Cooler Bags?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Landbased & Surfcasting
Forum Description: From rocks or beaches, here's the place for the landbased fishos to share information
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74393
Printed Date: 29 Jan 2026 at 4:40pm
Topic: Cooler Bags?
Posted By: SufixRockMan
Subject: Cooler Bags?
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 6:00am
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Apart from the Penguin Sea and Surf insulated cooler bags what are some other options? The http://www.icemulecooler.com/ - IceMuler cooler looks pretty awesome, but is currently sold-out  Cheers 
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Replies:
Posted By: Ahab
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 7:07am
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The icemule looks great, Simon, one big advantage being that it doesn't leak. Icy bloody water streaming out of a penguin down your calves is a big negative of this style of bag. I take black rubbish bags to put fish and ice in with my penguin. On the neg side of the icemule, you'd probably want to process your fish on the rocks. Not much room for a whole big snap in there. No problem if you just take fillets, but if you're like me and you eat everything except the scales, you'd have to break the fish down and pack it carefully. Another big plus of the penguin is that you can open it right up for cleaning. I'd guess you could invert the icemule for this purpose. I tried taking one of those silver emergency blankets onto the rocks and wrapping fish and ice in it, but it was a profound failure. The heat of the rocks radiated through and the sun did the same from above. |
Posted By: SufixRockMan
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 7:28am
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Another problem with buying one in the states is that sizes are generally in 12, 24,48 or 72 cans...hmmm. http://www.aocoolers.com/index.cfm?category=9 - These look promising too...48 cans would be a few snaps. |
Posted By: Brown Dog
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 9:39am
| Wish someone would invent a pack with a built in cooler bag, would make things real easy. |
Posted By: username
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 9:48am
| Berkley make them but the pocket is only big enough for bait. |
Posted By: Fissure
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 9:57am
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tagit make some cooly bags as well. i have the kingfish one it only takes upto 16kgs kingi, maybe a bit more.
they good to deal with
http://www.fishingdirectnz.co.nz/fishing-accessories-cooler-bags-chilly-bins-c-35_38.html?osCsid=39734e085f84c10ff57a98019f7f8d23 - http://www.fishingdirectnz.co.nz/fishing-accessories-cooler-bags-chilly-bins-c-35_38.html?osCsid=39734e085f84c10ff57a98019f7f8d23
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Posted By: SufixRockMan
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 10:19am
| ^ awesome, looks like I will wait till I get back home. |
Posted By: scuzzymoto
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 10:23am
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I use the shopping cooler bags for my bait with salt ice, with my fish its a wet sack- easy ------------- "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled” Mark Twain |
Posted By: SufixRockMan
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 10:26am
| I used to do that but they really aren't up for serious punishment. |
Posted By: scuzzymoto
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 10:29am
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true but cheap, if I go on a long haul I also use http://www.techniice.co.nz - techniice a very good product but alittle expensive but it works really well ------------- "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled” Mark Twain |
Posted By: Blindspot
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 10:34am
Why not contact Murray and Christine at Penguin Sea & Surf and see if they will make you one. |
Brown Dog wrote:Posted By: deacs
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 11:02am
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Kilwell have just started(i think) bringing in something similar to a large cooler bag and for cheaper: http://www.kilwell.co.nz/Saltwater_Accessories/SW_Acc_PrecisionPak.html Not sure where they are sold though, saw them in fishing news.... And very true if you want want specifically designed for you go and see Penguin Surf & Sea |
Posted By: BeachedAsBro
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 12:47pm
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The NZLBGC may be having some made up soon... may be a little more expensive but designed to take the rough treatment we landbased fishoes dish out... how soon do you need it? ------------- Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish caught will we realise we can't eat money. |
Posted By: Blindspot
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 1:08pm
| The problem with the Kilwell bags is the fabric is not really suitable for LBG. The best cooly bags are made from pvc as they tend not to disintegrate/tear easily. |
Posted By: deacs
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 2:19pm
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must admit i won a small penguin surf& sea one (one with a strap you can put over your shoulder) and it has done many trips and still going strong. Havn't actually seen one of the Kilwell ones in the flesh to see what the quality or materials are like but as you say fabric not as suitable |
Posted By: BeachedAsBro
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 4:07pm
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Another thing to look out for (so I've been told) is the thickness of the zip. Apparently the chunky zips tend to blow out on the corners with a heavy load. Finer but strong zips are the way to go. Not first hand experience but have been making some enquiries myself lately. ------------- Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish caught will we realise we can't eat money. |
Posted By: fisher
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 8:24pm
| I have used the drybags / kayak bags for bait and fish, I'm planning on making an insulated insert for them using EVA foam. That would also help with the big problem the dry bags have when carrying snapper, namely the spines rendering the drybag a leakybag. Wrapping in plastic bags help to keep the spines flat along the back and not poking out. |
Posted By: Ahab
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 9:17pm
Hey Mark, a mate (Mikey) takes a big pair of kitchen scissors with him for shaping baits, I used them the other day to clip the spines off our snaps before putting them in rubbish sacks with ice. Only took a few minutes and stopped any holes/leaks. It's only the dorsals and pelvic spines you need to do. Come to think of it, that was the comp you and Editb joined in on, where we were 16 mins late for weigh in. May have made it if I hadn't clipped the spines! Still a good idea under normal circumstances. |
Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 10:14pm
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Hmmm never had any of my drybags be peirced by snapper spines and had plenty of them in there over the years. Usually use one of these plus levinlarges peguin cooler bag to get out catch back out.
