Guess I was taught wrong... both guides and fellow fisherman have told me since I first started fishing Fork that they would rather me run by on pad than shut down. Having said that I would only run by on pad when there was plenty of room, other wise its always idle for me.

I have also been fishing the boat lane when folks go blowing by yelling that I'm an idiot for fishing said boat lane.

"He came off plane in the lane", and the following boat was in his blindspot.

"He got run over from behind" because the following boat was too close, running a too fast & not operating safely.

So DO NOT RUN TOO CLOSE TOO FAST and OPERATE BOAT SAFELY. Regardless who is the idiot.
Watch out more for the idiot behind the idiot in front of you.
I would rather have your wave in my boat, than your 1 ton boat & motor.

I pray to God that I never hurt another fisherman or an idiot with a lapse in judgement. That I never have to deal with the guilt and the pain to his family.

Before the lanes were marked and the bridges posted no wake, it was the wild wild west. People flew under the bridges and washed the underside of the bridge with the rooster tail. People were killed under bridges because of this foolishness and the bridges were marked. Coming off pad at a bridge or going past a boat in the lane is common sense. Unfortunately, many people are just plain stupid.

Moral to the story here is to err on the side of safety. Small boats and buoys are sometimes hard to see, especially if the sun is in your eyes or at night. Wouldn't recommend fishing the boat lanes, but the responsibility of safety is on all parties. If you're running 70 mph, you should 1) know how to drive that fast safely, 2) keep aware of your surroundings fore, aft, port and starboard, 3) don't be a jerk. We're all on the water to enjoy the day- don't ruin it for yourself or others.

the tragedy at the hurricane mcdonalds tourney happened where multiple boats lanes intersected. one boat running one lane and another attempting to get on plane from another. they just didn't see each other. horrible accident.

Just cause many bass boats can run 50+mph, it doesn't mean they have to. Same goes with fishing, just because there is a good spot in the boat lane doesn't mean you have to fish it. This is one of those topics that will never end. How many people run parallel to the bridges hauling butt? I see it all the time, with no regard for the people fishing the columns. Or even when I'm out fishing chicken ridge and people blow past in the "guide lane". I fish out there expecting that and keep a cautious eye on the other fools.

Exactly.

Fishing the boat lane is like kinda' like riding a motorcycle. Other car drivers just don't see motorcycles so you have to watch out for them.

If you're gonna fish the boat lanes, you need a higher level of awareness because, unfortunately, there is a higher level of risk than fishing somewhere else.

This is not correct.

Last time I checked Fork is a lake...not a roadway. Telling someone not to fish in the boatlane is like telling someone not to have a blowout and fix their tire on the side of a highway. If the lane is big enough for me to blow by I do. I don't come within ten yards of anybody on plane. Passing each other in the lanes is close enough for me. I don't trust anybody as it is and especially in a damn bass boat going 70mph. Now then, ya if you must fish in a boat lane you are taking a risk of some guy just needin to get to his favorite fishing spot in record time in his 21 foot 300 hp missile plowing into you. Its a risk you take but shouldn't have to. Fishing lane or not if you gotta get around somebody and you are going to come within 10 yards of em slow the hell down. Is it really worth killin someone over anyways? We could what if it all day but you can't really blame a guy for fishing.... If my truck broke down across two lanes of traffic on Hwy 515 are you going go blowing past me in the ditch or are you going to slow down? OR are you just going to T-Bone me cuz I shouldn't have broke down in the first place? Slow down folks.... chances are you ain't gonna catch nuttin anyways! Someone's already gonna be on "your honey hole".... It's Fork remember...

Terrible analogy. You have no other place to drive other than the roadway, so if your truck breaks down the. It's called an accident. We, as drivers, will tend to be accepting of an accident and yield the right-a-way.

When someone is fishing in the boat lane it's their choice. They are purposely in the way. It's not an accident. There are other places to fish than the boat lane.

