Finely Framed Fishing Photos

Stuff we Like

Jul 16

Inaugural issue of Bass Quest Magazine autographed by Aaron Martens, Brent Chapman and Randy Howell

In addition to replicas, one of my favorite ways to memorialize a great fishing trip or a remarkable catch is with a simple photograph. The old days of waiting for your film to come back are happily in the distant rearview mirror and now there are more clever photo products available than ever. Whether you want your picture on canvas, on a mug, on a t-shirt or through some other medium you can order it today and have your product in no time at all through vendors like Shutterfly, Snapfish and Custom Ink. On top of that, Etsy has an endless supply of artisans who can turn your photo into something exquisite.

But what about simple glossy photos? Sometimes that’s the best way of all to get your picture produced, with no need for additional adornment or special materials. The Robbins household is loaded with simple framed pics, and my home office in particular is running out of wall space. In many cases, a simple frame is the best way to display them, but with a little bit of effort it’s possible to spruce things up with a special frame.

Here’s a picture of me and my good friend legendary Lonnie Stanley at the end of an incredible day on a private lake in his home state of Texas. I found a perfect frame that screams “Lone Star State” in which to put it.

Picture of Bassmaster Writer Pete Robbins and legendary luremaker Lonnie Stanley with four big Texas bass

I traveled to Alaska with another notable Texan, three-time TTBC champ Keith Combs. While no one would confuse these halibut with Texas coastal flounder, I spruced things up a bit with a corrugated frame depicting Alaska’s state flag.

Keith Combs catching Alaska halibut in a picture frame depicting the State of Alaska's flag

Sometimes the flag just fits the company. In 2013 Hanna and I joined our friends Kerry and Kevin “K-Pink” Short in Escanaba, Michigan for a smallmouth beatdown. At one point, all four of us had brown fish on the line at the same point – this Mossy Oak frame with pink accents was the perfect way to accessorize the shot.

Pink camo picture frame for fishing photos

I’ve purchased two frames through R Keepsakes, which offers dozens of customizable themed frames, including an Alaska salmon model to commemorate my 2019 trip to Bear Trail Lodge.

R Keepsakes customized salmon picture frame Naknek River Alaska

And a dogsledding version to remind me of my trip back with Hanna in 2020.

Customized dogsledding picture frame from a trip to Girdwood Alaska in 2020

Of course, sometimes I go a little overboard. When Hanna caught a monster tigerfish on the Zambezi River in 2016 there was no doubt I’d put the shot in my office, but I think that this Zambian flag frame actually detracts from the picture. The fish is impressive on its own and does not need any help to get noticed.

Photograph of a tigerfish from the Zambezi River in a picture frame of the Zambian Flag

Searching for the perfect frame is part of the fun (although not quite as much fun as making the memory). I’ve bought some on-site, others through mass retailers like Etsy, Amazon, Ebay and CafePress.com. Conduct a simple Google search of the theme you want to stress, or the place name, and you’ll be surprised at how many options show up. Just make sure you always save space for that next trophy catch.