The Arkansas Connection

[polarsusd81]

Enough hijacking of the BassCat thread.

How many others on the board have the Arkansas connection? I was born down there and spent the first three years of my life there. I try to get down to visit friends and family at least once a year, sometimes more, sometimes less.

My uncle's farm is about 15-20 miles north of Stuttgart and he has a little bit of everything that everyone on here would like. He has fish ponds, 32 of them, ranging in size from 500 sq ft to 20+ acres. He has a bayou running through the property, soy bean and milo fields, a duck swamp, the big woods for deer hunting, and plenty of space for ATV fun. I stay there during my trips to visit, but also have friends with large duck clubs on the south side of Stuttgart. Next January, I am going to go down for the close of duck season. My cousin told me that every person they brought out the last week down at the farm limited out every day. Pretty fun stuff. When I was just a couple months old my grandpa would put my car seat in his jon boat and bring me out to the trot lines and yo-yos to get the crappies and catfish. He also did some Gator Gar hunting on the Bayou Meto back in the day. Several fish he caught in his lifetime would have qualified as records, but he wasn't that kind of man.

Anyway, here is an aerial image of my uncle's place down there.

Little slice of heaven right there!

[SledNeck]

HA HA HA HA!

I learned what a YO YO is the last time I was down there! Funny! I tell people here that and they cant even fathom what they are.

Its a great time down in the Stuttgart area. It gets even more fun everytime I go down there. Id love to live there from dec-feb. Its a duck hunting culture that you wont see pretty much anywhere in America. All the school kids wear camo. Even the elderly that dont even hunt are wandering around in wal-mart in full max-4 HD!

I wish you could get BBQ up here like you can down there...nothing like southern cookin...especially the duck gumbo...with RICELAND rice, of course.

[youngie22]

Yep pretty awesome down that way. If I had to move south I know where I'd be. White river!

[SledNeck]

Many good memories from those parts Sled. Are you guys off 152 out of Humphrey? I started another thread for the AR guys. My early childhood home was right off 152 right after it crosses the bayou behind the old church.

The rice field lease is like NW of town. You get there by turning north in the middle of Humphrey

[champion198elite]

I'd move back in a minute.Wife wont have it though. Grew up in Hot Springs, got into bass fishing on Lake Hamilton and Quachiata(sp?)Trying to set up a family vacation this summer back there but I'm getting some resistance from the the other family members they'd rather "go up north". Oh well, if ya havent been there at least once, you should go and check it out.

[polarsusd81]

Originally Posted By: polarsusd81

Many good memories from those parts Sled. Are you guys off 152 out of Humphrey? I started another thread for the AR guys. My early childhood home was right off 152 right after it crosses the bayou behind the old church.

The rice field lease is like NW of town. You get there by turning north in the middle of Humphrey

And go right past my grandpa Al's house. He has a nice little white house just north of the church on the opposite side of the street. He used to tend a lot of those rice fields around there.

I'd put money on it my dad knows the people that your buddy got his place from, or might even know your buddy depending on how long he has been there.

[SledNeck]

I looked it up, its next to the Cline cemetary. The field didnt have much action this year cause they didnt have enough rice in it, but they will be in business next year. This is their first year with the lease.

[SledNeck]

Amazing. I was looking on google earth and we infact did drive right by the house on the way out there, many times.

[polarsusd81]

Duck Swamp at my uncle's place. Night before the 5 day license went into effect. Jan 04.

Partial crew the night before duck opener. Nov 07.

View out the late Great Grandma Edith's front door. South of Humphrey on 152. Nov 05.

Tending the Yo-Yo on a White River Backwater

And finally the biggest deer anyone has ever seen. Shot by my grandfather in 1982. The rack is mounted on a 1x8, yes that skull is more than 8" wide. That "Joker" as my grandpa called him was over 350 lbs before my grandpa put him down. This picture does not do this justice at all.

[polarsusd81]

Next time you are down there, stop by and tell him I told you to do so. He will give you a couple gallon freezer bags of cracked and shelled Pecans. I will probably be down there next year with a group the same time you go. We'll have to hook up and trade a day at each other's swamps and fields.

[polarsusd81]

Champion186, you are probably better off trying to get a late summer/early fall vacation planned down there. It is so dang hot in the middle of the summer, some people don't like it. I personally don't mind sweating my butt off in 110 degree heat with the high dew points and humidity, catching 75-100 bass a day. I see nothing wrong with it, but you know how it is. October is a fabulous time to be down there and you really can't beat the week of Thanksgiving as duck season is open, and the fishing is phenomenal.

