*THE HULL TRUTH is the world's largest FREE network for the discussion of Boating & Fishing. Whether you're researching a new boat, or are a seasoned Captain, you'll find The Hull Truth Boating & Fishing Message Forum contains a wealth of information from Boaters and Sportfishermen around the world.
Welcome to the updated THT!
If you are having trouble signing in, please email feedback@thehulltruth.com with your username and we will help you. We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site!
Random Quote: Yield to temptation, it may not pass your way again LL
I've got a new job and am headed to the Montgomery Alabama area. It looks like I'm going to have to leave the salt water in Charleston, SC behind.
Does anyone have any local info about that area? Any good landings? Is the freshwater fishing worth pulling my boat there?
I'm not too interested in pulling all the way to Mobile. That would be a 6-hour round trip from Montgomery....
The Alabama River is probably second only to the Tennessee River in terms of scenic views it is beautiful. I have been up it from Mobile hundreds of times. Millers Ferry Lock and Dam forms a huge reservoir called the William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir and it is home to some great fishing. It is over a 100 miles by water and you would have to lock through Robert F Henry Lock which is above Selma. However to drive it by auto to a boat launch would not be but a hour or hour and half at most and there are many places to launch a boat in that area. Lake Martin is also in easy driving distance and is also well known to anglers around the country. Lake Guntersville to the north on the Tennessee River is another great fishing place. I would guess there are at least 4 or 5 top fishing area's that are a 3 hour drive or less from Montgomery. Lake Eufaula on the Apalachicola River is another world famous fishing area withing 2 to 3 hours drive. If you love fishing you are close to the best area you could be for fresh water fishing. Mobile and Dauphin Island is only 3 hours for salt water fishing.
Welcome to Alabama. You will find that the pull to Mobile isn't much different than from North Augusta to Charleston. I’ve lived in both N. August and Charleston. Of course I always used the back roads to get to Charleston from N. Augusta and didn’t bother with going through Columbia. As the other posters have stated there are lots of freshwater areas close to Montgomery.
Welcome to Alabama. You will find that the pull to Mobile isn't much different than from North Augusta to Charleston. I’ve lived in both N. August and Charleston. Of course I always used the back roads to get to Charleston from N. Augusta and didn’t bother with going through Columbia. As the other posters have stated there are lots of freshwater areas close to Montgomery.
Thanks Prentiss - I kept my boat on a lift in Charleston (second home) so I never pulled it that far. I'm glad to hear that there are plenty of freshwater places to fish near Montgomery. I was pretty depressed (still am, really) to lose all that wonderful saltwater fun in Charleston. The house there isn't going anywhere, and I plan to move back where I can take advantage of it again in a couple of years.
__________________ The Flying Wasp - Carolina Skiff 238 Semi-V
I've made the trip to Charleston from Montgomery in as little as 6 hours usually in the middle of the night going through Columbus, south of Macon then north of Savannah. When I've made these trips my car is usually flying real low to the ground.
I'm pretty sure you'd be able to get in the water more quickly by going to Pensacola. There are plenty of places to rent with slips as well in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, and a 2-3 hour tow is nothing really unless you're doing both legs in the same day.
That being said, there's plenty of fishing in Alabama. I've been hearing more people talk about striped bass fishing on Lake Martin recently, but I've never been. Lake Eufaula is an awesome largemouth bass lake. If you're on the North side of Montgomery, Lay Lake is a very good fishing lake as well.
Wow, thanks for all the tips guys - that route to Charleston sounds promising. I was looking at about 4.25 hours Montgomery thru Atlanta to Augusta (via 85, and I-20) and 3.25 hours for Augusta to Charleston (via backroads through Barnwell down to Walterboro, the house is south of Charleston on Yonges Island).
I've looked at the Pensacola thing too. Thing is, I don't want to rent a slip as I've never bottom painted my boat.