------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: fish i
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 11:00pm
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My old padded/ insulated surfboard bag better than any cooler out there I reckon. Comes ready made with a suspension padded shoulder strap. Fit that massive king I'm gunning for. Slots perfectly into the iternal hull of my yak and keeps salt ice solid all day long too. ------------- 6th place in the inaugural Te Kauwhata Regionals paddle crab division |
Posted By: fisher
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2012 at 4:59pm
I've had it happen to 2 bags now. Didn't know about it until filling them with water when washing them out and seeing dribble water out of invisible holes. |
Posted By: Big Reddy
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2012 at 5:12pm
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fisher get a Sealline Baja dry bag, very very tough material, I've had a couple for years and they are still going strong. http://www.ampro.co.nz/products/casca/sealline04.htm#DryBags - http://www.ampro.co.nz/products/casca/sealline04.htm#DryBags
or Rather than carrying out whole fish why don't you fillet them on the rocks, the fillets can be rinsed in saltwater, stored in a large ziplock bag and packed in a 20 liter coolie bag. Saves a big slog carrying out a whole kingiy or a pile or snapper. Average fillet recovery is about 40% so your carrying a whole heap of weight you don't need to every time you carry a whole fish out.
------------- “Drive for Show, Putt for Dough”: |
Posted By: SufixRockMan
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2012 at 1:22am
| Leaving the fish on ice overnight or the afternoon makes the flesh much easier to fillet. Recovery is only 40% if you choose to fillet only, some of us will smoke the head, flaps etc make stock from the frame or even use ky for home brew burley |
Posted By: Big Reddy
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2012 at 5:52am
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Thanks Havok, I ice my fish for 30 minutes on the rocks in a cooler bag then whip the fillets off, you're right it makes for easier filleting, if I'm after a whole fish for the smoker/bbq then obviously it just goes on ice and stays on ice, after gutting of course. Average fillet recovery is not effected by taking flaps and boiling the body for stock, I'm talking fillet %. Guess I'm more on about carrying fish out from a remote area, not a 5 minute stroll down the rocks. ------------- “Drive for Show, Putt for Dough”: |
Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 26 Apr 2023 at 9:05pm
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Bumping up an 11 year old post eh! My yellow dry bag still works all good and gets taken on the snapper missions. Have a seperate kingi bag now which is much bigger and better for walking out kingfish. Really easy to carry actually as it is well balanced, even with a 20kg'ish fish. ------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: shaneg
Date Posted: 27 Apr 2023 at 9:51pm
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Fish bags are the go … take your salt ice out in a smaller chilly bin ( one that can take a whole bag of salt ice and some beers) and if start catching bigger stuff… like big kings , puka and yellowfin then deploy and add some salt ice to that fish bag wiith said bigger size fish, and up until then,when you are catching said bigger fish, takes virtually no room on your boat. Common sense really. Fish bags are easy to clean up and wash out, rather than lifting big chilly bins out full of fish, left over ice and a lot of excess water.
Kayak fishers ( the smartest of all fishers) mainly use fish bags.
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Posted By: kitno
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2023 at 5:46pm
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That last post got me thinking, makes sense in a small boat. |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2023 at 7:09pm
| What about snapper spikes poking holes in them. |
Posted By: shaneg
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2023 at 7:50pm
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My tagit cooler insulated bag in yak is about 8 years old … has had an awful lot of snapper and spiky gurnard in it over years. Still as good as day I bought it. Has very hard blue weave material as inside liner. The orange pelagic bag we use in boat for kings and tuna has a liner that looks more fragile. They also fold up real small and it can stowed forward. Our’s ( purchased it as xmas present for wife) is 3 years old … still perfect. Has had lots kings, some big sized mahi-mahi and a few yellowfin in it. I confess, if only catching a few snaps or gurnard in boat for dinner, or skippys for bait, throw them in the chilly bin with the ice and beers. Unless catching really big snaps those fish don’t tend to take up too much room. But when catching decent mahis, or a 20 kg -30kg king, larger tuna (albies and yellowfin) or a big puka in a smaller trailer boat or other similar small craft, I like a relatively clear cockpit without need for a bigger chilly bin that takes up way more room. The big chilly bins placed under rocket launcher can be handy to stand on mind you … to spot marlin. The downside is if filled with beer they can also lead to excessive drinking, as well as cramping your cockpit space.. And more likely to do your back in lifting out. Although I used to think you couldn’t beat an old wet sack kept out of sun, if just catching snapper over few hours in morning or evening.
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Posted By: kitno
Date Posted: 02 May 2023 at 4:28pm
Picked up this today  Looks to have a similar capacity as my 70ltr bin. |
Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 03 May 2023 at 11:44am
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Ive got one very similar to that I use to kingfish. Folds up easy too and attaches to the backpack. Carry out with fish is easy too as long as you can handle the weight
------------- LedgeNZ LBG |