That depends on your trailer lights. My trailer will blow out a bulb if I don't unplug 'em first. Others can get away with it. It's not just the water you have to worry about. The change in temperature can be a problem too.

Best advice I can give you is to get in a routine of doing the process the SAME every time out!!
Example
1-Unplug trailer lights (had some like Sooner Claus that blew truck fuse)
2-undo winch line
3-take off tie downs
4-remove tramsom saver
5-put in plug
6-prime gas blub
7-put rods and or net in boat
8-put in nav lights
9-get out life jackets
You will be less likely to forget something,this is the order I use but you can develop your own

+1000

Like everybody else has said, the main thing is just to take your time. If you are honestly doing your best and not prepping your boat on the ramp, then those who get upset with how "slow" you are going can just wait and have their own day ruined with their bad attitude if they want. Not your problem! It's a lot more embarrassing to forget your plug than it is to take a few extra seconds the first time. Me personally, I load and unload by myself the majority of the time. And based on a one-time incident at Fayette where I dumped my boat in with no driver (due to a lapse of thinking) I of course always leave the winch strap connected until I back in the trailer, get in the boat, start the motor and make sure it's running right. At that point, I take off the winch strap, back off the trailer, dock or beach the boat, and go back for the truck. Some guys like to dump the boat with a rope attached when they are flying solo, but I just like knowing my motor is going to operate properly before I set it free from the trailer. Just my 2 cents! Based on my experience and other stories, when things go wrong (and they absolutely will), fortunately there are plenty of guys out there willing and able to help you out. We've all been there!

I had my first solo run today on Grapevine after spending time with Skeeter (the seller) yesterday on Fork. LOL, I suggest everyone on their training day to hit Fork with 25 mph winds.

It was trial by fire in those winds yesterday running the boat lanes, trolling through stump field, and loading. We made it through and today was SOO EASY in 15 mph wind chop.

I unloaded solo, ran to dam and trolled parallel casting a crank, ran to a couple spots I know idling marking fish/setting waypoint/buoy, picked my wife/daughter up for quick spin, and then loaded first try. It was great for my confidence, but not a single bite.

Flying we come up with mnemonic easy to remember words for checklist. I will work on it a little, but this one got me through the day without forgetting anything.

"EMPS"

E - Electrics (master switches/graphs)

M - Motor (transom saver/turn blocks/trim/prime)

P - Plug

S - Straps

All of these are GREAT recommendations. The best way I've found to remember everything is to develop a mental checklist. Always run through your routine when you launch, regardless of how busy the ramp is. The one time you rush yourself and don't go over your checklist will be the one time you forgot to put the plug in (or some other equally painful omission).

If you get to my advise you really wanted the help of the other tff members, haha. I will only advise one more item after all the other great advise. To keep the peace be sure to turn off your headlamps when backing down the ramp. You will upset everyone above you no matter how experienced you become at putting your boat down the ramp. In the dark everyone is blinded by the fisherman at the bottom of the ramp with headlights on. You will at sometime forget and it happens, just apologize when you do it and accept the apology when it happens to you. Just make sure you enjoy the sport and share it with a friend.

Some good advise I got when I first got my boat was develop your own routine and stick to it. If you have someone with you tell them to stand by while you run your routine. That way you don't forget anything. I started out putting the plug in at the ramp as part of that routine, then I decided my routine was to put the plug in at home as soon as I take the cover off. I am less likely to feel rushed there. I also double check it at the ramp. Yes, like many others here I forgot the plug once and nearly sank the boat. It was early after I got the boat and I was feeling rushed at the ramp, even though there was no one else there.

Don't worry about anyone rushing you, if they get mad they are just jerks. Concentrate on your routine and take your time. Fishing is supposed to be a relaxing sport (sometimes people forget that).

You might also want to try to pick a lake and time that is not busy for the first few times while you get used to the boat. That would just help your own pease of mind.

Stan

+1

only way to get good at anything is to practice at doing it correctly, put down the keyboard and launch that vessel

see yesterday's post.

Years ago a couple of guys in our fishing got scatter brained when it came to fishing tournaments. One guy, among other things, unloaded his boat and drove off to go fish. He forgot all about his van and trailer still in the water. Somebody pulled it up for him. Another guy couldn't get his boat to go on the trailer, he gunned it and got it on about the time he realized his trolling motor was down. It happens to all of us.

Besides all the stuff, (drain plug, tie downs, transom saver),
as you back down the ramp with the winch line still attached, watch your mirrors and notice when the boat floats off the trailer. Pay attention to exactly where your fenders are in relation to water depth.
On my single axle trailer for my ZX-190 skeeter, the fenders are about 2 inches above water.
When you finish for the day and back down the ramp, be sure to stop the trailer at the same spot, about 2 inches of fender showing.
That way when you run the boat up on the trailer, it will glide on easy and have just enough friction to hold the boat on the trailer while you tilt up motor and bounce up to the bow to hook up winch strap and safety chain. I have had buddy back down the ramp and stop trailer at the prescribed spot and I run up on the trailer and he drive up in the lot and tie down up there.


NEVER LET OTHERS RUSH YOU AT THE RAMP. MISTAKES ARE COSTLY. YOUR'E MAKING THE PAYMENTS, NOT THEM.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND ENJOY YOUR BOAT.

Before your very first launch and before you pull to the ramp to back down to the water and even before you prep your rig in the parking lot to go in the water. Give yourself a minute or two to calm down. This can be aweful exciting and you will run the gammit of what you feel, everything from nervous butterflies to sheer excitement; of finally being about to do this. That calming time will keep you from forgetting things like putting the plug in the boat or removing the tie downs. Don't as me how I know this.......
Another thing you might try if you get to the ramp and there is no traffic at all is practicing backing the trailer down the boat ramp using nothing but your mirrors. Getting the trailer at the right depth is also an issue, as well loading or unloading if you get to deep things can get real crazy real fast. You want to watch the boat when you are backing in and as soon as you see it start to float stop right there. With most boat trailers if everything is right, there should see at least part of the side guides above the water. Different ramp angles give different results and you just have to play with it. Loading it......... The same thing, if you get the side boards to deep the wind and waves will get the boat crossways of the trailer and you will have a mess. There has to be enough of the trailer sticking up out of the water to control the boat at all times.
Practice your prepping and loading/unloading procedures in you head and get it down. I used to tournament fish a lot and I was always at crowded boat ramps. I had my procdure down to where I could be down the boat ramp, back out the boat, move it and tie it off or bank it, in probably a minute or less. Loading same thing. The main thing is to warm up the motor before you leave the house on some water muffs so it lights instantly when you hit the key. You can even do this the evening before. Nothing is more agravating to other boaters than a guy sitting there cranking away on a motor that won't start.......