Thread: The Night Stalk

This article was written in February 2007. Back when we had more time than sense. I froze my brains out that night. My cotton glove froze to my anchor rope and I lost it when I let the rope go. This event took place in the "pool" when it was fairly new. The cookout was at Dano's. I miss the guys with the names mentioned. DP What do you do when you have been cooped up for a longwinter? When the dreary cold of winterbegins to give way to warmer south winds, you know the annual renewal hasbegun. Visions of spring and the greatfishing that follows dance in your head and haunt your dreams. Enter the “Nightstalk”. Exactly what is a Nightstalk? I’ll try to explain, but it is betterexperienced.

One cold day, surfing the web while locked in wintersgrip, I came across a website dedicated solely to crappie fishing,“crappie.com”. One of the features ofthis website is a forum for crappie anglers across the United States. A place where tried and true old hands,adventurers, newbie’s and wannabe’s come together to chat and to exchange ideason the sport they love. Crappie fishing; ignites a passion that compels them tobrave the heat of summer and cold of winter, in the quest for the renownedblack crappie. Guys with screen nameslike, Gooch, CEB, Slipcork and Bobberwatcher.

With Gooch taking the lead, these fellows were puttingtogether a fishing trip at the end of a very cold winter. A loosely fashioned plan, ingenuous in itsexecution emerged as an outing in 32 degree weather, bracing 20 mph NW winds,at night on Lake Conway in central Arkansas, a Nightstalk.

The adventure would bring together several guys whohad only spoken by internet, some from as far away as West Memphis and Yellville. Traveling 100 ormore miles to Lake Conway, an Arkansas Game and Fish Lake,located in Faulkner County North of Little Rock and justSouth of Conway.


Lake Conway isa shallow stumpy lake, recovering from a serious draw down last year,reclaiming its status a first class freshwater fishery, boasting not only blackcrappie, but large mouth bass (known to crappie anglers as “green carp”),bluegill and catfish.

I got on the forum using an internet handle ofFlyflinger. Since I am a somewhataccomplished fly fisher and fly tier, I thought the name to be apropos. Shortly after my first post on the forum, Iwas invited to the Nightstalk. Iaccepted the invite and headed down to Lake Conwaysome 120 miles south of my home.

I arrived about 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon with nary a soul at the launch site; Ithought I was the first one there. However, another stalker showed up shortly after me and informed me mostof the guys were on the lake “scouting”. Shortly after 4:00 o’clockthe parade of boats came into view, seven in all. One by one, each glided into the launch site,tied up with bows resting on the mud shore. I got to meet everyone. I thinkthere were 14 guys. Dave, the guy I metwhen I arrived had decided not to fish and was there for the cookout and the“get to know you” event.

Gooch fired up the portable grill, and chips andcrappie dip appeared from trucks and boats. I’ve got to tell you if you have never tasted crappie dip you havemissed a real treat. While the burgerssizzled on the grill, everyone stood around swapping stories, talking aboutcrappie, and those who did know each other took the opportunity for some goodnatured ribbing. After all had eaten hisfill, it was time to clean up and head back out on the lake.


Bobberwatcher was solo in his War Eagle boat and hekindly asked me (a non-boater) to join him. Just before dark, we headed out inthe direction the guys had scouted earlier in the day.

Unfortunately, Grubby’s outboard was uncooperative andwould not start. So, not wanting him tomiss the fun, Dr. Pepper threw him a line and towed him to the fishing grounds.

We located thespot on a secluded pond that had a large brush pile in the center. One of the boats circled to determine theextent of the brush and threw out markers on the edges. The rest of the boats circled the brush likethe wagon trains in old movies, everyone anchored up, fired up their nightlights, both overhead and underwater. With jigs and minnows in the water, we settled down for an evening ofconversation and pseudo fishing. Actually catching fish was secondary to the fellowship and the forgingof new friendships.


Although we caught only14 crappie and one white bass,the Nightstalk was deemed by all to be a great success, and proves once and forall that crappie will bite when its only 32 degrees. Plans are in the works for another Nightstalk/Condodrop for next month. Perhaps we willeven fish a little, but that’s another story. Tight lines, and remember, if you’re too busy to go fishing, you’re toobusy.

Sounds like a good time.