All | Hunting | Fishing | Gear & More
Addressing Boating Issues
By Steve Weisman In an earlier article, we discussed boating issues or mistakes that can adversely affect our experiences, specifically trailering issues. Now, let’s take a look at other issues. In this article, we will cover drain plugs, electronics, anchors and addressing storms. #1-Drain plug With the importance of draining our livewells and drain plugs to ensure that we stop the invasion of aquatic species, such as zebra mussels, it is the law that we must remove our plugs when we leave the ramp. However, don’t forget to put in the drain and livewell plugs as we enter the body of water we will be fishing. It sounds like a foolish thought, but I can speak from experience on this [...]
10 Reasons We LOVE to Hunt
By: Kevin Sturm One thing I have learned over the years is, we as hunters all share a love for the sport called hunting. I always find it interesting how I can be talking to a perfect stranger and honestly, not be engaged or invested in the conversation, more or less being socially polite. And then a simple phrase changes all of that, “Do you hunt?” Instantly there is a bond that is created and a new relationship is born. What was going to be a short and quickly forgotten conversation turns into a memorable time warp, of canted sharing and in some cases a new friendship is born. As hunters there are things that we have seen, felt and [...]
Safety in he Field
Safety in the field and out of the field is something that many of us practice routinely throughout the hunting season. The standard regime of keeping the barrel pointed away from others, knowing what’s behind your target and keeping the safety on until you are ready to shoot is standard procedure in most hunter’s safety checklist. However, some other important safety-related topics get overlooked especially when not pulling the trigger or releasing an arrow. Know Your Weapon As hunters, it’s our duty to know our weapons and know their capability. Hunters should know their weapons effective range as well as the game it is intended to harvest cleanly. Knowledge and practice in this instance is key to discovering what you [...]
Try Something New: Fishing From a Kayak – Podcast
Welcome to another episode of The Iowa Sportsman Podcast, on this episode Dan sits down with kayak angler Spencer Bauer to talk about fishing from kayaks. Kayak fishing is actually one of the fasting growing segments of the fishing industry! The guys discuss how Spencer got into the sport and how he instantly fell in love with it. The discussion then leads into the nuts and bolts of fishing from a kayak as Spencer goes over the different varieties of kayaks, gear needed, and what you should look for when fishing the rivers and lakes of Iowa. The podcast wraps up with information on fishing strategy and how to go about being a successful kayak angler. If you want to [...]
Live Bait for More Summer Fishing Success
By Bob Jensen We’re in the middle of the summer fishing season. The weather is hot, and some anglers believe that hot weather can make fishing difficult. However, pretty much all species of fish that most anglers chase in fresh water in the summer still need to eat. If we give them what they want, they’ll eat, and much of the time, live bait will be what gets them to eat. Here are some ideas for using live bait to catch more fish in the hottest part of the summer. Wherever you fish during the summer, deeper water will often be most productive for a wide variety of fish. Deep weedlines, sunken islands, reefs and all the other traditional deeper [...]
Holsters… Where do I start?
You wouldn’t think so much care and time go into something like that, but just like a cowboy is picky about his saddle, lots of folks are picky about their holster. For good reason, I might add. Generally speaking, people looking for holsters fall into two basic categories. The first contains the half of us who either don’t carry much or use an OWB (outside waist band) holster for our purposes. Folks carrying their trusty Ruger Blackhawk deer hunting, or maybe the their S&W 617 trapping, along with those who carry their PDW (personal defense weapon) on their belt with a shirt or vest covering it would likely be those who don’t get too worried about their holster configuration. The [...]
Catch’em In The Middle of Summer
By Bob Jensen Fishing can be like the weather in mid-summer: Both can be very hot. To take part in this potentially fast action, you’ll need to do things a little differently than you would at other times of the year. Following are some of those things. Generally, in the summer when the fish want to bite it works well to use faster moving baits and fish through areas quickly. If the fish are going to bite, they’ll let you know right away. However, if the bite is slow, you might be better off fishing slow and really working an area thoroughly. If you know the body of water well, then concentrate on spots that you know hold fish and [...]
Field Hunting Mallards
As I looked through my binoculars, I couldn't help feeling like an artillery battery waiting for the next wave of fighters. Checking the horizon for that distinct line in the sky. As I squinted harder I saw them! The first small wave followed by a much larger more intimidating squadron. I threw the binoculars into the bunker and let out the alarm to my buddies in the bunkers next to me! The single reed sirens blared, and the fight was about to begin! That's what field hunting mallards can feel like, and if you do the right scouting, have the right decoy spread out, and have picked a good hide. You won't be able to load fast enough! Field hunting [...]
Hunting Snapping Turtles Not for the Faint of Heart
By Steve Weisman When many people hear the words snapping turtle, they cringe thinking about what that sharp, hook-shaped mouth could do to an unsuspecting finger! Yet there are individuals who relish the opportunity and the challenge of catching, cleaning and eating snapping turtles. At the same time, there are approximately100 commercial harvesters in the state of Iowa that will catch or buy turtles from others, and then clean and sell turtle meat to a growing customer base. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations allow the non-commercial taking of turtles by Iowans to a maximum of 100 pounds live weight per year or 50 pounds of cleaned turtle meat. These individuals are only required to have a fishing license. [...]
Plastics on the Weedline
By Bob Jensen We're in beginning stages of the summer season in fishing country. The spawn is over, so the fish, regardless of specie, are doing one thing: They're either eating, or they're looking for something to eat. If you can put bait in front of a fish in a way that looks appealing to the fish, they'll probably eat it. An outstanding way to present bait to a fish right now is a plastic bait of some sort. Plastics come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and they will all catch fish. Here are some ideas for catching fish on plastic baits right now. Nice catch by dask Plastic bait rigged on a jig-head will be very [...]
