I was able to use a little vacation time the last few weeks providing me with the opportunity to get out and get on some inshore fish. Most of my time on the water was spent on weekdays with little boat traffic which made things quite pleasant. Even still with only a few boats passing by while I was set up fishing I still got hit with the proverbial “max wake” multiple times. A couple of times it was even by fellow fisherman who slowed down some when they saw me set up fishing. The concept of seeing another boat and then bringing your boat down off plane when passing to be courteous just doesn’t work without following a very simple and proper process.
To avoid generating the “max wake” first the boat speed must brought down far enough in advance so the forward momentum of the wake doesn’t in turn hit a fellow boater turning them into a “victim.“ In addition the boat throttle must be brought all the way back to the neutral position followed by a brief pause before putting the boat back in gear and idling past the fellow boater. If this process is not followed then the “max wake” will claim another victim.
I have seen quite a few “experienced” boaters miserably fail at one or more of the aforementioned steps and claim a victim. If you don’t want to take the time to follow the process, no problem, just stay on plane and fly by, I would much rather deal with a small to perhaps medium wake over the “max wake.” Remember in the state of South Carolina you are responsible for your wake and can be held liable for any property damage that occurs due to your wake. Please share the process next time your with a buddy that may not know better, we will all be grateful.
Tight lines…
Captain Tim Pickett
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