Tyler Erickson is a name you need to know if you’re an angler who’s ever dreamed of preserving a trophy catch. From his roots in southern Minnesota to his world-champion titles, Tyler has spent two decades perfecting fish taxidermy – and he’s on a mission to change how we think about mounting fish. Based in Brookings, South Dakota, this wildlife-and-fisheries grad turned taxidermy innovator is bridging the gap between art, conservation, and cutting-edge craftsmanship with his World-Class Replicas line. We sat down with him to unpack his journey, his process, and why replicas might just be the future of trophy fish preservation.
From Fox Lake to World Champion
Tyler’s story starts like many of ours – chasing fish as a kid. Growing up near Fox Lake, Minnesota, he’d bike to the water, rod in hand, spending sun-soaked days reeling in panfish and swimming. “My dad got me into hunting and fishing early,” he recalls. “It was just what we did.” That passion stuck, and by high school, he was eyeing a career as a fisheries or wildlife biologist. He enrolled at South Dakota State University, but a chance encounter shifted his trajectory.
During college, Tyler tagged along on a Lake of the Woods fishing trip his uncle won through a radio contest. They caught walleyes and saugers, but the real catch came on the drive home. A “Rummage Sale” sign next to a giant fiberglass marlin hanging in a yard pulled them off the highway. There, Tyler met a 55-year-old taxidermist fresh out of school. Little did he realize at the time that this encounter would forever alter the course of his life.
“He told me, ‘I wish I’d started this at your age – it’s a great career,’” Tyler says. “He worked winters in Florida, summers in Minnesota, and made decent money.” The seed was planted.
With parental support, Tyler enrolled at a taxidermy school in Wisconsin, juggling it with college. After graduating in 2007 with his degree, he didn’t want to leave Brookings – where he’d met his wife – so he dove into taxidermy full-time. “It was rough at first,” he admits. “Steep learning curve.” But a competitive streak and mentorship from state taxidermy competitions propelled him forward. He racked up 12 state titles across Minnesota and South Dakota, a North American championship, a second-in-world title, and ultimately a best-in-world crown. “Once I hit that goal, I thought, ‘It’s time to give back,’” he says.
The Replica Revolution
Tyler Erickson’s “giving back” isn’t just talk—it’s a full-on revolution in fish taxidermy. Frustrated with outdated replicas that often demanded hours of grinding and fixing to correct flaws, he took matters into his own hands by crafting his own molds. “A lot of the older replicas came with issues—anatomical errors, poor fin shapes, missing scales, and big seams that needed heavy sanding to look right,” he explains. “They didn’t always capture the fish accurately, leaving taxidermists to spend too much time patching them up.” His solution: the World-Class Replicas line, launched in 2019 with McKenzie Taxidermy Supply.
Today, Tyler offers 155 replica blanks—walleyes from 24 to 34 inches (6 to 18 pounds), crappies, perch, and more—plus species-specific eyes, putty, and gloss. His process is meticulous: molding fresh fish in silicone to capture every scale, fin ray, and gill detail before shrinkage sets in. “I’ll inject water under the cheeks if they’re sinking to plump them back up,” he says. “You’re getting a snapshot of that fish at its peak.”
Compare that to skin mounts, where shrinkage is the nemesis. “You can lose 30-40% of the volume in soft tissue areas—head, gills, lips, jaws, and fins—as they dry,” Tyler says. “They twist and shrivel, and most taxidermists don’t bother rebuilding what’s lost.” The result? A distorted, shrunken shell of the original fish. Premium replicas, on the other hand, bypass those problems entirely, delivering a flawless, full-bodied canvas ready for painting. “I love starting with a blank slate,” he says. “I can match a customer’s photo perfectly without wrestling with dried, blotchy skin.”
Skin Mounts vs. Replicas: The Breakdown
Ever pulled a fish from the water, dreaming of immortalizing it, only to find the mount falls short of the memory? Tyler breaks it down.
A skin mount begins with an incision along the backside, followed by measurements and a foam body – either carved or ordered. The head is cleaned out, the skin prepped, and then it’s sewn or stapled shut. The head and fins are pinned to dry, shrinking over one to two weeks. “That’s when you see the damage,” Tyler notes. Eyes are added, and it’s painted, often relying on faded natural patterns since the vibrant colors of a living fish vanish.
Replicas, by contrast, start with molding a real fish. Tyler’s World-Class blanks are made from two-part polyurethane plastic, poured and rotocast for nearly seamless results. “You glue on the fins, seam it with putty, set the eyes, and paint,” he says. “It’s like an eight-piece puzzle anyone can assemble.” Older saltwater molds or traditional two-part fiberglass replicas often require extensive grinding and bodywork due to prominent seams, but his freshwater line is streamlined. The outcome? A fish that looks alive, not decayed.
Time and cost tell a similar story. Skin mounts vary widely depending on the taxidermist. Budget jobs might take 30 minutes with a quick paint and no rebuilding, while premium work can demand 10+ hours to restore shrinkage and perfect the finish. Replicas? Tyler assembles his World-Class blanks in an hour, with 4-5 hours for painting. Cost-wise, decent skin mounts range from $14-25 per inch, high-end ones $25-50 per inch. Replicas fall between $22-40 per inch standard, and $30-60 per inch for top-tier work. “I charge the same for both,” he says, “but I’d rather paint replicas than fix skin mounts. My goal is to capture the memory of that trophy fish – and it’s a bonus that someone else gets to catch it again.”
