My wife Julie and I recently embarked on the ultimate Bassmaster Classic road trip adventure to the 2025 Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, Texas. Along the way we stopped at three historic former Bassmaster Classic host cities to take in the local sites, sounds and flavors that make these premier bass fishing getaway destinations.
Our first stop was at Lake Hartwell on the Georgia/South Carolina border. From there we broke camp, packed up our 25-foot RV and set a course for Alabama. Our second stop is Lay Lake between Montgomery and Birmingham, about 4-1/2 hours southwest of Hartwell.
Montgomery KOA Journey: Clean, Safe and Lots to Do
We arrived at the Montgomery KOA Journey in the afternoon. This campground is located just east of Montgomery, Alabama, near the center of the state.
As I mentioned in my first review article, we haven’t really had much KOA experience in our adult lives. Initially, when we hit the road from home, we were skeptically optimistic. But now that we had a great KOA experience under our belt at Lake Hartwell, we arrived in Montgomery a little more relaxed. And to be perfectly honest, our expectations were again exceeded almost immediately.
The campground General Manager, Gary had sent us a detailed description of our site location ahead of time. The pull-through RV spot was clean and level and a short walk from the main office and community center. When we checked-in, Gary was incredibly friendly and welcoming. We just knew right away this was going to be a perfect place to stay.
Fishing at Lay Lake: What You Need to Know
Lay Lake is in a three-way tie with Lake Hartwell and the Louisiana Delta for “most Bassmaster Classics” hosted—1996, 2002, 2007 and 2010. This 12,000-acre legendary bass fishing destination is well known for its spotted and largemouth bass fisheries. The variety of habitat types like grasslines, channels, shell beds and stumps, create a perfect environment where fish thrive and a diverse fishing experience which attracts anglers year round.
The one downside of this KOA, relative to our Bassmaster Classic-themed adventure, is that it’s just over an hour’s drive from Lay Lake. In reality, it’s a fairly easy, mostly highway drive, plus, once you’re at the campground you’re close to Montgomery with easy access to food, shopping and everything else…