Invasives - Moving a boat off of Minnetonka

[toughguy]

I have a very nice friend that has some open dock space on Minnetonka. He offered to let me keep my boat there this summer for free. I was thinking of leaving it there ice out until the end of June but then take it off to some other lakes up north later in the year. The boat won't be on a lift so all of the invasives will have a good opportunity so attach themselves to the boat. I have a 16 ft lund with a Merc 2 stroke and live wells. Other than picking off weeds, what steps do I need to take to be sure I don't spread the Minnetonka invasives? I'm mostly worried about zebra mussels because I can see millfoil and remove that. If I scrape any zebra mussels off and let the boat dry out for a few days will that take care of them? I'm seriously considering not putting my boat in this cesspool out of fear I may spread stuff to other lakes I love to fish. Thoughts, suggestions, opinions?

[TruthWalleyes]

Just drive by mille lacs on your way up north. I'm sure the DNR will pull you over and show you how to clean it for a small fee!?!?!

Take it out of the water, Use some bleach/water mixture in the hull. Let dry for a few days. I don't know what else you could do. I'm not even positive that bleach will kill the eggs of the invasives...but odds are that it will.

Props to you for being cautious and asking the question!

[delcecchi]

You could paint the bottom of the boat with anti-fouling paint. Make sure it is ok for aluminum if your boat is aluminum.

[CAMAN]

Cheapest/easiest solution would be to pull the boat atleast a week before you plan on heading to another lake. Let it sit in the sun and dry completely.

[h8go4s]

Here's what you need to know direct from the horse's mouth:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/preventspread.html

[toughguy]

some good info here. I think I'll pressure wash and leave it dry for 2 weeks.