What’s one of the worse things to happen to an angler after a long day of fishing? Opening up that container of crawlers under a hot sun only to find a gooey stinking mess is one thing that would be near the top of my list. There are options available though, some cheaper than others.
The 30 dollar option is good, once you get past the price that is. Hagens, a well known tackle sales house sells the “Keep Kool” container.
These are a little hard to find, some of the big box outdoor stores used to sell them, and they still might, but I don’t shop in them much anymore preferring the online options to get exactly what I want, when I want it. In the pic, the door is open allowing you to place your crawlers in the middle, 100 to 200 depending on how much bedding you use, or do not use. Under the white lid that surrounds the “bait well” there is a slot that runs around the well to keep your crawlers iced down. Now if you decide to do this option, that is ok, it works and works well, but here is a good tip to help make the product better. Instead of using ice cubes, try this. Take container and fill the slots about 3/4’s of the way up with water, and then place in freezer. This gives the ice room to expand. Solid ice melts slower than cubes, so this is a far better option.
Now the frugal way, call it cheap if you want, but I like using that extra 20 bucks for other things. Go to Meijer, Walmart, Menards…..etc. Look for this Coleman 5 qt lunch sized cooler.
It will cost you 10 bucks, plus or minus a dollar.
Now, everyone is taking meds or vitamins these days, so you have plenty of these lil bottles laying around. If you do not, go ask your parents, they do.
Prescription bottles and these vitamin bottles are water proof, ie… they won’t leak. Again, fill them 3/4’s full of water and freeze. Advantages are they are solid ice and wrapped in plastic so they last longer. Place two or three of these in the bottom of the cooler, then put bedding and crawlers on top of them. Now you have bedding insulating them as well.
Now you have an effective and fairly inexpensive way to keep your crawlers fresh and cool.
Now consider this, you have the guy driving the boat, and two guys working the lines and baiting hooks and only one cooler of crawlers. You have already spent 10 bucks compared to the 30 bills for the other option. Instead of passing the cooler back and forth and opening it twice as much, get a second 5 qt cooler for another $10. Now you have only spent 20 bucks compared to $30, and you have a more convenient and functional option.
Remember, sometimes the frugal way, is the best way.