Who's transfered invasive species?

[TruthWalleyes]

Last year i honestly thought that my boat drained all the water out...well ignorance is bliss. (OK, all but a few drops at least)

With the floor now removed, the ribs on the floor are visible, and they do not allow water to pass through. This is a mid 80's alumacraft.

So, even tipping my boat up to a 30 degree angle will not drain all the water. It's stuck between these 1.5" tall ribs, and the seal between these ribs and floor doesn't allow any water to pass through.

I CAN'T DRAIN THE WATER OUT OF MY BOAT...

Which leads me to my next question...How many of you KNOW that all the water can drain from your boat? I'm guessing that many of the alumacraft boats do not drain. Should the state ban these boats? How about brand new boats... Were they designed to have all water drain out of the hull? I doubt it.

I'm thinking that my boat, my situation, is only 1 of likely 10,000 in the state of MN. So, who's trasfering invasive species...is it still the birds/turtles/acts of god, or is it us ignorant boat owners?

I'm have yet to be "On Board" with these invasive rules, though i do comply, but now knowing that my boat WILL retain water - whats next? State bans these boats? Wash stations...Almost feel bad admitting that i can't prevent my boat from transfering these invasives but i'm also not willing to throw my boat in the dump knowing that my situation is just one of thousands.

Slow the spread??...Hardly!

[slipperybob]

I cannot drain all the water from my livewell because of the filter on them. Plus I don't think all the water would ever drain out of the tubes, nor would they drain out of the pumps. I even take time to drain water out of the prop housing at the ramp.

[Nick Kuhn]

It's likely not those last couple of drops that is the factor, it's people who make no effort whatsoever. Last 4th of July I found a pretty good sized chunk of luckily very dead milfoil floating in my lake (it doesn't have any form of milfoil in it). You couldn't have possibly missed this thing if you even took 30 seconds to check your boat.

The irony of the invasive species push in Minnesota is that they do not even consider curly-leaf pondweed to be an invasive, and as far as I'm concerned I'd rather have milfoil spread to my lake than that nuisance.

[SkunkedAgain]

My mid-80s Fisher was the same way, plus it was shaped like a whale. In order to get the belly (front) of the boat level with the stern so water could flow out, I had to use a hydrolic jack to raise the tongue onto an upside garbage can...then the boat weight was distributed backwards enough that I could lift the whole thing onto my shoulder and actually drain out the last couple GALLONS of water that resided in the belly of the beast.

I've harped about these type of boat designs for years, but 80% of the folks on these forums don't care. It's too tough to ensure that all of the water is out of their boats so they just ignore it. Ignorance IS bliss for most people but for most fisherman it's not ignorance, it's ignoring what they know to be true.

[bobbymalone]

The irony of the invasive species push in Minnesota is that they do not even consider curly-leaf pondweed to be an invasive, and as far as I'm concerned I'd rather have milfoil spread to my lake than that nuisance.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticplants/curlyleaf_pondweed.html

[fish_eat_sleep]

We all have!!!

Theres no way to drain anything completely.. Even your trailer tubes have a bunch of rotting garbage in them. Your outboard will always have a small amount of water in the prop and freshwater pick up area too. even your bilge pump will have a few drops left in it.

The drain plug law is common sense or you"ll have rotting floors after years or storing water under them but I personally DON'T see how the drain plug removal helps stop the spread of anything..

Here's why.. okay so your out fishing. collect a few ounces of water. keep the plug in. wash the exterior of your rig (including trailer). fish a different lake now, keep the plug in. how in the world does that spread invasive species.. plugs don't leak..

When you remove the plug at each landing site and watch the water drain into the lake how do you know the water between each rib is getting out? or if some is stuck between packed foam.. so you go to a second lake and put the plug back in. hit some waves and shift everything around in the boat. upon leaving the lake you pull your plug and watch the water go back into the lake..

Pulling the plug should be common sense to prevent mold and a bad odor but how does the law help any of us? more trailer tubes, exterior strakes and lower units have invasive species than the inside of the hull anyway. Not to mention birds and hundreds of other aquatic animals. Even floods!

Long rant i know.. Do your part in keeping the lakes and rivers clean. The birds will do theirs!

Thanks to anyone that actually reads this.

[bwa]

ships going in & out of The Great Lakes...too bad we are the ones that have to suffer.

[Down Deep]

The Duluth area has several bodies of water located in close proximity. It is very common to fish one lake and then another in the same day as it takes only minutes to arrive at the next ramp. It is routine to leave the live-wells and bait-well or bucket full of water and drive over to the the next lake. There is no doubt that the chance of spreading invasive would be higher. On the other hand many of these larger lakes are connected to the same water system and water flows lake to lake. I would also imagine that having to dump all the water, pull fish out of the livewells and change the bait water would deter this lake to lake fishing.

[Supercrew]

Word.

[Hookey]

I have had the same boat for 15 years . I leave the inspection cover off by the outboard and for 15 years not a drop of water. Last year I started pulling the plug as required. Anyone who owns a boat knows the next sentence. Yes I forgot the plug.

What once was a forever dry hull is now flooded. I drain as best I can and fish the lake.

The next lake I go to has a xtremely steep ramp as I back towards the ramp the water from lake A drians into lake B .

I often fish several lakes in a day. I am very cautious about invasives and have spent many hours learning about them.

All I am saying is for me this was the first time I failed and it was a result of following the law. If I was a casual fisherman say one weekend a month one lake or two a year maybe the boat would have dried out and the law would have worked.

Yes I understand we need laws , rules are rules , if you are a 'good' fisherman you will follow the laws etc. I will install the stickers dump my minnow water pull my plug etc.

Most boaters have a system. I fish alone and the only time I ever screw up is when someone "helps".

For me changing the law changed my system and the result was failure. For me a better laws would be if we find a weed on your trailer you are in trouble. iF WE PULL the plug and water comes out you are in huge trouble. Most boats do not leak and many will never take on water. Unless the plug is out.

You must pull the plug law for me is a bad thing.

[chasineyes]

To answer your question with all honesty is YES. And yes we ALL have, like someone else mentioned. It's like asking if anyone has ever exceeded the speed limit. Of course we ALL have. But 90% of the time we're good law abiding folks.

[TruthWalleyes]

To answer your question with all honesty is YES. And yes we ALL have, like someone else mentioned. It's like asking if anyone has ever exceeded the speed limit. Of course we ALL have. But 90% of the time we're good law abiding folks.

I think in the case of transfering water...99% of us comply with the laws, and 90% of us still transfer water while complying with the laws.

If i get pulled over, i'm unhooking my boat, lifting it up, and putting the DNR's nose right under the plug hole for a face wash. I can't see how they could possibly write me a ticket even though my boat is transfering water

[Scott K]

If my boat has water in it, it is from rain, or from me forgetting to put the plug back in. It doesnt leak, and there arent to many rollers on the MN River.

[TruthWalleyes]

Mine used to leak like a siv...After a weld job last fall it's more of drip leak...So for me, it's mostly lake water and occasionally rain.

[fsnrod]

ships going in & out of The Great Lakes...too bad we are the ones that have to suffer.

You can't make shipping treat their ballist water that would cost them to much and would be bad for commerce. But you can make all of us pay for them polluting the waters.