When you guys travel the boat lanes on fork, Do you drive on the right side of the bouys or the left side ?

I drive on the right side of the bouys. Almost like a road. That's pretty much how everyone Ive seen out there does it.

A bass boat on pad doesnt throw too big a wake but it is a lot bigger than 6". Probably a foot.
I have them pass my dock all day and I can assure you it is bigger than you think. Doesn't cause me a problem but a boat sitting in heavy timber it could.

I worry more about waves from wind. People enter stump fields at their own risk.

People go boating at their own risk too. Their are always risks.

my boat doesn't even rock when a bass boat passes by on pad. come on

I'm talking about on pad, not barely on plane

I didn't mention a thing about running on pad, only about throwing a wake on someone. I personally haven't seen too many people running flat out on pad through those stump fields at Roberts. I have, however, seen plenty zig-zagging along their trails at about 50% power.

If you come upon people and lanes are not clearly marked or marked at all you should shut it down given there is time. Any last second shut down will produce a wake worse than the one you create on pad. If you are not clear on whats beneath you and are afraid to shut it down then you probably shouldn't be running that area anyway. If boat lanes are clearly marked they assumed the responsibility of dealing with it when it happens. That doesn't mean you can put them at risk just because you can though. Most the time common sense will handle just about any problem and that goes for both parties involved.

spend a little time on Okeechobee. Your thoughts will change about how close you should or shouldnt run to another boat. get in those reeds and its almost as wide as your boat. follow the leader and dont let up cause if you do you will get stuck and ran over. bad deal but i have learned to handle it. and agreed, wave them on by. most everyone i have come across in florida has waived me on so thats what i do now. i guess its because everyone knows if you stop your likely getting stuck or trolling for the next little while.

I've been on okeechobee one time and they do fly by each other at high speeds. You can almost reach out and touch the boat passing you. It's a little crazy out there. One little mistake or equipment failure and someone will be in some serious trouble.

I don't fish marked boat lanes, never have and never will, some of the posts on this thread only reinforce my position. But I do fish creek channels and deeper water cuts that some people like to treat as "boat lanes", and quite frankly it can be a little unsettling when someone you don't know (and have no idea what their skill levels are) comes screaming past you on pad 20-40 feet away from you.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, a little respect and courtesy can go a long way on the water. Just because you think your capable of maneuvering your boat around a tight or a blind bend and keeping it in the slot without putting others in jeopardy doesn't mean others think you can or should have to suffer the consequences if you cant. Fishing isn't supposed to be a contact sport, It's not the Daytona 500 out there people!

What's the danger level of slowing down to an idle during tournament blast off when there is a line of boats running the lane?

Wouldn't it be safer for everyone if people didn't try to fish right in the middle of the area on the lake that has been marked as a lane to run? I know, it's sort of like asking if people ought to reel in their lines when boats come idling in to the courtesy docks beside ramps. I wonder if those people ever wonder why that nifty little dock was put a few feet from the ramp instead of a half mile down the bank. And those cleats on it? They must have been put there for a reason. Wonder what that could be...

I slow down for everyone when I can safely do so. I also try to avoid everyone I can who is fishing off the dock that was placed there for the purpose of allowing boats to be tied to it. But...come on, folks. Do you really think I should have to run my boat into the rip rap/rocks alongside the ramp so you won't have to reel in your line?

Running over about 20 mph within 100 feet of any other vessel should be considered a hazard with a good chance for something to go wrong. Its my job too avoid the idiots that dont care and also to not be one of them.

100ft? That would make Ray Hubbard an idle only lake on the weekends.