# Cooler for Drum bait



## RaccooonEyes (Oct 22, 2014)

Looking to buy a nice cooler around 20 quarts to keep my drum bait fresh. Would like to hear opinions/experience on different cooler brands yall like. Thanks


----------



## Benji (Nov 19, 2014)

Personally iv been eyeballing the Engle live bait cooler. Not super thick walled with a sealed latching lid. Doubles as a dry box. Comes with an aerator and a tray. 13 19 30qt sizes. Oceans east has them last time I was there.


----------



## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

Dont know which cooler is better than another other than yeti being the best but very expensive. I have found that if your cooler is going to be left unopened for a while, take an old insulated blanket/comforter and wrap it around the cooler and it will help hold the ice....an added layer of insulation. It works.


----------



## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Honestly, I'd say to go with whatever's cheap and has a drain plug on the bottom. Long as you keep the ice topped off and the drain plug open you'll be good. Higher-end coolers are great for keeping ice intact as long as possible but I'd use that for any fish I keep to eat, not my bait.


----------



## RaccooonEyes (Oct 22, 2014)

sand flea said:


> Honestly, I'd say to go with whatever's cheap and has a drain plug on the bottom. Long as you keep the ice topped off and the drain plug open you'll be good. Higher-end coolers are great for keeping ice intact as long as possible but I'd use that for any fish I keep to eat, not my bait.


I hear ya. I just hate when my ice melts and my bait is sitting in a puddle of water as the day goes on.


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

Cut up an old milk crate for the bottom of your cooler. Drill some large holes in a plastic dish pan, ice, bait,ice.


----------



## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

Igloo sportman 20 qt, every bit as good as a yeti but only $100 at sams club.


----------



## spearso1 (Sep 8, 2015)

RaccooonEyes said:


> Looking to buy a nice cooler around 20 quarts to keep my drum bait fresh. Would like to hear opinions/experience on different cooler brands yall like. Thanks


You may have seen a thread I posted, and after some research the engel aerated cooler seems to be a good addition to your kit.

If you don't need aeration, and you just need a good cooler, I've got a Yeti in 35 and 65, and I love em now that I've bought them. However, there have been so many coolers out in the last few years that rival the Yeti's capabilities, and come at a cheaper price point. Engel DeepBlue (check amazon, can be had at a good price), Orca, Icey-Tek, Pelican (very heavy duty, very heavy), Brute, Grizzly... The list goes on for a while. It really comes down to what you're willing to spend, and also what you're willing to carry. If I am not mistaken, the smallest offering in most of these brands will be 35 qt, fyi. However, there has been a pretty standard marine grade igloo on the boat for years and it works well for the day.

If you're worried about youre bait getting wet, get a tupperware and designate it to bait forever (assuming your using frozen bait now). Freeze it, take it out for the day, put whats leftover back in the freezer for next time. Having that slush in your cooler is good for getting your catch cool nice and quick!


----------



## RaccooonEyes (Oct 22, 2014)

Thanks for the info. I have been looking at the pelican 20 quart and k2 summit series 20 quart. Kinda leaning toward the k2 since I can get it for $160 instead of $200 for the pelican and like you said the pelican seems to weigh a lot more but does seem sturdy and well built..


----------



## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

You get what you pay for ... I'm a Yeti Guy

K2 is not a bad choice I don't think it is as good as a Yeti. The Pelicans design and latches suck, not to mention its dimensions.
Orca is another descent choice if you are counting pennies.


----------



## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

drumrun said:


> Igloo sportman 20 qt, every bit as good as a yeti but only $100 at sams club.


Not a chance !!!!


----------



## Adam (Feb 19, 2001)

Coleman Xtreme 5 day coolers. Have a 35 for my cart and a 70 for my truck rack. Holds ice very well, probably your best bang for your buck. Target had them for $40-50 last time I looked online. Would love a couple Yeti's or Engels but can't make myself spend that much for a cooler.


----------



## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Cheap with drain. On trips I leave my fish coolers in truck. How long do you think a Yetti would last overnite in the back of my truck? best - glenn


----------



## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

For my Bait cooler I have a cheap white igloo I received with purchase of something else. Works great. I have to replace ice pretty much daily and drain it every couple hours but no big deal. I also put my bait in zip lock bags to keep it away from the chlorinated ice. 

I am also a Yeti guy, I have a 65 and a hopper 30. Both are bad a$$. The jury is still out on if they are worth the money, but the build quality is 2nd to none. 

I like to use dry ice for the trip from OBX to Charlotte when we have a cooler full of fish. We did that once with a Coleman extreme and it causes the plastic to get very brittle. In the yeti...no such issues!


