Some people enjoy a relaxing fishing trip in their free time. And then you have anglers. Anglers live for the moment that their rod gets that tug indicating that something has taken the bait and dinner is served. If there is an angler in your life, you know that you don’t have to ask them for their Christmas list. You know that they want Santa to put new fancy gear under the Christmas tree with a bow and their name on it. If you have used up all your fishing gear ideas throughout all of the other holidays this year and now aren’t sure what to get your fishing buff for Christmas, take our suggestion and treat the angler in your life to a one of the fancy new fishing coolers on the market these days.
Normal people might not know the difference, but a person who is serious about the rod and reel cannot simply store their bait and catch in a Styrofoam cooler from the convenience store on the way to the lake. Here are the specs you want to look for in a fishing cooler for the fisherman (or woman) you love:
- Cool-ability This is probably a no brainer. The first metric to look at is how long a cooler maintains its temperature. This should be listed in the product details for each cooler, and is an easy way to the determine the most robust cooling containers.
- Capacity vs. Size. Real estate very precious on a fishing boat. The best fishing coolers have good internal capacity, while not being too clunky and cumbersome.
- Drain-ability. Off the bat, if the cooler doesn’t have a drain at all, you might want to keep looking. If it does have a plug, how much water drains when you pull it? No cooler is going to drain entirely, but the better it drains, the more convenient it is for the fisher.
- Leak-proof. While we’re on the subject of drainage, when the plug is closed, it should not drain much– or ideally, not at all. If a cooler is a leaker, you’ll see that come up frequently in customer reviews, and you’ll know to steer clear!
- Convenient to clean. Can we get real for a minute? The contents of a fishing cooler gets icky. Like, real icky. It is important– nay, essential– for a fishing cooler to be easily cleaned with nothing more than a garden hose and a sponge. This is another factor that you’ll pick up on fast by reading customer reviews online before choosing a cooler.
Bonus features
If your angler is on the “really nice” list, here are a few extra features that will bring a big smile to their face on Christmas morning:
- Lock-ability. If your fisher-friend typically fishes while camping, being able to lock the cooler will keep bears out.
- Integrated hinges. If a fishing cooler has hinges sticking out of it, it makes difficult to conveniently store. Look for a cooler that has a convenient rectangle shape without any protrusions.
- Skid resistance. A cooler with rubber feet will come in handy in the slippery, wet conditions fishers do their fishing in.
Are you an avid fisher? What do you consider the most important feature of your fishing cooler to be? Please share in the comment section below.