I've got a little one at home (9 months) that has to stay with someone. That's just too little to go in the boat, IMHO. That makes overnights no fun, as my little pardner has to stay at home with a sitter. My first mate (I mean Admiral) likes to go on the fishing trips. She's my best fishing buddy and really knows her way around the boat. Good Texas Gulf Coast girls that grew up on the water are hard to find, and I love mine. She can pull in shark, throw a cast net, drive the boat, dock, rig bait, drop crab pots, and clean fish with the best of 'em. And she doesn't drink my beer, which is a big +.
Hell, come to think of it, she might be the first woman in history that is actually worth more than a good fishing boat.
__________________ The Flying Wasp - Carolina Skiff 238 Semi-V
I've got a new job and am headed to the Montgomery Alabama area. It looks like I'm going to have to leave the salt water in Charleston, SC behind.
Does anyone have any local info about that area? Any good landings? Is the freshwater fishing worth pulling my boat there?
I'm not too interested in pulling all the way to Mobile. That would be a 6-hour round trip from Montgomery....
Taylor, I live in Montgomery and keep a boat in Orange B. I also spent years fishing the freshwater around before I got addicted to salt. Get up with me if you want some info.
I think you're still being a bit too pessimistic about this. Tow it to Orange Beach (for example) where you've rented a place with a slip. Fish for 2-3 days and pull the boat out. I'm pretty sure you're going to not have any substantial buildup in that short of time even without bottom paint, but someone else will have to answer that question for sure. Tow it home. Voila!!! Problem solved.
I really don't know how to cover the part about a 9 month old, but that's a concern if you live on the water or in Montgomery. I'm sure you can figure something out there.
Sure, you have to plan things out a bit more than when you had a place on the water with a lift, but this isn't the end of the world... and there is plenty of freshwater fishing all around you.
I've had the boat in the water for as long as 4 days without significant buildup (of course I ran it a lot in that time). I think renting a place every now and again for a few days is a wonderful idea. Invite grandma (who hates boating) and the 9 month old is taken care of.
Thanks for all the tips guys - I'm feeling a lot better about the area now.
I towed the boat from Charleston to North Augusta yesterday. We got a TON of rain all day and I was by myself. I was hoping for a retired neighbor to be there...and he wasn't. After driving 150 miles, I wasn't leaving empty-handed. Once I figured out how to do the logistics, I ended up dropping the boat off the lift, running it around to the ramp and pulling it out all by myself. I got more wet than if I'd have just dived in the water and pushed the boat around for a while, but I did it.
I had fun at one point. I got a cell phone call from a business associate that went like this..."There's a lot of static, must have a bad connection." "No, that's just a strong breeze blowing across the phone." "Where the hell are you?" "Hanging in the rafters of a boathouse, looking out at the Atlantic, trying to stay dry." "Oh...OK...do you need me to call back later?" "No, I've checked my social calendar- it's clean. No job, no errands to do, just waiting until this farking rain stops."
The rain never stopped.
__________________ The Flying Wasp - Carolina Skiff 238 Semi-V
you're even within striking distance of Venice,LA. 2 or 3 weekends there and you'll have all the fish you could ask for. I tow my 31 Cape Horn over 240 miles round trip EVERY time I go fishing. You'll get used to it.
You never posted the type of saltwater fishing you like to do. I would guess by boat in signature mostly inshore variety? The tow to Mobile is an easy straight shot and fishing is good year around - specks, red, flounder, etc... In the fall and winter the northern part of the bay and Mobile Delta is great, and as weather warms and rain and fresh water flush out there is good fishing throughout the bay and around dauphin Island.
Good luck with the move and new little fishing partner.
__________________ '82 Mako 224
w/'04 Evinrude DI 200
I've never fished in 'blue water' although I've been out quite a bit on ferries, cruises, snorkeling etc. My saltwater fishing experience is purely inshore, mainly around Beaufort and Charleston, fishing for redfish, trout, flounder, striper, and shark.
__________________ The Flying Wasp - Carolina Skiff 238 Semi-V
inshore alabama river / montgomery 
