Goin down to Amistad and have never been on a lake as large as this one. I know the lake has the large buoys for the border, but are there boating lanes? If not, what would be the best way to run up to miler marker 17 from lets say Diablo East? AND how is the wind going to be this weekend going in to next week? Where's the best place to launch in the wind?

There are no boat lanes, but there are underwater 'islands' that sometimes come up to within a few feet of the surface. If you have a hotmaps chip in your GPS/Sonar make sure you load up the topographical map.

Early this month I bumped my lower unit on something well out in the main body of water. When I talked to JC and asked about it later, he said there are also some silos that were left in place when the reservoir was dammed and filled up.

When I was in doubt, I just loaded the topo map up and ran the channel if I was going to run up on pad. Otherwise, out of the channel I slowed it down and took my time since it was my first time actually driving a boat on Amistad.

Depending on where your staying, the locals will always have the best info for you. I know when the wind was up earlier this month, a lot of locals launched in rough canyon and stayed in that area instead of venturing out into the main body. The main body can get pretty hairy when the wind picks up.

If you get the chance, get in touch with JC Gwynne - The Amistad Man 830.719.9006, and he can give you some advice on what to do and not to do when the wind kicks up! He'll even point you the right direction to get on some fish.

If you want to fish around 17 then I would launch from box canyon. Diablo east is the worst ramp on the lake . unless you like walking big hills. Just follow your gps and you will be fine running the lake. Be sure to check the local forcast for winds. That lake can get bad in a hurry with a north wind.

Agree with the posts above. Run the channel anytime you can, especially going up the rivers (Rio or Devils). Make sure you have a good map and pick the ramp that is best situated for the wind when you are going to launch. All of the ramps on Amistad are good ramps, although the one at Diablo can get slick and it is a long steep walk to the parking lot. Keep an eye on the wind. Amistad is a beautiful lake, but she can get real ugly when the wind gets up. Good thing is you can usually find a protected ramp and some protected areas to fish unless the wind is really blowing.

Do not under estimate what these guys are saying about the wind! It can be like an ocean very quickly and not a pleasant drive in the boat, if you have never speared a wave then you have never been on a lake like this one can get.