” Reed Montgomery Benefit Bass Tournament” Saturday, December 13 2014, Beeswax Creek Park Boat Launch Lay Lake, Alabama.
Fishing friends, close friends and family, tournament competitors, sponsors in the fishing and boating world and even Bama Santa, all gathered together to rally for a long time friend in the fishing world here in Alabama, Reed Montgomery. 
Reed Montgomery owner of Reeds Guide Service Alabama’s oldest, professional bass guide service www.fishingalabama.com based out of B’ham, Al. has guided on all Alabama lakes for over 40 years. He was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
As with most people that are suddenly stricken with any kind of life threatning illness, this one took Reed and his wife by surprise and at a very bad time in their lives as well. With Reeds wife already out of work recently they had already lost their insurance and bills were already piling up.
Now with Reed suddenly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in mid November of 2014 he is now out of work until this operation is performend and he heals up from this very tedious and life threatning operation. Meaning basically they now have no income.
So Reed’s fishing friends and family have stepped up to the plate to help! This benefit bass tournament featured 44 boats! Bass anglers that braved the cold that day to not only catch some of Lay lake’s spotted bass and largemouth bass and win some money, but to contribute to the rising medical bills Reed and his wife are now facing! And they did!
The tournament raised over $5000.00!
* Note - Some donations from these companies or persons helped pay out the top 3 places paid out to competitors; Airport Marine - Ken Hollis, Ranger Boats - Mickey Furr, All South Excavations, Gary Hardy, Motivated Movers and Tim Wilson Paint and Body Shop. Bama Santa (www.bamasanta.com) too! Thanks for all of your donations!
* First Place - Jason Haymaker and Clint Nail with 5 bass weighing 19.75 pounds!
* Second Place - Crim and Mcdonald with 5 bass weighing 16.47 pounds!
* Third Place - Powell and Ethridge with 5 bass weighing 16.20 pounds!
Big bass of the day weighed 6.76 pounds and was weighed in by the team of White and Whisenhunt!
It was a cold day. Highs in the low 50′s and cloudy and cold winds all day. Lows the last few nights have dropped into the low 30′s. Not good fishing conditions even for the die hard anglers that frequent Alabama’s 100 year old Coosa River impoundment Lay lake, a weedy man made lake about 50 miles in length, that was impounded in 1914.
Prior to this cold week many anglers had high expectations, some reported catching lots of bass bass in water temps of the low 60′s and air temps near 70 degrees…some anglers even caught bass on topwater lures! So anticipation for most anglers was high, even with these adverse conditions, there are always two anglers that prevail over others. 
Congratulations go out to Jason Haymaker and his partner Clint Nail that had 5 hard earned bass weighing almost 20 pounds! Boy, what did they throw back? It earned them a $1000.00 first place payout!
* NOTE - Reed Montgomery still needs your help! One pile of medical bills he faces each day alone is over $10,000 with another $33,000 still due before his scheduled operation on Tuesday, January 20 of 2015. Please continue with your generous contributions, your support, your donations and your prayers! 
You can make out a check or M.O. to Reed Montgomery and mail it to:
Reed Montgomery 141 Reese Drive Alabaster, Alabama 35007
Or you can go to donations sponsored by www.youcaring.com and type in the name Reed Montgomery for donating checks, a M. O. or credit card donations.
Reed’s scheduled operation is to be at Baptist Princeton Hospital in West End in Birmingham Al. on Tuesday, January 20 0f 2015 at 5:45 a.m. So visit him if you can, he will be in this hospital at least a week. Or while your having your morning cup of coffee that day just take a minute and say a little prayer for him. Either way, or both, Reed needs all the help and support he can get and we know he will appreciate it.
For someone so well known in the fishing world, that never really asked for anything in return for all of his years of helping others. Hopefully, for his quick return to his passion…fishing!
Thanks for all your help!
