For saltwater fishing on the Gulf Coast, most anglers are best served by the GATR 45 ($300, 45 quarts, 42 cans plus ice) for a full day in the bay or marsh, and the GATR 70 with Wheels ($450, 70 quarts, 80 cans plus ice) when you are keeping a bigger catch or fishing with a crew. Both come from GATR, the cooler and drinkware brand from Thibodaux, Louisiana. Both have a one-piece rotomolded polyethylene shell, a freezer-style gasket, a fish ruler in the lid and a drain sized for a standard garden hose, which matters when you rinse salt and slime out at the end of the day.

What does a cooler need for saltwater fishing?

Salt, sun and fish slime are hard on gear. A cooler that sits on a deck all day in July needs a few things that a backyard cooler can do without.

• A shell with no seams. Every GATR hard cooler is rotomolded as one piece. There are no joints for brine to work into and no thin corners to crack when the boat slaps a wake.
• Thick insulation. The walls and lid carry roughly 2 to 3 inches of foam. That is what keeps ice working through a hot afternoon on open water.
• A tight seal. A freezer-style gasket keeps warm, humid air out each time you open the lid to drop in a redfish or grab a drink.
• A drain you can flush. The drain plug is sized for a standard garden hose, so you can push fresh water straight through the cooler instead of tipping it over the dock.
• A ruler where you need it. The GATR 45 has a 0 to 20 inch ruler in the lid. The GATR 70 has 0 to 26 inches, and the GATR 110 with Wheels has 0 to 30 inches.
• Hardware that holds up. Dual stainless bottle openers double as padlock-ready locking plates, and the Signature GATR latches are replaceable if one ever wears out.
• Feet that grip a wet deck. Non-slip GATR grip feet help keep the cooler from sliding when the deck is wet.

Are GATR coolers good for saltwater use?

Yes, they are built for it. The shell is polyethylene, so salt cannot rust it, and the openers and locking plates are stainless steel. What salt does to any cooler is build up a crust on the latches, gasket and drain over time. The fix is simple: rinse it with fresh water after every saltwater trip, run the hose through the drain, and let it dry with the lid open.

One honest note. A cooler is not an airtight box, and a little seepage at the lid is normal. If a wave comes over the bow, wipe the gasket and carry on.

How do you keep fish fresh on a boat?

Fresh fish come down to three things: cold, clean and out of the sun. Here is the routine for a bay boat day out of Cocodrie or Grand Isle.

• Pre-chill the cooler the night before. The foam holds the temperature it was left at. A cooler that sat in a hot shed starts the day warm. Sacrifice a bag of ice overnight, dump it, then load fresh ice in the morning.
• Bring more ice than you think. Plan on plenty of ice for every fish you hope to keep. The packing rule we use for drinks and food is two parts ice to one part contents, and fish need at least that much.
• Get the catch on ice quickly. A fish lying on a hot deck loses quality fast. Bleed it if that is your practice, then bury it in ice instead of laying it on top.
• Keep the cooler in the shade. In our own 3-hour test, the surface temperature of a cooler in the sun and one in the shade differed by over 55 degrees. Under a T-top, a leaning post or a wet towel makes a real difference.
• Open it less. Every time the lid opens, warm air goes in. Keep drinks in a separate cooler so the fish box stays shut.
• Drain on purpose. Cold meltwater helps for a while, but fish should not soak in warm, bloody water. Drain it as it warms and top up with ice.

How long the ice lasts depends on all of the above. Most owners report several days from a full cooler, and up to a week in cooler months. The full explanation is in our article on GATR cooler ice retention.

GATR 45 or GATR 70 for fishing?

Pick by how many people are aboard, how long you stay out and how much room the boat has. A half-empty big cooler loses ice faster than a full smaller one, so do not buy bigger than you will fill.

The GATR 45 is the size most people should buy. It holds a day of catch for a small crew plus lunch if you pack it tight, and it is a two-person carry when full. The GATR 70 earns its place when you keep a lot of fish or fish with a full boat. Its solid rubber wheels cannot go flat, the cooler stays put on the deck until you lift it from the far end, and the textured lid works as a casting platform.

Running offshore for a full day or more? Look at the 110 and read our offshore fishing cooler guide.

Which GATR to pick for saltwater fishing

• One or two anglers, a morning in the marsh: the GATR 20 ($200, 22 cans plus ice). It fits in most bay and jon boat lockers, but measure first. It is not big enough to keep a real catch.
• A full day in the bay, a small crew: the GATR 45 ($300).
• A crew, a big catch, or a boat with deck space: the GATR 70 with Wheels ($450).
• Offshore days and multi-day trips: the GATR 110 with Wheels ($500).
• Fish in one, drinks in another: pair a GATR 45 for the catch with a GATR Egg 25 soft cooler for drinks, so the fish box stays closed.

Want a non-skid seat on the lid? A custom Marine Mat cooler pad runs $90 for the GATR 45 and $100 for the GATR 70, installed free when ordered with the cooler. It is softer to sit on and absorbs heat before it reaches the lid. Not sure about size? Check the cooler size guide. Orders over $75 ship free in the USA.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best coolers for saltwater fishing?

For most Gulf Coast anglers, the GATR 45 ($300, 42 cans plus ice) is the right size for a day in the bay or marsh, and the GATR 70 with Wheels ($450, 80 cans plus ice) fits a crew or a bigger catch. Both have a seamless rotomolded shell, a freezer-style gasket, a lid ruler and a hose-sized drain.

Are GATR coolers good for saltwater use?

Yes. GATR hard coolers have a polyethylene shell that salt cannot rust and stainless steel bottle openers and locking plates. Rinse with fresh water after every saltwater trip, flush the drain with a garden hose and dry it with the lid open.

What is the best cooler to keep fish fresh on a boat?

A rotomolded cooler with thick walls and a tight gasket, kept in the shade and packed with plenty of ice. The GATR 45 has 2 to 3 inches of foam, a freezer-style gasket and a 0 to 20 inch ruler in the lid for checking fish.

How long will a GATR cooler keep fish cold?

It depends on pre-chilling, shade, the type of ice, how full the cooler is and how often it is opened. Most owners report several days from a full cooler, and up to a week in cooler months.

Does the GATR cooler have a fish ruler?

Yes. Every GATR hard cooler has a ruler in the lid: 0 to 14 inches on the GATR 20, 0 to 20 on the GATR 45, 0 to 26 on the GATR 70 and 0 to 30 on the GATR 110.

Can you stand on a GATR cooler to cast?

The GATR 70 with Wheels and GATR 110 with Wheels have a textured lid that doubles as a casting platform, and you can stand on it with the latches closed. A Marine Mat lid pad adds a non-skid surface.

Should I drain the meltwater when keeping fish?

Cold meltwater helps for a while, but fish should not sit in warm, bloody water. Drain it as it warms through the hose-sized drain on any GATR hard cooler and add fresh ice.