Catfish
Hunting Offseason Preparation: 9 Ways to Boost Success
The End of One Season is the Beginning of a New Season: Offseason Hunting Strategy Guide What should hunters do in the offseason? Hunters should use the offseason to improve success by: Scouting deer movement and habitat Practicing shooting skills regularly Gaining permission for new land Maintaining and upgrading equipment Improving habitat and food sources […]
READ MORE
Top 9 Channel Catfish Baits
Top 9 Channel Catfish Baits I once heard a seasoned catfish tournament angler say, “The best bait collectors usually become the best catfish anglers.” At first, that idea took some thinking—but the more time you spend on the water, the more it proves true. Finding and using the right bait is often what separates average […]
READ MORE
Ice Fishing 2020 Predictions
Ice Fishing 2020 Predictions As I sit here at my keyboard, the Dakotas are getting their first snowfall of the ‘19-20 season. Local temperatures have dropped from the seventies to the 50’s and overnight temps will be teasing the freezing mark. If this is truly the arrival of winter, then it has been a very […]
READ MORE
Whiskers and Ditty Poles
Whiskers and Ditty Poles One of my fondest memories of setting bank poles, or ditty poles as many call them, took place on the Des Moines River two summers ago. My friends Josh, Jarred and I fished for two nights out of Jarred’s big twenty foot flat-bottom and camped along the bank. It was one […]
READ MORE
Water Conditions and How to Fish Them
Water Conditions and How to Fish Them That crisp air that we feel each morning is a sign of things to come, fall is definitely in the air around the state of Iowa. This can be a welcome sign for hunters, hikers and anglers ready for cooler temperatures. The change in weather can also bring […]
READ MORE
When the bite is On
When the bite is on September…ahhhhhh…cooling temps, well at least we hope they start cooling off. We’ve just wandered through the heat of July and August and it was in a word, hot! Fishing, for the most part, was an early morning or late afternoon evening event. Two reasons really; you want to avoid sweating […]
READ MORE
Go-To Lures for Multiple Species while Fishing in Iowa
Tackle Talk: Go-To Lures for Multi-Species Angling How many lures does one angler need? I would venture to guess than many of you reading this have a stockpile of lures for multiple species to choose from and yet each season make repeated pilgrimages to the tackle store to increase personal inventory with new and improved […]
READ MORE
River Catfishing Techniques: Reading the Water
River Catfishing Techniques: Read the Water & Catch More Fish Every riverbank is telling you a story—the question is, are you reading it? What is the best way to find catfish in a river? One of the best river catfishing techniques is reading river geography. Focus on outside bends for deep holes, inside bends for […]
READ MORE
Tips for Fishing in Hot Temps
Tips for Fishing in Hot Temps The average summertime temperatures in Iowa are between 82°F and 87°F, and mid-day temperatures often touch 90° to 100°F throughout the state. Not to terrible…right? With humidity levels easily reaching over 70 percent, it can make an outdoor enthusiast think twice before heading to the open water. Even worse, […]
READ MORE
Hammock Camping in the Hawkeye State: Hanging Out in Iowa
Hammock Camping in the Hawkeye State: Hanging Out in Iowa It doesn’t seem to matter where we camp, our hammock setup always seems to be the talk of the campground. If we had a nickel for every person that stops by and asks to check out the hammocks that Laura and I camp in, we’d […]
READ MORE