Fishin ' in the Dark - wikipedia Fishin ' in the Dark `` Fishin ' in the Dark '' Single by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band from the album Hold On B - side `` Keepin ' the Road Hot '' Released June 1987 Genre Country, country blues Length 3 : 19 Label Warner Bros. Nashville Songwriter ( s ) Wendy Waldman and Jim Photoglo Producer ( s ) Josh Leo The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band singles chronology `` Baby 's Got a Hold on Me '' ( 1987 ) `` Fishin ' in the Dark '' ( 1987 ) `` Oh What a Love '' ( 1987 ) `` Baby 's Got a Hold on Me '' ( 1987 ) `` Fishin ' in the Dark '' ( 1987 ) `` Oh What a Love '' ( 1987 ) `` Fishin ' in the Dark '' is a song written by Wendy Waldman and Jim Photoglo and recorded by American country music group The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It was released in June 1987 as the second single from their album Hold On. It reached number - one on the U.S. and Canadian country charts. It was the band 's third number - one single on the U.S. country music charts and the second in Canada. After it became available for download, it has sold over a million digital copies by 2015. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on September 12, 2014. Contents 1 Content 2 Music video 3 Cover versions 4 Charts and certification 4.1 Weekly chart 4.2 Certifications 4.3 Year - End Chart 5 References 6 External links Content The premise of the song is a couple contemplating a late - night fishing expedition. Specifically, the adventurers plan to make their way to an undisclosed river and chart constellations during an evening in which a full moon is present. Furthermore, the tentative date for this excursion is set in the late spring to early summer. Music video The music video was directed by Bill Young and features the band playing in front of a live audience. Cover versions Canadian country band Emerson Drive recorded their version of the song on their 2004 album What If ? A live version recorded in Dallas, Texas during 2004 was released as a digital single in 2005. Garth Brooks recorded his version of the song for his 2005 album The Lost Sessions and again for his 2013 box set Blame It All on My Roots : Five Decades of Influences. Irish Country singer Nathan Carter released his version of the song on his 2011 album Time Of My Life. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils cover the song on a rare Album ( CD ) named Heart of the Country released in 1987 The Swon Brothers covered it during season 4 of The Voice and subsequently a studio version was released. Red Marlow performed a duet of the song with Ryan Scripps for The Battles on Season 13 of The Voice. Charts and certification Weekly chart Chart ( 1987 ) Peak position U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs Canadian RPM Country Tracks Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,129,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Year - End Chart Chart ( 1987 ) Position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) References Jump up ^ Music.Yahoo.com Jump up ^ Matt Bjorke ( February 19, 2015 ). `` Country Music 's Top 30 Digital Singles : Week of February 19, 2015 ''. Roughstock. Sales figures given here Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -- Fishin&27 in the Dark ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 249. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -- Fishin&27 in the Dark ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 21, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt ( April 4, 2016 ). `` The Top 30 Digital Country Singles : April 4, 2016 ''. Roughstock. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` The Way We Make a Broken Heart '' by Rosanne Cash Billboard Hot Country Singles number - one single October 17, 1987 Succeeded by `` Shine, Shine, Shine '' by Eddy Raven RPM Country Tracks number - one single October 17, 1987 Succeeded by `` Little Ways '' by Dwight Yoakam Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Bob Carpenter Jimmie Fadden Jeff Hanna John McEuen Studio albums The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Ricochet Rare Junk Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy All the Good Times Stars & Stripes Forever Symphonion Dream The Dirt Band An American Dream Make a Little Magic Jealousy Let 's Go Plain Dirt Fashion Partners, Brothers and Friends Hold On Workin ' Band The Rest of the Dream Not Fade Away Acoustic The Christmas Album Bang, Bang, Bang Welcome to Woody Creek Speed of Life Collaboration albums Will the Circle Be Unbroken Will the Circle Be Unbroken : Volume Two Will the Circle Be Unbroken : Volume III Live albums Alive Live Two Five Compilation albums Dirt, Silver and Gold Twenty Years of Dirt More Great Dirt Notable singles `` Mr. Bojangles '' `` House at Pooh Corner '' `` I Saw the Light '' `` Jambalaya ( On the Bayou ) '' `` The Battle of New Orleans '' `` All I Have to Do Is Dream '' `` An American Dream '' `` Dance Little Jean '' `` Long Hard Road ( The Sharecropper 's Dream ) '' `` I Love Only You '' `` High Horse '' `` Modern Day Romance '' `` Home Again in My Heart '' `` Partners, Brothers and Friends '' `` Fire in the Sky '' `` Baby 's Got a Hold on Me '' `` Fishin ' in the Dark '' `` Oh What a Love '' `` Workin ' Man ( Nowhere to Go ) '' `` I 've Been Lookin ' '' `` Down That Road Tonight '' `` Turn of the Century '' `` And So It Goes '' ( with John Denver ) `` When It 's Gone '' `` I Fought the Law '' Related articles Discography Capitol Records Warner Bros. Records Universal Records MCA Records Jimmy Ibbotson Bernie Leadon Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fishin%27_in_the_Dark&oldid=806825804 '' Categories : 1987 singles Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles 1987 songs Garth Brooks songs Emerson Drive songs Nitty Gritty Dirt Band songs RPM Country Tracks number - one singles Song recordings produced by Josh Leo Warner Bros. Records singles Songs written by Wendy Waldman Songs written by Jim Photoglo Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 24 October 2017, at 11 : 32. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the song fishing in the dark
Answer: Wendy Waldman