Quick Facts & Highlights
Species Name: Bonefish
Scientific Name: Albula vulpes
Common Nicknames: Ghost of the Flats
Species Category: Inshore Game Fish
Available Lengths Range: 9'' to 34''
Mount Options & Base Rates:
Half Wall Mount: Starts at $160 minimum charge (applies 9" to 16")
Full Wall Mount: Starts at $17 per inch ($160 for 9", $160 minimum charge applies)
360° Suspension Mount: Starts at $20 per inch ($180 for 9")
Catch Photo Matching: Included at no extra charge
Materials & Construction: High-density fiberglass composite cast from first-generation molds, hand-painted glass eyes set in epoxy, automotive-grade airbrush pigments, and UV-resistant urethane clear coat, built in the USA
Turnaround Time: Check the "Current Production Time" link in the website footer
 
The Ghost of the Flats, Captured in Fiberglass
The bonefish (Albula vulpes) earned its nickname, "ghost of the flats," from the way its chrome-silver flanks vanish against shallow sand the instant it stops moving. Anglers chase that flash of mirrored scale across the flats of the Florida Keys and the Space Coast, and a bonefish replica mount is how that moment gets fixed to a wall instead of fading into memory. Florida Fish Mounts, based in Cocoa, Florida, builds each bonefish fish mount replica by hand under artist Greg Cassell, a Space Coast fine artist who works in automotive-grade airbrush pigments. The finished piece reads as wall décor first and trophy second: a clean, accurate cast of the fish that holds its color and form indefinitely, whether it's mounted in a den, a tackle shop, or a coastal home where saltwater air would otherwise be a problem.
 
Why Some Bonefish Replicas Look Fake, and Why This One Doesn't
Anglers who have shopped for a bonefish replica mount before often come in skeptical, and for good reason: a poorly made replica can look like a plastic toy instead of a fish. That problem almost always traces back to mold generation and paint technique, not to the replica concept itself. Florida Fish Mounts casts every bonefish replica mount from a first-generation mold, taken directly from an actual bonefish specimen rather than copied from an existing mount or a worn, lower-generation tool. A first-generation mold preserves the fine scale relief and fin structure that gets lost generation over generation, which is the structural reason an anatomically accurate bonefish mount holds detail that a lower-quality cast cannot. Greg hand-sculpts the mouth and hand-paints the glass eyes to match the bonefish's underslung jaw and large, forward-set eye, both field marks anglers and biologists use to identify the species. Bonefish run from deep chrome-silver on open flats to a duskier, faintly barred phase over grass or in murkier water, and that color-phase variation is airbrushed in by hand with multi-stage automotive pigments, then sealed under a UV-resistant urethane clear coat that holds the finish under direct sun and saltwater air.
 
Why Bonefish Are a Poor Candidate for a Skin Mount
Bonefish are a small-scaled, oily-skinned flats species, which makes them one of the harder fish to degrease correctly during traditional skin mounting. When that oil isn't fully removed, it migrates back through the skin over time in a process anglers and taxidermists call grease bleed: yellow discoloration that typically starts at the head, a sticky residue developing along the back, and the mount's paint eventually lifting off the skin as the oil breaks the bond beneath it. It's a slow, near-guaranteed failure with organic material, not a workmanship issue that better technique fixes. A bonefish fiberglass replica carries none of this risk, since there's no skin, no natural oil, and no organic tissue to break down. The fish itself is also released unharmed under Florida's catch-and-release-only regulation for bonefish, in place since September 1, 2013, which makes the replica route not just more durable but the only legal path to a wall-mounted bonefish for anyone fishing Florida waters.
 
No Fish Required, Just a Photo
Because Florida law requires bonefish to be released, every bonefish mount from photo at Florida Fish Mounts is built without the angler ever needing to keep the fish. A catch photo is the single most useful reference Greg can work from, since it lets him match the exact color phase, size, and condition of the individual fish that was caught. A photo is optional, not required. Without one, Greg builds the replica in the species-accurate standard chrome-silver color phase typical of flats-caught bonefish. Photos can be uploaded directly through the product page's upload tool during checkout.
 
Approval Before Anything Is Sealed
Once your bonefish replica mount is sculpted and painted to match your reference photo (or the standard color phase, if none was provided), Greg sends photos of the finished piece for your approval before any clear coat goes on. This gives you a last opportunity to request adjustments to color or detail while the piece is still workable. Once approved, the UV-resistant urethane clear coat is applied and the piece is finished. Shipping is calculated separately and invoiced after the mount is complete, since box dimensions and weight depend on the final mount size and style. Current production time runs 9 to 12 weeks; check the Current Production Time link in the site footer for the most accurate, up-to-date estimate.
 
Select Your Mount Style
Use the dropdown menus above to choose your Mount Type and Length. We offer the bonefish fish mount replica in lengths ranging from 9 to 34 inches. Pricing is calculated per inch: $10 per inch for a half mount, $17 per inch for a full mount, and $20 per inch for a 360-degree suspension mount, with a $160 shop minimum on every order. Once you select your specific options, the final price will update automatically. Proceed through checkout to secure your place in Greg's production schedule.
 
Verified Custom Bonefish: 21'' Full Mount ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Highly recommend! I chose to have the Bonefish Full Mount done. From start to finish, Eric made the entire process a pleasure. He was incredibly thorough and quick to respond. The mount arrived packaged extremely well and was in pristine shape. Look no further for your replica mount needs!" - Mike McIntyre