Hi there, up at the cottage I would clean my cooler by scrubbing it with wet sand. I just caught a largemouth bass and can’t get the funky fish smell out of it. Took it to a self serve car wash and blasted it five times with soap then rinse water. Would vinegar work? I understand fish slime is a base so a mild acid should work. Has anyone tried this?
Pour some bleach in, fill with water, and let it sit for a day. Done this with Engel bait coolers that somebody forgot to empty a few times and gets all the smell out.
Which reminds me… 
Give it a coat of baking soda paste – smear the inside, let it sit overnight-see if that works…
Thanks for your suggestions. I’m going to spray it really well with Lysol and let it sit overnight.
Scrub every inch of it with Soft Scrub cleaner and a scrub brush. Coat everything thoroughly. Let it sit for 2-3 hours before rinsing.
Pour some bleach in, fill with water, and let it sit for a day. Done this with Engel bait coolers that somebody forgot to empty a few times and gets all the smell out.
Which reminds me…
Been there more times than I care to admit.
Bleach definitely does the trick
I’ve always had good luck using bleach. In my experience, Lysol just gives you a disinfectant smell but the fish smell is still there in the background.
I’ve had good luck with washing it with dish soap, rinsing well, drying with paper towel and let sit in the sun for a few hours. Need to keep moving it or propping it up so the sun hits all the surfaces.
Bleach
Doesn’t have to be crazy strong. A few “glugs” into a few gallons of water will do it.
And as Netguy mentioned, UV rays are a natural disinfectant/deodorizer. Best way possible to dry a cooler.
Absolutely bleach! Up to a quarter cup in the large cooler and live well.
Lysol is gross.
Take the bleach advice.
Bleach, Dawn dish soap, fill with water and shake it up. Let it sit for a day and rinse it out.
I have used the baking soda in the Engel for sure and it works
Bleach!
Cant believe no one said just release the bass next time.
I’m going to rinse the Lysol out and if it’s still fishy I will use bleach. Thanks everyone ☺️
Cant believe no one said just release the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass next time.
Well, he was already keeping a muskie, so he thought he may as well throw the bass in.
Hot water/oxyclean long soak, dry in the sunshine-bleach if its very bad,
I now use bleach very sparingly because it is corrosive and stains clothes if you are not careful.
I have only kept the first musky I caught 40 years ago.
Cooler smells only of Lysol now. I can live with that.
Well, he was already keeping a muskie, so he thought he may as well throw the bass in.
Probably should be in the breakfast thread but just thinking how yummy a slightly toasted english muffin would be with a perfectly smoked muskie fillet topped with a beautifully poached loon egg. Smothered in Miracle Whip of course.
Check out a company called Safrax.
They make easy to use Chlorine Dioxide tablets that can be used to kill mold, mildew and odors out of vehicles, campers, cabins etc.
Thanks
I use the bleach spray cleansers for tubs and showers. The brand of bleach cleaner isn’t important.
I spray it on, take a brush and brush out the crude, spray it out with a hose and leave it upside down on my cleaning table to dry. It cleans my fish cooler well well and it never smells. I’ve been doing the same thing for years.
No matter what you do leave it open and exposed to the sun for a few days after. I “fixed” my bait cooler many times but allowing nature to run it’s course fully lol
Ate a musky once-tasted like a pike.
Legally? Hooked bad, I was a kid parents served it, I didn’t argue.
“Hooked bad” – understood. That’s why we carry special hook cutters and other release gear. It’s also part of the reason I’m going barbless.
If it makes you feel better it only happened once and that was in 1976. I’m sure most angler musky deaths are probably from those not fishing musky, you musky dudes really know what your doing when it comes to handling fish.
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