Does anyone happen to use a cooler bag for fish?  When I hike and plan on keeping fish, it ends up being a pain in the rear to tote along a cooler.  Last year I used an old beer 30 pack cooler.  It worked but ended up with melted ice leaking out and on me.
 
I saw the Calcutta Pack Fish cooler and some others on Amazon that looked promising.  I am not looking to use a $250 Yeti for putting my catch in either...  I'm sure it would be perfect for the task, but I don't want to be to the point where I am contemplating throwing away a $250 cooler, because I can't get the fish smell out.  It seems like the cheaper coolers have a very thin liner, that once tears is done.  Also seems that look like they'd get fish smell trapped.
 
I was thinking a dry bag might work, but would be lacking the cooler properties.  
 
Let me know if anyone has a good solution they wouldn't mind sharing.

Funny you asked and since I allowed myself to get hooked on surf fishing, this very thought has been on my mind too.

So, here's my thinking. A 30ish qt. el cheapo cooler with a hard plastic liner. However, the hard plastic liner may be difficult to find so I'm thinking el cheapo plastic tote, with lid, that fits inside the cooler.

The tote is for any stupid fish I catch. 🤣 So in my case, the tote should be exceptionally..... small.

OK enough of the jokes and I think you see what I'm sayin.

For the ice melting and leaking water, first line the cooler with a plastic trash bag and pack the ice under and around the plastic tote or just fill the tote with ice, which is what I could do because the ice would be the only thing in my tote.😝

The lid for the tote could serve as a "cutting" board for bait.

My luck the only "fishy smell" would stem from cutting live bait on the tote lid but still, a wash of chlorinated water (Clorox) should help with el stinko.

Just thinking out loud but I hope it gives you some food for thought.

I have quite a few 30 pack coolers that I love to use on our boat.
We freeze bottles of water and use them as our blocks of ice. 

• No leaks from the cooler as the water is contained
• You can drink them if they melt
• You can use a hammer or rock to crush the bottle of ice if you need loose ice.  The plastic bottle is easy to cut but contains the ice when smashing it.

 
I have also found that if you double up on the coolers (one inside the other) that even if the inside cooler leaks, it rarely leaks through the outside cooler.  It also provides better insulation at a very low weight.

I'll second the frozen water bottles if ya have the freezer space. Works very well and ya don't need to buy a 20 pound bag of ice everytime.

Good ideas. 
 
I was thinking a contractor bag for liner, but way too big.  I want something thick since those dorsal fins go right through the standard kitchen garbage bag when I put carcasses in, so imagine flopping around would be even more so.  I was thinking 2 gallon freezer bags might keep the slime in and help with the dorsal fin poking?  I rarely catch many fish that won't fit in that.
 
I like the lid idea.  I usually have a small lunch box size hard cooler when cut bait fishing and use the lid for that.  In all honesty, most fish I catch fit in that thing and what I had used before when wanting to be mobile.  But have had times when I catch fish that won't fit and forced to either C&R or make a trip back to my truck or rental house.
 
 
The bottles sound like the way to go for ice.  I have 3 x 1/2 gallon apple juice containers in my basement freezer that are my "beer cooler" ice packs.  They don't keep the fish as cold as it would if in that mix of ice and melted ice water, but much better than a stringer or just sitting on the sand baking in the sun, which I see guys do.
 
I would mostly be using this for locally when crappie/perch wading, although usually it is cool enough when I wade for them to keep in a mesh bag then to my hard cooler in my truck.  Or when at the beach and hiking a good distance, either back side wading for specks, flounder, puppy drum there is usually a good hike from parking to the spot, usually over through terrain that my dolly struggles in.  Or walking the beach casting lures and covering as much water as possible until I find something that looks interesting.  I'll often go 100 yards and remember that my dolly/cooler is sitting back there and have to circle back and get.

BeenThereDoneThat.
I'll second the frozen water bottles if ya have the freezer space. Works very well and ya don't need to buy a 20 pound bag of ice everytime.

I save up my used quart yogurt containers, margarine and just about any old food container that is big enough.  A day or two before I go fishing, I make ice blocks.  I like to smash them against each other and is basically a bag of ice.  It helps justify my basement fridge...  I always take those containers when going on vacation too.  Toss them out when I leave.

Consider the cheap cooler bags used for groceries as something to use as an interior bag. They are cheap enough you dont care about replacing them a couple times a year and they are strong enough to help minimize spines poking through into your good bag and they can be easily rinsed out between trips. They have a bit of insulation to them to help reduce ice melt also.

Just dont take your wifes insulated 31 picnic bags... wouldn't go over well.

😳 did Pork just say yo.. yog... yoogurrrt..... in quarts??

Lol, just kidding neighbor. My problem will be freezer capacity so I'll be forced to buy bags of ice of which I won't be able to use all at once or store. However, with my luck, I shouldn't need ice anyway. Stupid fish.🙉

You can make disposable ice packs by mixing isopropyl alcohol and water in a sandwich or qt zippy bag. Store flat in freezer. They remain slushy to form to any shape container needed and are colder than regular ice packs. Just make up the size you need the night before. They wont last for countless hours but are a convenient alternative to bulky ice packs.

Mix ratio normally 2 parts water to 1 part alcohol. More alcohol makes it slushier, less allows more solid freezing, though it wont freeze solid unless you have a sub zero freezer. Karo syrup can also be used, though I would hate to clean up the mess if the bag punctured.

Great idea on the reusable shopping bags for the liner. I think adding those to one of the less expensive “backpack coolers” that I have seen, using bottled ice would set me up for what I am thinking. Should keep things cold enough and give a place for me to keep some tackle and other gear.

As for the yogurt in a quart... As many mornings as I can, I do a power breakfast. A bunch of rather disgusting tasting healthy crap thrown in a blender. Get is as liquid as possible and slam it. Kind of my license to eat the way I want for the other meals. That and the statins and limited exercise...