I am for following the law. But after my plug came out from the outside of my boat i put a new one on the inside where it is supposed to be and its not coming out. The fine is alot cheaper than the 40+ thousands that almost went on the bottom of the lake. Ive been in a boat for 20+ yrs and always had theplug on inside and will continue to do so. I clean my trailer and empty my livewells but the plug stays in. I was never as scared in a boat as i was yesterday.
40 thousand dollar Boats DO NOT SINK 
But 25000 boats with 15000 in equipment do
I run 3 plugs in my current rig and been putting plugs in boats from the outsite for over 20 years and never yet lost one due to the plug or boats fault.
I found out that mine won’t sink without a plug last winter 
I have for two weeks and never will again. The concept is good but will never stop it. I clean the yrailer and drain livewells. No lake eater grts in the boat unless it has a leak. Or the plug is out. Sorry guys but i wont take a chance again. If it was really big water i.e. Millelacs or leech i was a gonner
Sorry for spelling. On my phone
I hope your not driving 
Last year, I forgot to put the plug in my Skeeter for the first time in nearly 30 years of fishing (other boat brands too). After 3.5 hours of fishing, the auto-bilge came on. I was wondering why, then I remembered I forgot the plug – which screws in from the outside. I never even saw water in the boat. I reached over the transom, screwed it in and all was taken-care of. After that 3.5 hour experience, I’m never worrying about plugs again. …Mine won’t sink and it won’t even get the floor wet, even after 3 hours with no plug. Plug in – or plug out, I’m totally safe!
I recommend an automatic bilge pump. I split a live well intake pump this past winter and found out that the boat fills up with water pretty darn quick even with the plug in.
With 40K investment, having a couple spare drain plugs and an automatic bilge pump doesn’t seems like bad insurance.
I have an ’04 Fishawk and have probably forgotten the plug about 5 or 6 times. A few times before and after the law. I forgot the plug early this spring on the Rainy River and left it tied up ALL night. Woke up and found 6″ of water in the back. Newer boats are required to have enough floatation to NEVER sink.
The new law is no excuse for your personal responsibility as a fisherman to prevent the spread of invasive species.
This should be a great reminder for you and anyone else to pull that plug and make it part of your routine!
How often do you forget to remove your straps when you put your $40,000 boat in the water???
If you spent that type of money your boat, I would hope it won’t sink. I’ve forgotten my plug a few times. Never sinks, just get some water on your feet. I just reach down and put the plug in and run the bilge. It’s not that big of a deal. I just take it out, if there’s any water in it, it drains. If no water, I put it back on. Get the ones that screw in, you won’t loose those.
Oh well….
The DNR boats rarely pull their plugs.
Sheriffs boat – Nope, too.
Dog
Quote:
But 25000 boats with 15000 in equipment do
What is this equipment made of? Lead and bricks?
I’ve never lost a plug, and that goes for my duckboat that has a flip up style plug, and I’m constantly running it through timber.
Sucks what you had to go through, but I’m sorry….sounds like operator error to me….
Quote:
40 thousand dollar Boats DO NOT SINK
That is basically true. They won’t sink to the bottom like the Titanic. But, they will fill with water and capsize in a matter of seconds. In other words, the bildge can become filled with water adding weight to the stearn. One rouge wave or tuna boat wake and you are swamped. 10 more seconds tick by and the boat fills to the rails. then she flips over and inside of 15 seconds you go from fishing to standing on the hull of your boat. Don’t ask how I know…. 
-J.
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