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TITLE 31 NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
PART 2 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
CHAPTER 55 LAW ENFORCEMENT
SUBCHAPTER G BOAT SPEED LIMIT AND BUOY STANDARDS
RULE �55.302 Definitions




The following words and terms, when used in this undesignated head, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Department--Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
(2) Governing board--The governing board of an incorporated city or town, a commissioners court of a county, or the governing board of a political subdivision of the state created pursuant to the Texas Constitution, Article XVI, �59, as identified in the Parks and Wildlife Code, �31.092(c).
(3) Headway speed--Slow, idle speed, or speed only fast enough to maintain steerage on course.
(4) Regulated area--Any area on public water designated and posted "Slow, No Wake" area by the governing board.
(5) Slow, no wake--Headway speed without creating a swell or wake.

We have a no wake bouy at our cove which has a creek that flows on the side of it , bass boats , jet skies just total ignore it , I tell my wife they just do not what that means .

As someone who lives on a boat I can say half or more of boaters have no idea what no wake means. I've almost been hit by a ski boat behind my houseboat that was on plane and passed within 10ft of the dock(100 yards inside the marina, and jetskis are the worst. When a jet ski makes a 50' 10,000lb boat with pontoon style flotation that drafts 8-10'' rock so the roof almost hits the roof uprights 3-4' away you're going way too fast.

Funny part is you tell them to slow down and they cuss you out, they never expect to be met at the gas pump and clam up though.

No wake means exactly that...no wake. A properly tuned engine should idle any boat without causing a wake...a ripple, yes, but not a wake.

Idle only and I typically just keep one in gear at a time around the marina.

There is always a few old dudes who just sit all day on their boat in the marina, and wait to yell at someone making a wake, They seem to live for it.

I used to fish a private lake in Mineola, Average age was about 80 years old of residence, nobody even fished the lake. It was a good lake to fish and had some nice bass in it. It was about 500 acres, we would sometimes maybe make a wake. It was my buddies parents house, when we got done there would be numerous phones calls made to tattle tale.

and sometimes they yell at you when you are using the trolling motor I guess because they are so used to yelling at everyone who goes by.

My main complaint touramets they line up to to fish the banks and docks.they idle in on stealth mode.When they
decide to make a move it is bools to the wall.

How about the wake boat just outside the no wake zone pulling a surfer while your trying to load on the trailer in two foot waves.

The world is full of people to whom the regulations do not apply. The number grows daily. They all offer a rationale for their conduct that makes perfect sense -- but only to the violator and his beer drinking buddies. Strangely enough, I have yet to hear one offer the same justification to a magistrate that they offer to me when I stop them, although one would think that as strongly as they insist that they are right and the rest of the world is wrong, they actually believe the lecture that they spout.

Years ago when I was first assigned to work in a boat, I went to the JP's office where I was supposed to file my cases. I introduced myself and explained my goals on the lake (my predecessor refused to take reports or issue citations for violations, he did that for years because "messin' with Texans while they're recreatin' could cost the Sheriff a whole lotta votes"). The JP told me, "I don't want to see any chickensh!t tickets, and pontoon boats can't make a wake." After many months of issuing citations without ever receiving a court date, I finally figured out that any citation on the lake was a "chickensh!t ticket".

It's the world we live in........

No offense to all of the courteous bass fishermen, but there a a ton of them that enjoy showing the rest of the lake how fast their boat will go inside no wake zones and out. As for pleasure boaters, I chalk that up to the vast majority of them not having a clue about the rules and safe operation of their vessels. It is for certain that they can aggravate the daylight a out of me.