----------



## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

I also lock my yeti to the front tow rings when it is on my rod rack. $25 lock vs $300 cooler...


----------



## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

DaBig2na said:


> Not a chance !!!!


Have you tried one?


----------



## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

drumrun said:


> Have you tried one?


Don't need to! Igloo introduced these coolers a few years ago at much higher "price point" to try to compete with Yeti. It was dismal for igloo. The ergonomics of the cooler are absolutely terrible in my eyes, not to mention the footprint and dimensions. I've read the tests and comparisons as well. 

You get what you pay for.

I own a 25, 35, 45 and a 65 Yetis and love them all. 

I further understand that a Yeti is not always in a person's budget. Therefore the above mentioned igloo is an alternative as well as a the Coleman. Though still not in the same class as the Yeti, K2, Engel, or Orca.


----------



## CJS (Oct 2, 2006)

Adam said:


> Coleman Xtreme 5 day coolers. Have a 35 for my cart and a 70 for my truck rack. Holds ice very well, probably your best bang for your buck. Target had them for $40-50 last time I looked online. Would love a couple Yeti's or Engels but can't make myself spend that much for a cooler.


I use them also and agree that they are great coolers for the money. The only downside is that they don't come with a cool sticker to put on my truck. I'll save my money for bait and gas.


----------



## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

Adam said:


> Coleman Xtreme 5 day coolers. Have a 35 for my cart and a 70 for my truck rack. Holds ice very well, probably your best bang for your buck. Target had them for $40-50 last time I looked online. Would love a couple Yeti's or Engels but can't make myself spend that much for a cooler.[/QUOTE
> 
> I agree. Coleman extreme's work well.


----------



## joek (Jun 1, 2015)

Whatever cooler you use put frozen block in with your ice cubes.
size the block for the cooler.
ice will last a lot longer.


----------



## aln (May 29, 2006)

sand flea said:


> Honestly, I'd say to go with whatever's cheap and has a drain plug on the bottom. Long as you keep the ice topped off and the drain plug open you'll be good. Higher-end coolers are great for keeping ice intact as long as possible but I'd use that for any fish I keep to eat, not my bait.


I like to use the Polar Paks in my bait cooler. Always carry 10+ on the trip. Swap 'em out every day or so, wash 'em down and refreeze .. saves on ice and never have to worry about having a soggy bag of bait.


----------



## spearso1 (Sep 8, 2015)

joek said:


> Whatever cooler you use put frozen block in with your ice cubes.
> size the block for the cooler.
> ice will last a lot longer.


this. Any old plastic containers (ice cream, sour cream, coleslaw/potato salad) make really great ice block makers.


----------



## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

the high dollar coolers don't perform as well when you are opening and closing them all day long, they shine when you leave them closed for days for long term storage like a trip home with meat you need to keep cold for several days,


----------



## Islander80 (Mar 27, 2010)

I like my Coleman Xtreme. I also freeze water bottles with a couple spoons of salt dissolved in. The coldest regular water can get is 32 degrees; salt water can get cold enough to freeze your bait solid if you put it under the ice blocks. You also don't have water at the bottom of the cooler that you need to drain that will be replaced with warm air from outside the cooler.


----------



## DANtheJDMan (Aug 29, 2012)

Thermodynamics says that ice (solid water) can get way colder than 32 degrees F. 

Salt water freezes at 28 degrees F. 

Islander80 is kind of sort of right, the salt water willl want to melt at 28 degrees F. 

In order to change phase................solid to liquid...........salt water has to absorb a certain amount of heat. 

That means the other stuff in you cooler will not get above 28 degrees F until a lot of the salt water has melted. 

You can freeze regular ice to -40......................but it will start to melt at 32 degrees F when it has warmed to that point.

Salt water can be water and still colder than stuff that is still frozen in your cooler..................does that make sense?

Is this anal or what.......................I have taken way too many mechanical engineering classes.


----------



## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

I use as small a cooler as I need. I'd rather take two smaller ones than one big one that's only half full. Half full coolers are half full of warm air.


----------



## OldBay (May 15, 2003)

https://www.rticcoolers.com/shop/coolers/RTIC-20-White


----------



## SeaPA (Oct 12, 2013)

OldBay,

You have my attention with the RTIC link. Can't find any reviews yet though. Have you heard anything one way or the other on them?


----------



## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

There is a pending lawsuit between them and Yeti. Mostly under copyright infringement. I don't think they are shipping any as of yet.
If at the prices they are displaying it is certainly worth a look.


