Finally Caught My Unicorn

Been targeting XL crappies the last few years with varying degrees of success. The bar has slowly been raised from 14”-15”-16”-17”

Well, this past weekend we reset the bar yet again with a 17.75” x 14” unicorn. She was released to go do her thing spawning in a few months and keep those elite genetics circulating.

Keep grinding folks, the unicorns are out there!

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Yes, he’ll yeah. Beautiful crappie. We were after the same unicorn all winter. 16.5 is where the bar stopped

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That is a tank. Are you getting a replica done?

Nice job. My unicorn is still laughing at me in the corner.16.25” so far is my best.
Where are you going to get your replica done?

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Well done.

If you are into mounted fish … some of the replicas can turn out well with the right artist.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Yes, he’ll yeah. Beautiful crappie. We were after the same unicorn all winter. 16.5 is where the bar stopped

That’s a giant, Bearcat! Some of the best fishing is still around the corner to raise that bar.

hossfisher wrote:

…17.75” x 14” unicorn…

Oh, wow! Congrats. Without getting specific, was this a MN fish?

Youbetcha wrote:

That is a tank. Are you getting a replica done?

Definitely interested in getting a replica done. Haven’t personally mounted any fish, but heard great things about Artistic Anglers out of Duluth.

Anybody have any recommendations for a quality replica?

Nice job Hoss!!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Oh, wow! Congrats. Without getting specific, was this a MN fish?

Yeah, not caught in what I would consider the “metro” but not far out.

That is a Hoss Hoss!

Holy slabs

Sweet! That’s a pig.

hossfisher wrote:

Definitely interested in getting a replica done. Haven’t personally mounted any fish, but heard great things about Artistic Anglers out of Duluth.

I used Artistic Anglers for a muskie mount and he did a great job. Highly recommend them.

Nice catch and release. Hopefully you had more than a 6” hole to get that monster through.

Check out Anglers Touch Fish Art & Taxidermy in East Bethel. Best Crappie replicas I’ve seen.

hossfisher wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ralph Wiggum wrote:</div>

Oh, wow! Congrats. Without getting specific, was this a MN fish?

Yeah, not caught in what I would consider the “metro” but not far out.

Targeting weeds or more basin bites?

super_do wrote:

Check out Anglers Touch Fish Art & Taxidermy in East Bethel. Best Crappie replicas I’ve seen.

This is who I would have do any panfish for me. He does awesome work

super_do wrote:

Check out Anglers Touch Fish Art & Taxidermy in East Bethel. Best Crappie replicas I’ve seen.

That’s the one! I couldn’t remember the name, but I’ve been blown away by some of their work.

Youbetcha wrote:

Targeting weeds or more basin bites?

Right on the edge of the basin. I’ve noticed the big fish have switched to eating exclusively bugs this time of year. You can even see them nose down in the mud rooting around on livescope.

hossfisher wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Carter Johnson wrote:</div>

Targeting weeds or more basin bites?

Right on the edge of the basin. I’ve noticed the big fish have switched to eating exclusively bugs this time of year. You can even see them nose down in the mud rooting around on livescope.

Thats super helpful thanks for the insight!

Awesome!

hossfisher wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ralph Wiggum wrote:</div>

Oh, wow! Congrats. Without getting specific, was this a MN fish?

Yeah, not caught in what I would consider the “metro” but not far out.

If I was a betting man, I know what lake I’d put my money on that this fish came out of. In all the years I lived in the metro it always put out a few of the Biggest crappies each year. Then again it may have been caught out of any of the more than 10,000 lakes we have here in Minnesota

hossfisher wrote:

Yeah, not caught in what I would consider the “metro” but not far out.

If I was a betting man, I know what lake I’d put my money on that this fish came out of. In all the years I lived in the metro it always put out a few of the Biggest crappies each year. Then again it may have been caught out of any of the more than 10,000 lakes we have here in Minnesota

DANG!!! what a beauty!!!

That fish is unreal, great pictures too!

What a beast! Congrats on the catch. Sounds like it was well earned!

Wow!! What a Slab! Congrats!

Anytime I see replicas of the record crappie or bluegill I keep thinking if I pulled those up, how freaked out I would be as they look so unnatural.

What tanks, guys. Absolute tanks.

I think that’s the biggest I’ve ever seen!
Wow and congrats