Reed Montgomery desperately needs your help! More on that shortly in this report. So who is this age old, Alabama Angler now 63 years young? Ask any Alabama bass angler and you will see…
Sure, if you fish, you know or have heard of Reed Montgomery by now. As a Birmingham, Al. native Reed has explored and guided anglers to every lake in Alabama for well, lets say about 50 years now. He has also competed in Bass Tournaments both locally throughout all of Alabama and as a previous B.A.S.S. and FLW Outdoors Competitor. Winning as well.
“Angler of the Year” several times in Alabama’s various Solo Tournament Trails, “First Place Champion” in many Solo Trail Two day end-of-year Classics. Taking “Big Bass Honers” in dozens of tournaments for the last 30 years. (In Alabama’s Airport Marine Solo Trail in 2014 Reed placed in the top 3 and took big bass honors several times. Including an 8 pounder the biggest bass of 2014 on this very popular Solo Trail Reed caught on Lay lake in March of 2014.
Winner of many past annual events like The Shriners Bass Tournament, The March of Dimes Annual Bass Tournament and Marks Outdoors annual events. Also him and his various fishing partners have won dozens of Bass Buddy Tournaments. The list goes on and on. (See: “Biography of a Fishing Guide” Part 1 & 2 on his website at the “articles” link at his website www.fishingalabama.com )
Reed also is an outdoor writer being the author for dozens of Internet Website Fishing Tips, Lake Reports and Bass Fishing related articles for over 30 years. He was on the Internet writing, before many of us even had a computer! Including now having contributed as author for all the information, fishing articles and lake reports on his website www.fishingalabama.com
As you can see, posted right below this report, he even sat down on November 18 of 2014 and wrote over 12,000 words for “Fishing this Winter on Alabama’s Lakes” Just for you readers! Even though he was sick, he finished it after 8 hours writing!
Reed has always given out free information on the phone or e-mail for any angler that contacted him, bass club members, tournament anglers, High School and College trails and even professional Bassmaster and FLW Outdoors competitors, also taking many anglers fishing with his guide service, teaching on the water fishing tips. Especially his specialty shallow water and topwater fishing for bass year round.
Reed has been a host manning his booth at the Birmingham Boat Show (now the 43 annual) for over 25 years. He also gathers up prizes all year long to be given away to about 500 kids each year on Saturday of the Birmingham Boat Show, making sure all kids go home with some free donated gift!
This January of 2015 will be his 14th Annual “Reed Montgomery Kids Fishing Show”, with again free admission and more free prizes for all kids that attend. He also has a Winter/ Spring Fishing Seminar on Saturday night during the Birmingham Boat Show (See: www.birminghamboatshow.com) and See: The 2014 Kids Fishing Show pictures on Reeds Website www.fishingalabama.com
More? You Bet…
Reed owned, host, gathered weekly info, and even sold all the ads on his very popular Birmingham based, “Fishing Alabama Radio Show” on radio station WJOX (Jox) for over 5 years. A one man fishing show. A state wide well known, and very popular radio show, heard on 8 affiliated radio stations reaching a million listeners in Alabama.
Seminars, bass club appearances, new store openings and even tournament trail director is also added to this very lengthy Reed Montgomery resume. He knows everyone in the fishing industry in Alabama and they all know him. And so do you by now!
Reed has been on Birmingham’s WBRC TV show “Good Day Alabama” every last Tuesday of each month for 12 years with his popular question and answer session, “Ask the Angler” but he missed it in November of 2014 due to this illness. He hopes to be back next January of 2015.
So why would an angler living his dream, a life and profession many anglers would love the oppurtunity to have, need your help? Why? He has been recently diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in mid November of 2014 and Reed needs a very expensive operation right now! There are only a few qualified Doctors that even perform this very tedious and life threatning operation in the Birmingham area.
Here’s Reeds last few months in 2014 and what he has already gone through with more to come following this operation;
It began as possible food poisining the first week of November. Even while guiding clients to Alabama’s Lay lake, Guntersville lake and other impoundments that week he was already suffering with constant headaches, stomach pains, diarrea, vomiting, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
By mid November he knew it was not food poisining. He turned yellow in his eyes and skin with jaundice and his urine was now red. He was admitted to the Shelby Baptist Hospitol in Alabaster, Al. with possible blockage like gall stones or a bladder infection. After surgeons installed a stint in his intestinal tract Reed immediatlly showed signs of improvement.
Good blood pressure, no heart problems, and even vomitting and diarrea stopped, getting him back to almost “normal” that is, until after the results came in from the samples they took while in there. Reed was hoping all it would be was a possible gall bladder removal operation of which is simple and many have survived. But no. Abnormal and possible damage, Cancer of the Pancreas was diagnosed.
Reed was back in the emergency room at Birmingham West End Princeton Baptist Hospital Sunday, November 23 with more vomiting, severe stomach pains, stabbing pain in his stomach right side and nausea. Plus him and his loving wife Margie both have not got any sleep for both of them worrying and Reeds all night stomach pains for weeks now.
Now it is imperative he needs this operation immediatlly (after his wife lost her job, losing their insurance) and him not working as well, bills are already coming in. A website called www.youcaring.com is now helping out and so can you! Just type in the name Reed Montgomery in their search box or you can click on this link;
www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/medical-help-for-my-husband/259037
to take you right to Reeds page for donations and more info updated as this terrible desease many survivors can relate to progresses. It is eating away at him but can be caught if its still early. If not soon, as we all know a body cannnot make it without a pancreas and he could die.
Fish tournaments?
Reeds boat sponsor Ranger Boats and Reeds good friend Ken Hollis owner of Airport Marine (www.airportmarine.com or see their facebook page), are now taking donations and they will be holding a benefit, “ Reed Montgomery Bass Tournament” to be held on Saturday, December 13 of 2014 out of Beeswax Creek on Alabama’s Lay lake from dawn until 3 p.m.
You also can see all the info on Reeds Website www.fishingalabama.com or you can just mail a tax deductable check or M.O. made out to Reed Montgomery and mail it to him at;
Reed Montgomery
141 Reese Drive
Alabaster, Alabama 35007
If everyone only sent $1-$20 with all that know him, this money could be raised fast! Many friends have called Reed and his wife some commiting to helping and saying they are sending him a check or some kind of help. If you do, please follow up and do so, not just talk about it. Reed is depending on you for support and he would love to get back to work guiding and fishing his passion for life…or death. Now, its up to you!
Thank you for your help and financial support. Webmaster of www.fishingalabama.com
Call Reed or his wife (205 ) 663-1504 or e-mail him alabassgyd@aol.com with your support or visit him (hopefully real soon) in West End Princeton Baptist Hospital when this money is raised and he can get the help and the operation he needs.