Preserving Fish, Saving Fisheries
Tyler’s passion goes beyond aesthetics – he’s a conservationist at heart. “Replicas start with molding a real fish,” he explains. “But once you have that mold, anglers can release similar-sized trophies.” Take Minnesota’s latest state-record crappie, the third in 12 months. Tyler’s molding it for a replica, avoiding the scale loss and shrinkage of a skin mount. “It’s huge – makes a 15-inch crappie look small,” he marvels. “We’ll share that blank nationwide and can produce thousands of replicas from just one fish.”
His mission is clear: encourage anglers to release big fish unless they’re truly exceptional. “Nothing beats a quality replica finished by a skilled fish artist,” he says. “I want people to see they can have a stunning mount – better than the real thing – and let those trophies swim free for others to catch again.” His advice? “If it’s a freak – abnormally fat or a state record – keep it. Otherwise, we’ve got blanks for most sizes now.”
His walleye line alone includes 38 molds ranging from 24 to 34 inches, with five more in development. “We used 38 fish to build that line – most harvested originally for skin mounts,” he admits. “But from those, we’ve already saved hundreds, if not thousands, of trophy walleyes still swimming today.”
Tips from the Top
Tyler’s days now revolve around crafting molds for fellow taxidermists, and his keen eye has landed him gigs judging competitions – proof he’s seen every misstep anglers and taxidermists can stumble into. Whether you’re leaning toward a skin mount or a replica, here are his top tips to consider on the water:
Snap Quick, Quality Photos
“If you’re thinking replica, grab your camera fast,” Tyler urges. “Get side, top, fins spread – mouth open if you can. Shoot in natural light while it’s wet, before colors fade. Those pics are gold for matching a blank.”
Don’t Gut the Fish
“Biggest mistake I see – gutting the fish. It throws off the body and makes it a pain to work with. Keep it whole – freeze it right or let it go with good photos.”
Freeze It Right If You’re Keeping It
“Flat, fins tucked, wet towel, bagged – that’s the drill,” he says. “It’s got to stay pristine for a skin mount.” Proper freezing prevents damage – double-bag big ones, since mangled fish are a nightmare to work with. For oily fish like trout or salmon, he adds, “Wrap it in Saran Wrap first – they’re a nightmare for skin mounts, with oils seeping out and trashing the paint.”
Don’t Keep Every Big Fish
“Unless it’s a freak – record-worthy or crazy fat – let it swim,” he urges. “A 30-inch walleye doesn’t need to die when a replica can nail it. Think conservation – let it fight another day.” Only keep the truly exceptional, not every lunker. “We’ve got replicas covering nearly every trophy size for walleye, perch, crappie, bluegill, and bass across the Midwest.”
Know When to Cut It Loose
“If it’s scarred or torn up, don’t sweat it,” he advises. “Skin mounts show natural flaws like scars or ragged fins. Snap good pics, release it, and we’ll start with a perfect blank. Want those scars replicated? A skilled artist can add them. Prefer a clean look? Replicas make it easy – just specify when ordering.”
The Long Game
Tyler’s playing a bigger game than just filling orders. “My goal isn’t just profit,” he says. “It’s about boosting efficiency for taxidermists so they can spend more time with their families – and putting a better representation of God’s creation on your wall.” His World-Class Replicas line keeps growing, with new molds and species in the works.
He’s always on the lookout for prime catches to expand it: “I need 22-24-inch smallmouths, 17-inch-plus crappies, 22-inch-plus largemouths – clean, no scars, good fins.” Catch one? Keep it alive and contact him to see if it fills a gap in his lineup – or if you can let it swim.
That brings us to a story of a giant smallmouth he recently landed through the ice on a frigid South Dakota morning – a fish so wild it felt like divine intervention. “I’d been out all night chasing walleyes, but the bite was dead – wrong spot, high pressure,” he recalls. After a full moon gave way to a sunrise struggling to warm the -25°F air, he drilled a third hole up shallow to reset a flag.
Back in the heated shack, he released a feisty 19-inch and then a 20-inch smallmouth – solid consolation for a slow night. “Just as I started cranking up the shack, my tip-up popped. After a long fight, I looked down the hole expecting a big walleye or pike – and there it was: 22 inches of smallmouth fury thrashing under the ice. The longest South Dakota smallie I’ve ever seen. Thank you, Lord!” Grinning, he adds, “I’d been hunting one like that to mold for years. Never thought I’d pull it myself. That chunky beast shows why I do this – let the 19- and 20-inchers go to capture freaks so big they make even seasoned anglers giddy.”
Tyler’s mission runs deep.
“We used 38 fish for that walleye line – most already killed for skin mounts,” he says. “By molding a few key catches, we’ll save thousands more. The more complete these replica lines get, with better artists and training, the less need there’ll be to keep fish for flawed skin mounts. It’s about thriving fisheries – letting a 30-inch walleye grow from 12 pounds to 13, sparking new tales each year.”
Track him down on Facebook at Tyler Erickson or Top Notch Taxidermy, and check his World-Class Replicas page. Or give him a call (605-691-1145) or email him at Topnotchtaxidermy@hotmail.com…. His products – replicas, eyes, and more – are available through McKenzie Taxidermy Supply. Want to pursue fish artistry or sharpen your skills? Contact him directly for training course details.
Next time a trophy lands in your hands, pause. Snap the pics, take the measurements, heed his advice, and let it swim – Tyler’s replicas will keep that memory alive on your wall for a lifetime.
PS: When I say he specializes in all things fish, that even includes premium Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba “greenback” walleye replicas. If you’ve ever seen or caught one, you know just how unique they are…and Tyler nails it!
