The fishin' cooler.

Rustyt1953

Rustyt1953

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My brother and I were talking and after squeezing everything we could out of shoes, ships and sealing wax, the topic turned to dad and fishing.

When dad took us on a daylong or weekend fishing trip, he usually, as he was a creature of habit, packed the same goodies (with few variations) in his old metal cooler:

Rag baloney, colby cheese, mustard, white bread, Vienna Sausages, potted meat, sardines in mustard, saltines, pickled eggs, pork rinds, circus peanuts and Moon Pies.

Dave and I, out of tradition, whether together or separately, have also included those hillbilly staples in our coolers. Our grandkids call it 'old timey' food.

I try to keep that stuff around to remind me of fun, gentler times. Besides, I like it.

What are your favorite go to cooler goodies?
 
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I don't ever remember going fishing with my Dad, he passed away when I was 9 years old.

When my wife and I go fishing I let her handle the food and I eat like a king. When I used to go by my self, I would pack whatever I could find, Vienna sausage, Beanie Wieners, maybe a sandwich or two.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
I like to fish up on Lake Ontario for salmon and trout. I keep two coolers on the boat - a 120 quart, mounted on the transom, strictly for fish. One trip, some friends came along, and insisted on putting a couple cases of beer in that cooler, said "no problem" when I insisted it was for fish. The first couple salmon in the cooler, along with their beer (I don't drink beer) seemed to cause an issue, something about the fishy taste...:) They bring their own beer coolers now.

The second cooler is for the traditional breakfast special. It holds a dozen eggs, a package of onion rolls, a block of cheddar cheese, butter, and a pound of bacon that is pre-cooked the night before, and placed in a zip lock bag. Oh yea, and my iced tea.

I like to get out before the sun is up, and start trolling. I insist my friends drink at least 5 or 6 beers by that point, as it is an important component to the plan...

I take the empty beer cans, cut them in half. Fire up the small gas grill I keep on the bow. In the bottom half of the beer cans, I place a dab of butter, an egg, a couple pieces of bacon, and top with a slice of cheese. Place the beer cans in the grill, with the rolls on the top rack, close the lid, and about five minutes later, you have the perfect egg sandwich. The whole mess is no stick, and just slides out of the can onto the toasted roll.

No matter how good the fish are hitting, someone always volunteers to man the grill.

And there is always at least a ring of venison baloney to go with the left over cheese for lunch.

Larry
 
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Some people get a table at a gun show to sell guns. I go to eat. Forum member GF is my partner in gluttony. :cool:

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Not much.

"Most" trips were short enough to make it back home without starving. Fishing by boat where you didn't have to carry stuff was different & more drinks than food: beer,water,gatorade, maybe sandwiches or chips if it was a better planned trip. Hunting: Jerky & something sugary was a survival type food almost always in my pack but I usually didn't eat it. I was more of a thermos of coffee guy. A thermos of hot ramen noodles with 2 eggs in it was a feast on a cold morning. Caffeine & a snickers bar would hold me for about 4 hours. Camping: hard boiled eggs, peperoni, oranges, canned beans & raviolio's were a standard. Best was bringing my buddy from New Orleans that was an unreal campfire/camper cook, & could whip up unreal meals but use EVERY cooking pot/utensil. 1 cooked, the other did dishes.
 
When we would go, off the jersey coast, my mother would fix us lunch the night before. She would fix either fried chicken or pork chops. Lost more pieces of chicken or pork chops over the side when a fish hit then I ate. Beverage was hot tea with a little lemon and sugar.
 
Rustyt1953 said:
When dad took us on a daylong or weekend fishing trip, he usually, as he was a creature of habit, packed the same goodies (with few variations) in his old metal cooler:

Rag baloney, colby cheese, mustard, white bread, Vienna Sausages, potted meat, sardines in mustard, saltines, pickled eggs, pork rinds, circus peanuts and Moon Pies.
Click to expand...

With all that stuff on the day's menu, y'all didn't even have to put gas in the outboard, did you?
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And do I want to know what "rag baloney" is?
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My dad didn't do outdoor stuff with my brother and I. When I married my wife grew up trailer camping (she had also been a Camp Fire girl all the way up to Camp counselor). She already knew how to bake in a Dutch oven and together we worked out a recipe for a deep dish pizza. She also has a recipe from her mom call "College Coffee Cake", it is baked in a Bunt cake pan and is to die for. We always take two and never bring any home. Now that the kids are all grow and scattered across the country, she will make it when they visit. One of our gifts to each of the kids when they get married is a hand written coffee cake recipe and a good Bunt Cake pan. Our daughter has a big A. camper and triplet boys to fill it. Like when she was growing up, College Coffee Cake is only for camping!

