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General Boat Lane Question #12482190 10/28/17 05:54 PM
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Resh Offline OP
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Fishing close to home there aren't really many lakes with boat lanes marked.

I've been out to Fork a couple times in my tube, but now having a boat, I have a question about how to run the buoys. (at any Lake not Fork)

Do you just run as if you're driving a car, keeping the buoys on the "drivers side" left of the boat based on your direction of travel? Just stay as close as you can to the markers? Seems like some buoys are used to mark hazards, and some to mark where to safely run. How does it work?


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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482211 10/28/17 06:21 PM
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Even though coast guard expectations say otherwise is my experience is people run them like highways.

Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482260 10/28/17 06:54 PM
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You run the buoys port to port. In other words you are always on the right side of the buoys. Watch out for boats fishing in the boat lanes especially on the weekend.


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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482611 10/28/17 11:57 PM
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If you plan on fishing Fork regularly, invest in the Boat lanes card. There are a couple of area where there are stumps and /or trees in or near the boat lane. Birch, Glade, and north of the 515 East bridge come to mind.

Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482672 10/29/17 12:42 AM
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Resh Offline OP
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Thanks, don't plan on spending much time at fork, just my only example so far. Port to port makes sense. How do you know what buoys mean run here, and what buoys mean hazard here? Is that what the map card is for? For every lake?


There are no fish in sonic pond EDIT: Except 1 20lb catfish
Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482742 10/29/17 01:23 AM
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careful....if you've got two buoys marking a channel or boat lane,you stay between the buoys....if you are traveling up a river,the red buoy will always be on your right and the black buoy on your left...going down a river,black on your right,red on your left....

Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482785 10/29/17 01:51 AM
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Originally Posted By: Reshelman
Thanks, don't plan on spending much time at fork, just my only example so far. Port to port makes sense. How do you know what buoys mean run here, and what buoys mean hazard here? Is that what the map card is for? For every lake?


Only buoys I've seen on Fork are the boat lane buoys which are white with a red top. There may be some no wake buoys but don't recall seeing any. There are hazard buoys, channel markers, shallow water buoys, river channel buoys and all are marked differently. If you fish a lot of different lakes and/or rivers it would pay you to learn the meaning of each.


I am a Senager. (Senior teenager) I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50 years later. I get an allowance every month. I have PU truck and a bass boat, I am blessed.
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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482850 10/29/17 02:51 AM
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PM sent.

Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482973 10/29/17 05:40 AM
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Many years ago I was in a buddy's Champion running at WOT in the boat lane at Mustang Creek, Fork. We hit a huge floater that must have weighed 20 tons right in the middle of the lane. His Optimax flipped up and somersaulted back toward us and dang near cut my head off. The best part was that we fished our way back to the Martin's ramp at Little Mustang under trolling motor power with this steaming, demolished outboard on the rear deck and had a pretty good day.


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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482978 10/29/17 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted By: Reshelman
Thanks, don't plan on spending much time at fork, just my only example so far. Port to port makes sense. How do you know what buoys mean run here, and what buoys mean hazard here? Is that what the map card is for? For every lake?


You really should look into some online info available from numerous sources. Two prominent ones are the TPWD boating page and the USCG boater information/education pages.

With respect to remembering where to pass on marker buoys, one reminder used by many educated boats is "Triple R", for "Red Right on Return" This means that a red channel marker buoy should be kept on your right when returning to the origin of a waterway. The origin is where the water starts, i.e. when you're going upstream.

Marker buoys for a channel are NOT always in equal set pairs. They may be in pairs for areas with complex obstacles and turns, but not necessarily on rather straight run segments. To reduce the number of buoys required, the left and right buoys may be placed alternately, where you pass by one buoy and begin to look ahead for the next buoy on the opposite side. This is where a chart helps clarify what to expect/look for.

Many map cards available from private sources have routes marked on the map that are "supposed" to be relatively clear of obstacles and safe to run. These may be marked with waypoints or "trails". There are no buoys on these routes - the sole info is the track info you paid for in the chip card. The idea is that you drive your boat so that you follow the track displayed on the display. Of course, the boater must be aware of lake level and whether the privately identified routes are safe in the current conditions.

Last edited by Flippin-Out; 10/29/17 07:00 AM.
Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12482990 10/29/17 09:34 AM
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All of this is great advice. Thanks.


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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12483432 10/29/17 10:31 PM
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Places are different. Caddo has arrows on the channel markers telling you which side of the poles to run on.

Last edited by Cass Caldwell; 10/29/17 10:31 PM.

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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: Resh] #12483539 10/30/17 12:25 AM
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All bridges at Lake Fork are NO WAKE. There are buoys, but the bridge is also marked. That is a white buoy with an open orange circle, and "slow no wake" printed on them. Danger, keep out are white with orange "crossed" diamond. Do not go beyond these buoys. They ar either in a straight line or arch. The do not cross lines typically extend on the same logical plane (arch or line, depending on the other buoys) to the shore.

Agree with checking out the Online Resources mentioned above!

Last edited by David Burton; 10/30/17 12:32 AM. Reason: Mixed up no wake and hazard.

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Re: General Boat Lane Question [Re: BillyVanWard] #12483745 10/30/17 03:06 AM
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Originally Posted By: BillyVanWard
Many years ago I was in a buddy's Champion running at WOT in the boat lane at Mustang Creek, Fork. We hit a huge floater that must have weighed 20 tons right in the middle of the lane. His Optimax flipped up and somersaulted back toward us and dang near cut my head off. The best part was that we fished our way back to the Martin's ramp at Little Mustang under trolling motor power with this steaming, demolished outboard on the rear deck and had a pretty good day.


I just got one of these installed on my boat for this very reason. I hope it was money wasted and will never need it.
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