i now reside in southeast Texas where the lakes are full of submerged stumps.  its best to wait and see somebody else run there boat and use him as a decoy but if you dont have that option cause maybe your fishing duirng the middle of the week and not much traffic, how do you handle this?    

Simple, stay in the boat lanes or idle.

i havent seen boat lanes out here.   and to idle several miles is my last resort  

Another way is to mark your own lanes with milk jugs but this may not be a popular idea as it may not be practible but it also may be considered pollution. I have seen on many lakes around the county and Canada where milk jugs are tied to hazards and are a big help. If your lake is that full of hazards that might not work either.

The last idea is to spend some $$$ on a nice GPS unit, figure out a route, record it, and utilize the tracking function to follow the same track.

Other than that, I am out of ideas. Maybe we can get some other posts. Good luck and good fishing.

8-)

what lakes are you fishing in southeast tx?

Get a lake map and study it carefully.

Stop by the marina's and ask where the danger spots are.

Try and go out with someone familiar with the lake and learn the boat lanes that way.

Other than that,  you're going to have to idle.

i am concerned about sam rayburn.   i also fish conroe but i am getting it down pretty well.

Get a GPS and download Fishing Hotspots Maps onto it.