Ivan
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
When I married my wife grew up trailer camping (she had also been a Camp Fire girl all the way up to Camp counselor). She already knew how to bake in a Dutch oven and together we worked out a recipe for a deep dish pizza. She also has a recipe from her mom call "College Coffee Cake", it is baked in a Bunt cake pan and is to die for. We always take two and never bring any home.

Ivan
Click to expand...

The "College Coffee Cake" sounds delicious...and interesting. Are all the ingredients legal?
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Jokes aside, why don't you post the recipe for that? Or send it to me in a PM. I mean, you know, unless it's like this Big Family Secret or something like the formula for Coca Cola maybe.
cheers.gif
 
Rustyt1953 said:
My brother and I were talking and after squeezing everything we could out of shoes, ships and sealing wax, the topic turned to dad and fishing.

When dad took us on a daylong or weekend fishing trip, he usually, as he was a creature of habit, packed the same goodies (with few variations) in his old metal cooler:

Rag baloney, colby cheese, mustard, white bread, Vienna Sausages, potted meat, sardines in mustard, saltines, pickled eggs, pork rinds, circus peanuts and Moon Pies.

Dave and I, out of tradition, whether together or separately, have also included those hillbilly staples in our coolers. Our grandkids call it 'old timey' food.

I try to keep that stuff around to remind me of fun, gentler times. Besides, I like it.

What are your favorite go to cooler goodies?
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same here but lately I've been taking a chicken fried steak sandwich, with Colby Jack cheese and heavy on yellow mustard. Usually have a couple of Slim Jim's and some peanut butter crackers, there's a momma duck that hangs out at the lake, she often gets some of the crackers.

For as long as I can remember, the standard fishing lunch was either sardines or Vienna sausages (or as my granddaddy called them, VI-innies, I still call em that), a sleeve of crackers, bottle of hot sauce, an eight pack of Miller ponies and a Payday bar.

Nowadays it's Yoo-Hoo's or juice boxes instead of beer and a Kashi bar instead of a Payday. Once in a while I take a walk on the wild side and carry a can of spaghetti-O's instead of VI-innies
 
In my younger days we had a cabin on a local lake. My dad and I would be on the lake before daylight. About 10 AM the boat was turned back toward the cabin. By then my mother was up and had breakfast ready. I'm not sure which I looked forward to the most, fishing with my dad or my mothers breakfast table. Would give most anything to do both one more time.
 
My wife and I don't go fishing, (I do, she doesn't) but on road trips our cooler always has cooked prawns, cocktail sauce, chicken salad w/pesto, and Ritz crackers. Her beverage of choice is Pinot Gris, and mine is Vitamin Water Zero.

When I'm by myself, it's PB&J sandwiches with Fritos!
 
I grew up with PBJ's a jug of water and no whiners. If you caught fish you ate. If you got skunked it was more PBJ. Eggs or oats for breakfast, dutch oven chicken and potatoes if we had enough light and time.
 
Both of my Grandfathers were avid fishermen. I spent more time on the water with my Dad's Dad, GP Mac. He was into saltwater. My Mom's Dad was into fresh water and had aquariums, some were natural tanks with local species. I love fish.

On GP Mac's boat were cheep Winn Dixie sodas. (I loved the Blackberry) Grandma would make PBJ's for me.

For some odd reason I'm seeing a trend, Most of you guys including my grandpa like canned fish. Why bother fishing? I only eat fresh caught.
 
I used to go to the country and spend a couple of weeks with my older Sister, (she's 86 now). Remember a fishing trip with my brother in law's Brother, Bud. Sis made me a lunch of two left over breakfast biscuits and two chicken thighs "short legs" as we called them. I stored them in the bib pocket on my overalls. We fished Fox Creek, don't know if we caught any thing, but I do remember crossing the creek and the water was deep, so Bud just grabbed me by the gallus straps on my overalls and away we went.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
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Dad was a golfer, I was a fisherman, so I 'd go fishing with friends or my uncles.
I always put in some bologna, (baloney if it's a fishing trip), cheese, mustard, white bread and cokes and water to drink in the cooler. (beer was for after the trip)

The purpose of the food wasn't nourishment, but to make the fish bite. Whenever things were slow, I'd put my rod down, open the cooler, get out all the ingredients, make a sandwich, open the drink, take a bite, and inevitably along that stream of events, a fish would hit, causing a mad scramble to grab the rod, put the sandwich and drink down while maintaining future edibility, then work the fish.
A sandwich was the best fish finder I ever had.
 
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