a couple as i dont eat shark so have only done it with sharks that i have been able to give away, the way i have done it is to use a very sharp knife and cut off all the meat and skin that i can, i then "set"the shape of the jaws with bamboo skewers cut lo length to support both verticle and horisontal then leave out in the sun for a couple of weeks to really dry out, now sharks are easy but i was wondering how others go about with other fish? or am i just a wierdo wanting the jaws as trophies?
Cheers Yewie
Lamby
Posts: 3145
Date Joined: 04/08/09
There is a cool little
There is a cool little collection at Dunsborough Outdoor Sportz, maybe send them a PM
Yewiefish85
Posts: 780
Date Joined: 02/01/11
cheers mate, will send them a
cheers mate, will send them a pm in the morning
Cheers Yewie
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
I have done a few different
I have done a few different types.
Spanish Mack, Shark mack, Wahoo, Bonito, Coral Trout, Estuaray Cod, Queenfish, Giant Trevally(small), Bluebone, Mangrove Jack, Dolphinfish, different Tuna varieties, Barracuda, Barracouta, Snook, Pike, Black arse Cod, Harlequin, Dhui, Pink Snapper, Baldchin Groper are most the ones i can remember off the top of my head. Dont really have them on display as trophies though, just more something i did as a bit of a bordom hobby.
I basically separate the jaws of the fish from the main head and then dont really remove mush else. I try to keep the skin on that is around the jaws as when it dries it holds it together nicely. For drying i either use PVC pipe and push the jaws over it, gets a nice open look to the jaws, more even than when i too tried skewers. Or in bigger cases use a witches hat. Outside in direct sun for a few weeks and inside a chook wire enclosure(had some cats steals some jaws once).
Once the sun had jerkied the bit of flesh and skin i cover the whole think with spray on varnish/sealer. Seems to have worked. My oldest set of jaws is a spanish Mack from 1998 and it still doesnt look too bad. Just have to do a new coating ever couple of years i have found. I will say the oily fish(Macks, Tuna) are the hardest as after a while the fish oil in them will start to leak through the varnish/sealer. The other demersal types i have had no dramas with fish oil leaking out.
Yewiefish85
Posts: 780
Date Joined: 02/01/11
interesting that you leave
interesting that you leave the skin on and just dry it out, i take it that the colour fades a bit from the skin?
i have a set of jaws in the process from a monster jack that on the advice from a mate that i cut away most of the flesh and skin then lightly boiled to remove remainding skin and flesh, this will be made into a trophy with a pic and placky that i caught it on
might have to give your way a go, do you have any pics of the end product?
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
I reckon the way you have
I reckon the way you have been told to do it, so it really ends up just like bare bone, is probably better if your aim is to have it on display. I'll say mine dont really look like things i would have hanging up in a bar room. I just keep them in a old box in a shed at my mums place. Unfortunantly i dont have any pics and i just got back from a week at my mums. If i had have seen this post yesterday i would ahve taken some pics for ya.
Oh well next time i am down i'll take some pics and message you again to see if you want to see them, probably wont be till 15 Dec though, when i'll be back down at my mums. ;-)
* oh yeah the colour didnt really fade too much. Like on the Harlequin and Coral Trout jaws you can still see spots. But definitly not as vibrant as when you first catch them.
spanishmackeral
Posts: 940
Date Joined: 05/01/11
http://www.pierandsurf.com/fi
http://www.pierandsurf.com/fishing-forum/showthread.php?40659-How-to-prepare-shark-jaws-From-beach-extraction-to-final-mounting
Heres a link to an article i had saved just in case i kept a shark/big mac and wanted a momento. The main thread goes through the steps of doing it with a knife, but the intereting part is towards the bottom of the comments when someone brings up "sal soda" or sodium carbonate/washing soda.
If i eventually clean a set of jaws this way i'll put up a post of how i go as it looks so much easier and safer then using a knife.