And I've seen a few people say "just go around him wide where the lane allow." How the hell do I know if the lane is wide enough at that point to safely go around him? I will not gamble on hitting a stump and damaging my boat because of someone's ignorance.

About "Blowing by anyone at 60 or 70 mph within a distance you can't stop in is just stupid."....

I don't have to always maintain a provision to STOP within the distance to another vessel. (At no point is my boat steering a course directly at the other vessel that would result in impact if I did not stop.) The goal is to navigate past the vessel clear of danger. That "clear" distance is not defined as the distance to stop - it is a prudent distance to avoid danger/collision. The number of feet that is considered "clear" will vary depending on the circumstance.

A desirable "berth of courtesy" can at times be wider than a required "berth of safety" when passing by another vessel. Remember that. If I can give you a 100' courtesy berth and keep on going, I will. If the view isn't obstructed and your vessel appears stationary and is pointed away from my course, forty feet could very well be deemed safe. Remember that too. (You aren't going to reverse into my path before I can get past you.)

Most bass boats are "under way" while fishing in that they put a trolling motor in the water and are NOT ANCHORED. Guess what? Such a boat has an equal burden to follow the same rules as any other vessel under way. Just because a boater decides to fish does not change the burden to avoid danger/collision. The vessel engaged in fishing must not violate navigation rules or unduly endanger another vessel, even if that vessel is passing by on plane.

Do I go by at 70+mph? I don't recall doing that, but I'm not bothered if someone comes by me at any high speed as long as the situation appears safe. They'll be gone in a hurry and that pad ripple will be almost nothing.

Do I drop off plane to idle by? Every time I deem it the prudent thing for safety, I'll do it. I don't see this scenario very often in most Texas lakes - usually very narrow channels or blind spots where I can't steer a wide berth.

Do I drop to 25-30mph for "safety and courtesy" (as suggested by some)? Never, and with the 20+ ft. boats I run, you wouldn't want me to do that either!

Do I choose a safe steerable speed and go by on a dry low-wake plane? Yep, every time I don't seen the need to drop off plane to idle by. This gets me by the other boat in a safe, efficient and timely manner with very little surface disturbance. Any fisherman must understand boats can/will pass by almost anywhere he fishes. They may be on plane, and that's OK (rule-wise) as long as they're safe. Courtesy-wise, my pad ripple is probably less disruptive than the open-water chop usually present.

Background: At one time I lived in south Florida, fishing extensively for 20 years in hundreds of miles of Everglades trails and dredged canals. Many were no wider than 50 feet and often the only fishing was IN the canal. The approach I stated worked well there and was legal, as it is here. Nobody really wanted a constant stream of boats dropping off plane, idling 50-100 feet, then roaring off again.

uhhhhhhh, then just slow the hell down, it is the law.


in case some of you like ole willie here don't realize it the law states you must give way to a boat not under power ie. you, the boat under power are able to steer and this means you give way and either go around or slow the hell down.

anyone can fish anywhere on any lake and there is not a dam thing anyone else can or should say, if you are so arrogant that you just have to be "mr cool" and blow by at 60 plus then you are the idiot not the person fishing.

I have done both, passed slower boats on the other side of the lane, blown around folks by swinging wide (at least 100') or by just shutting down and idling for that 50' or so to get by, you can do any and all anywhere on fork as long as no one is coming the other way in the lane, use the other side.

had an idiot in a yellow and white skeeter at the mad dog cut in front of me close enough that I had to shut down in the lane or risk hitting his dumb arse, there was not a soul behind me for at least a mile but he just had to cut my off to cross the lane, idiot complete and total.

there are all kinds, I try to be one of the gooduns.

Thank You!!!! A person on a trolling motor is 'under power'! Good read, right there...

under power or not the boat on plane is to give way, the overtaking always has to give way to the slower boat.

want to know how good you are, take the course.

get the cert. and your insurance drops significantly.

http://boatcourse.com/