----------



## Elgreco (Aug 12, 2014)

A damn yeti costs more than my whirlpool stand up freezer...


----------



## jocoscout (Jan 12, 2012)

Adam said:


> Coleman Xtreme 5 day coolers. Have a 35 for my cart and a 70 for my truck rack. Holds ice very well, probably your best bang for your buck. Target had them for $40-50 last time I looked online. Would love a couple Yeti's or Engels but can't make myself spend that much for a cooler.


I'm with Adam, I've been pleased with my 70 and 120 qt coleman 5 day coolers and they were both $50ish at Wal-Mart. I have not been pleased with my Igloo Marine 25qt. The ice barely lasts a day and they don't come with a drain plug standard. 
No matter what, definitely use block ice as much as you can, 2-liter coke bottles or gallon milk jugs work great, and when they start to melt you can cut out the rest of the ice and throw away the jug.


----------



## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

I'm planning on getting a silicone rubber cake pan 10x8x3 and freeze my own block ice, measure the bottom of the cooler you plan on using then either use the aluminum pans or something and make your own


----------



## The Joker (Mar 24, 2015)

You can't go worng with the yeti. I won mine but if something happend to it i would buy a new one the next day. Looking to get another one just can't decide what size to go with.


----------



## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

surfchunker said:


> I'm planning on getting a silicone rubber cake pan 10x8x3 and freeze my own block ice, measure the bottom of the cooler you plan on using then either use the aluminum pans or something and make your own


For my 35 and 45 I freeze brand new half liter bottled water as as it thaws I drink it. I also freeze one liter bottles of water straight from the tap. One gallon or half gallon milk jugs work quite well in my 65. Ice bottles keep it nice, neat and clean. The bigger the chunk of ice the longer it will last. I have a huge stand up freezer that I keep full of something so it will run efficiently. So, I rarely pay for ice.


----------



## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

Joker
I have a 65 white I will part with for 300.00 it posted on Craigslist Eastern NC


----------



## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

When we go to the keys every May to fish offshore we always freeze ice in oversized sauce pans as well as water bottles and put them in the drink box. Just be careful not to break the block ice into chunks because the sharp edges will slide around and punch holes in aluminum cans....learned that the hard way. Once you put some fish in the box these blocks can be chunked and added to bulk ice on top of the fish. Saves money.


----------



## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

on my coolers i installed screw in type plugs gooped with caulk then fitted it with serg tube 3 foot long. many vehicles have some kind of space in back so it will drain out and down.


----------



## GlenS (Sep 8, 2012)

last year was first year with Yeti 35.. Ill never go back.. Keeps ice for days.. Might drain a half a solo cup out of it a day.. Instead of a bag of ice some days 2 bags I can go 3 days as long as everyone shuts lid tight.. Baits expensive when its not in the surf and ice is too on the 4x4 beaches.


----------



## IPNURWATER (Aug 20, 2013)

Any old Garage sale cooler .drill holes in the sides, but not through both sides of the wall and lid fill holes with the spray can insulation from Lowe's.. This is what keeps the cooler colder . Most coolers have hollow walls and lids ... That's is what makes the yetis so much better .thicker walls and insulated. Then it's the seals . but just put your block ice in a trash bag and it will stay colder longer plus the bag will hold. All the water off your bait...and I'll keep my $400 bucks and buy something else...


----------



## permit (May 10, 2003)

i have an engle 30qt bait tank and love it. under 80 bucks on amazon


----------



## hifu (Aug 3, 2006)

*Drainin'*



HStew said:


> on my coolers i installed screw in type plugs gooped with caulk then fitted it with serg tube 3 foot long. many vehicles have some kind of space in back so it will drain out and down.


Good idea. Be nice if someone would build a plug with a fittin on it to attach a hose some type. I gotta keep mine in a SUV and it's a pain to drag em out to drain. I cut some wood, like a grill, and put in the bottom of most of my coolers also so if I get an inch of water build up in the bottom it does not bother anything.


----------



## Elgreco (Aug 12, 2014)

I line the bottom of my coolers with frozen water/soda bottles and add additional ice. That keeps stuff off the bottom when the ice melts.


----------



## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

hifu ...the plugs from plumbing dept.hdepot tubing right there to .measure diameter of drain and proceed...the serg tubing has a quich hitch and release mbuilt in ..that lets you remove the tubing


----------



## hifu (Aug 3, 2006)

HStew said:


> hifu ...the plugs from plumbing dept.hdepot tubing right there to .measure diameter of drain and proceed...the serg tubing has a quich hitch and release mbuilt in ..that lets you remove the tubing


Thanx, will scope that out Stew


----------

