Fake Fish Boost Anglers’ Egos

That beautiful largemouth bass hanging in your neighbor’s family room might look good, really good. But it might not be real.

New acrylic reproductions are so good that it’s hard to tell the difference between the one that got away and the one that never existed.

It is taxidermy’s attempt to keep up business amid catch-and-release regulations aimed at preserving fish.

“We have a mold of a world-record largemouth bass that’s more than 20 pounds. That’s a popular one, but it’s not likely that that many people caught it,” said Mike Pusateri, owner of Mike’s Taxidermy in Port Clinton, Ohio. “They’re going to try to fool people. Some of it is, I guess, an ego thing with the guys.”