Fish Ice Box?

[Full_Monte]

In my small boat, there is very little room for gear. I'm trying to scale back and shrink down on it. Has anyone figured out a better fish ice box that doesn't take half the available space on the boat? Right now, I'm using an Igloo 52 or 60 quart. I don't have a rear swim step like some of the larger boats have. Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Old School]

I've been using the coleman 28 quart for a while now and really like it. I like the single long handle too. I have an old model that Ive used for a long time and recently got the white marine version. Its like $16 at Walmart and I got mine at Ace I think. It works for me. It easily holds 10 of berryessa's biggest!

Old School

 

[Old School]

I forgot to mention that it will probably not hold a 20 lb brown! golucky

 

[Full_Monte]

Thanks, Old School. I'll check out the cooler at Walmart.
I'm not worried about it holding a 20 lb. brown...if I get one, I'll fill the boat half up with water to keep him alive and come back to port.

 

[sawdustsavage]

You might consider mounting one on the side. I think one of Mikes Vblocks might do the trick. It would be tough to remove it loaded but empty should work fine. Just a thought. I have sveral on my boat for diffrent things. They work great.

 

[Petty4life]

this is how mine used to be mounted. i had to remove it to install remote troll. im thinking about putting it back on but on the other side

 

[Full_Monte]

I ordered the 28 qt. cooler from Walmart online...the white version. Free shipping! I'll give it a try. Thanks to Old School for the suggestion. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all the other stuff on the floor of the boat. I don't think I'll be putting the ice chest on the outside of the boat. The only safe place would be the stern and there just isn't any room. I can't imagine what might happen with the ice chest mounted on the outside port or starboard and hitting water at high speed...101duh101. On our last outing, I got the boat up to 26mph (gps) with two people and gear. It seemed pretty fast in a 15ft. boat.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

mount across the bow rails. put on strong rope handles with screws. use truck stop long rubber bungies to go thru handles and to eye screws in each rail at edge of cooler. leaves the lid easy to use.
solid mount, can't slide. easy to put fish in.
fished with an 80 qt on the 17ft I had for years this way.
adds bow weight for those days a guy fishes alone and needs bow weight.
cooler off, leaves a nice clean boat to tow.
leaves the floor wide open to stack more gear101faceslap101

 

[Full_Monte]

mount across the bow rails. put on strong rope handles with screws. use truck stop long rubber bungies to go thru handles and to eye screws in each rail at edge of cooler. leaves the lid easy to use.
solid mount, can't slide. easy to put fish in.
fished with an 80 qt on the 17ft I had for years this way.
adds bow weight for those days a guy fishes alone and needs bow weight.
cooler off, leaves a nice clean boat to tow.
leaves the floor wide open to stack more gear101faceslap101

Does the cooler get in the way of seeing where your boat is headed? I'm sitting in the stern with a tiller.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

have to try it with the boat, seat, bow, cooler situation you've got

mine was a 17ft high side open Klamath style with a higher seat in the back with transom steering

i fish a 20' Trophy now with rails all around because of leg problems. 200qt inside the cabin.

another solution is one of these fish insulated ice bags in 40>60qt. with the new materials they stay as cold as an Igloo. they take up little room, hang on inside of rail in side.

 

[Full_Monte]

Insulated Ice Bags

Interesting idea!. Funny thing....last year my wife and I were out on the lake early in the morning and trolled by one of those bags on the surface. I trolled back over to it and we picked up a six-pack of beer as well as the bag! I didn't know they worked as well as a cooler for keeping things cold.
You got me thinking. I'm always scrounging for more room on the boat.101goodpost101