Dumb question - cooler size

[vw_buggsy]

If anybody feels like answering a dumb question:

I didn't grow up fishing. I'm trying to learn because I like it and I like eating fish. Some things seem so basic that it's hard to find info on it. I've managed to catch some trout, and recently blue catfish. Next I want to try catching some snakehead.

Anyway, if you had a small boat and needed a cooler to store your catch, what size would you get?

I have a 14' aluminum boat, not a ton of room and it fills up fast. Rather than looking for the biggest I can fit, I'd rather find the smallest functional size I can use. Since I'm a crummy fisherman it's not like I often have more than one or a couple fish to store anyway :-) I also take short trips when I can, so I'm looking at a day trip max of inshore fishing. So how big of a cooler do I need for a couple average size catfish or snakehead?

[Wallco99]

You were correct after the thread title. You could have stopped there.

[vw_buggsy]

You were correct after the thread title. You could have stopped there.

And your mom could have used birth control, but instead, here you are. On a positive note, I have nothing against the horse you ride in on at all, probably a fine animal.

Look sorry I don't already know anything. Crazy I would ask a fishing related question in a space specifically set aside for fishing info. What was I thinking?

[jack1747]

I replaced a seat (bench) in my 1450 Wahoo with a cooler that fit the measurements.  I sit on the cooler. I forget the size.  Will check it for you when I'm seaside tomorrow.

[Levi]

Hello, what?? 

[vw_buggsy]

I replaced a seat (bench) in my 1450 Wahoo with a cooler that fit the measurements.  I sit on the cooler. I forget the size.  Will check it for you when I'm seaside tomorrow.

Now we're talking, that's a great idea! If I could somehow replace a seat or incorporate a cooler into one of the seats I wouldn't have to give up any boat space, but could use a much larger cooler than I'd be looking at otherwise.

[Wallco99]

And your mom could have used birth control, but instead, here you are. On a positive note, I have nothing against the horse you ride in on at all, probably a fine animal.

Look sorry I don't already know anything. Crazy I would ask a fishing related question in a space specifically set aside for fishing info. What was I thinking?

LOL. Good return. Still a ridiculous question though. Whatever fits in boat is obviously the right size.   

[U812OHNO]

If you have your average aluminum boat, you probably have the aluminum bench seats that go from one side of the boat to the other, probably two or three of them?
I took my jig saw with a fine metal blade and cut out a section of the seat and hinged the piece I cut out.  I built a cooler inside there that worked perfectly.
You have to get creative when you don't have much space!  Just build a plywood box and recess it down in there (wrap it with foam insulation on the outside of it and resin/glass the inside of it).  I drilled a hole in the bottom/side and used an expandable transom drain plug.  Worked like a champ.   

[vw_buggsy]

LOL. Good return. Still a ridiculous question though. Whatever fits in boat is obviously the right size.   

It's cool man I know you're just busting my chops and you know I was just busting yours back. Seriously though a couple of others gave me some really good ideas that I wouldn't have come up with on my own so it was worth asking the question. If you're bleeding, look for somebody with scars. In other words, it's kind of dumb to try to figure out everything on your own when you know there are people that have done all of this before.

[Wallco99]

It's cool man I know you're just busting my chops and you know I was just busting yours back. Seriously though a couple of others gave me some really good ideas that I wouldn't have come up with on my own so it was worth asking the question. If you're bleeding, look for somebody with scars. In other words, it's kind of dumb to try to figure out everything on your own when you know there are people that have done all of this before.

All good.

[vw_buggsy]

If you have your average aluminum boat, you probably have the aluminum bench seats that go from one side of the boat to the other, probably two or three of them?
I took my jig saw with a fine metal blade and cut out a section of the seat and hinged the piece I cut out.  I built a cooler inside there that worked perfectly.
You have to get creative when you don't have much space!  Just build a plywood box and recess it down in there (wrap it with foam insulation on the outside of it and resin/glass the inside of it).  I drilled a hole in the bottom/side and used an expandable transom drain plug.  Worked like a champ.   

Thanks!

This is what Jack's reply had me thinking, something along these lines anyway like a drop-in that fits into the middle bench seat. My wife gets badly boat sick and my kid has no interest in going out on the boat with me so the middle bench has no real purpose. I had been thinking of getting rid of the middle bench, or at least cutting a walk-through in it. If I turn that seat into a cooler it'll have a reason to exist.

Do you just drain the "custom cooler" to the floor of the boat and let the water drain out the boat transom? I was thinking of something that would lift out but your way sounds a lot easier.

[U812OHNO]

Right, I used to pull the cooler plug once I got the boat back on the trailer and let it run out.  We're talking melted ice now.
Maybe get a little bigger boat and your son will want to go out and Momma won't get sick 

[jack1747]

Another thing you might consider is "fish cooler bags".   

[Logical1]

The record Maryland Snakehead was caught by a friend of mine and was 36". Blue cats can get bigger, but remember that you can bend the tail around on a fish to get it to fit in the cooler. Just be sure the Snakehead is dead before you put it in there. I like to bleed out any large fish I am going to keep, I think it gives it a cleaner taste. On my kayaks I use a fish cooler bag with a 2 liter bottle of frozen water for my ice pack. It last me all day like that.

[vw_buggsy]

The record Maryland Snakehead was caught by a friend of mine and was 36". Blue cats can get bigger, but remember that you can bend the tail around on a fish to get it to fit in the cooler. Just be sure the Snakehead is dead before you put it in there. I like to bleed out any large fish I am going to keep, I think it gives it a cleaner taste. On my kayaks I use a fish cooler bag with a 2 liter bottle of frozen water for my ice pack. It last me all day like that.

I've "bonked and bled" the blue catfish I keep so far because most of the YouTube videos I watched on catfishing recommended it. They tasted great to me, and they aren't very hard to catch either which is mainly why I like fishing for them! I've eaten snakehead before but never fished for them. Since I'm learning to fish anyway I figure why not start on stuff that's invasive and help get rid of a few. Over time I do want to learn to fish properly for a number of different species but learning takes time, and I've only been learning for a few years when I have time to fish or study fishing.

I've also heard folks say that when cats get too big they aren't as good for eating anyway. So I guess if it's too big for my cooler I can just release it.

My center seat in the boat is about 45"x12"x8" (LxWxH) and that's not running all the way to the hull, so I could go a bit deeper than that, to maybe 13" high. This means I could, in theory, make a built in cooler something like 40x10x10 with room for a couple of inches insulation or just a bit bigger. That just doesn't seem big enough around.

I may just cut the center of the middle seat to make a walk-through design and add a bit of additional support in that area.  It would open up a bit more usable space. If I do either of these things it will be over winter, not right now, so I have time to think on it.

The best solution would be to just get a bigger boat. But I'm always so broke I can't even pay attention 

For now, I'll try the bag style coolers y'all suggest and see how they work for me. My wife has several and a couple are tatty enough that she'd probably let me swipe them, and that's free. I was using a pretty big coleman hard sided cooler but in such a small boat it just takes up SOOO much room! I already use frozen bottles cause they work good and don't cost anything.

Thanks y'all.

[Logical1]

I have seen guys take very large catfish and snakeheads and fillet them on the spot and just bag the fillets and toss them into the cooler.