[SledNeck]

Next time you are down there, stop by and tell him I told you to do so. He will give you a couple gallon freezer bags of cracked and shelled Pecans. I will probably be down there next year with a group the same time you go. We'll have to hook up and trade a day at each other's swamps and fields.

yeah, Im gonna try to make it down every year. Might take the boy with next time.

[Wayne Ek]

We are heading down to Arkansas on the 27th of this month. Going to Hot Springs and staying on Lake Hamilton. I will not be towing the boat, but hopefully will get in 2 half days with guides. And some fishing off the dock. We will be staying at the Edge Water resort just outside of Hot Springs.

[champion198elite]

Polarsusd81, Thats (the heat)exactly what the dont want.I dont understand it??? It would be hard to beat Thanksgiving week but we're alway up here for the family get togethers. I guess I could go alone(i need to wake up), that'll never happen. You ever find yourself thinking whens it -30 outside why and the $#ll we moved up here? I'll admit, I do like the seasonal changes up here so it not all bad. So is anyone else ready for some open water bass fishing yet?? Spring cant get here fast enough for me.

[SledNeck]

judging by the activity on the bass forum lately I think we're all in need of some open water fishing

[champion198elite]

Agape, Not sure if the place is still there but just out past the Sunbay resort which sits right on Lake Hamilton there's a place (or it was there) called Fat Dave's that served all you could eat crawfish boils and beer. It's a must stop place if its still there. I'm pretty sure that was the name of it, ask around when your there someone will know what your talking about. Have fun and good luck with the fishing.

[Wayne Ek]

I will see if we can find it.

[champion198elite]

Agape, Bring me back a SONIC Burger!! Man that place was the best after a night of having a few cold ones.

[Fluker]

Awesome post, thanks for starting it! Greg is right on, SONIC burger me baby!!

I was born in Harrison, but my parents were in the process of moving right about that time. Have to admit I only really "lived" in AR for the first 2 weeks of my life. We moved to SW Missouri (45 mins east of Springfield) and my parents have lived there ever since. Scary thing is, they moved there with a plan to move back to AR in 2 years. 32 years later, they are still there. I moved to MN 8 years ago planning to be back to MO / AR in 2 years... Will the cycle repeat? Not if I have anything to do with it! (Not that I don't like it up here, I just don't like it up here Nov - Mar!)

Almost all of my family still lives in Arkansas. Harrison area mostly, but Dad's side is close to a small town called Witt Springs. Snowball, Marshall, etc. (Yes, there is a town named Snowball, AR!)

I love NW Arkansas. Thing are simply laid back. Nobody is in this big RUSH that we all seem to be in. My kind of place.

Being that we're all from Arkansas (I'll say if before any non-Arkansan's do), I'm sure we're related some how.

[polarsusd81]

Oh, I am sure there are relations running back aways. Say hi to all the kin folk for me next time you talk to em. LOL!

My favorite town name in Arkansas is Bald Knob.

[Fluker]

Some of my favorite Arkansas town names other than Snowball

Hogeye

Greasy Corner

Toad Suck (I'm serious, look it up!)

History on the name of Snowball -> A misunderstanding by the postal department reportedly resulted in the naming of a small community in Searcy County. In the late 1880s, local citizens wanted to honor Ben Snow for his contributions to the area. They petitioned Washington for the name "Snow Hall," but somewhere along the paper trail it became Snowball.

I also played bball with a kid named Ben from Dover, AR. You can figure out his nick name.

[SledNeck]

Awesome post, thanks for starting it! Greg is right on, SONIC burger me baby!!

Yep. Going to sonic is a must on every Ark. trip.

iphone pics

The Humphrey, AR school of excellence..Im not kidding

Hey, Polarsus, recognize this?

[champion198elite]

Man does this(post)bring back some memories!! There's nothing like a Grape Slushie from sonic mixed with everclear!!

[DomW]

I'm a big fan of AR as well. I head down there every spring to fish the lakes in Bella Vista, play some golf, and sometimes fish Beaver Lake, too. There are so many cool little restaurants and other places to check out. Someday I'd like to retire on a lake down there. Never tried any hunting down there, but I see so many places that look awesome for deer.

[longerb1]

My father in law lives in Russelville, AR near Lake Dardanelle.

I'll be heading down 3/22 to 3/28 for a wedding and some fishing. It just happens to be the same time the Bassmaster Elite series is in town. I was planning to fish Dardanelle, but I'm not thrilled about fishing it with the Elite series in town.

Does anyone have any suggestions for any other good bass lakes in the area? Also, anyone have buddies in the area that might want to go fishing?