A creek I can wade upstream has a good number of large and smallmouth and I also catch quite a few keeper size bluegill. What is something I can tow behind me on a rope (tie off to a belt loop or around my waist) with a little ice to keep a few? A cooler won't stay upright and could also fill with water. I thought maybe a bucket but don't have a watertight lid.

A stringer.

9 minutes ago, Chris Catignani said:

A stringer.

Yep!! Kind of what they are for! ??

I used a stringer back in my wading days.

As has been said, use a stringer. Keep a cooler on ice in your vehicle, and put your fish on ice. Clean them when you get home

Just watch out for otters.

backpack cooler is your best bet.  Tying anything to you is only gonna be good when going upstream, going downstream it will be in the way.

9 hours ago, fin said:

Just watch out for otters.

Yeah giant snapping turtles to

14 hours ago, wasabi_VA said:

A creek I can wade upstream has a good number of large and smallmouth and I also catch quite a few keeper size bluegill. What is something I can tow behind me on a rope (tie off to a belt loop or around my waist) with a little ice to keep a few? A cooler won't stay upright and could also fill with water. I thought maybe a bucket but don't have a watertight lid.

I have a fishing backpack so when I keep some fish I just clip a stringer on my bag and keep wading with the fish in the water obviously.

make sure its a least 8 ft long.

17 hours ago, Basser2021 said:

I have a fishing backpack so when I keep some fish I just clip a stringer on my bag and keep wading with the fish in the water obviously.

I've done that too. It's kind of lije walking a dog! ?

That would be a no no in Florida. 

A friend and me were wade fishing and he insisted on carrying the stringer full of bream. He suddenly cried out” there’s something pulling on the stringer!”  He jerked it up violently, and the last bream ( which was a good sized one,) was bitten in half.  He started running in the water, and a big turtle head popped up behind like a periscope , then started in steve’s direction again.

With that, Steve almost became the 3rd person to ever walk on water! ?

After that I began using a flat bottom styrofoam cooler to put fish in!