Musky/Pike
Exploring Iowa’s Water Trails
Exploring Iowa’s Water Trails Iowans are blessed with many rivers, creeks, lakes and reservoirs that are perfect paddling whether they choose a canoe, kayak or even an inner tube. These waterways will take you through a variety of areas that are significant to our state whether from a historical, cultural, geological, or ecological standpoint. Indeed, […]
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Tips for Getting the Fishing Rig Ready for Open Water
Tips for Getting the Fishing Rig Ready for Open Water As spring approaches, anglers are transitioning from ice fishing to open water fishing. When this time comes, it’s time to get the boat ready for another year of fishing. There are really two ways to approach this. The first is for those who are mechanically […]
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Techniques for Trolling on Ice
Techniques for Trolling on Ice Open water trolling is a technique, or at least a phrase, that most anglers are familiar with. Trolling on the ice is a technique that more and more ice-anglers are becoming familiar with. Trolling on the ice might not make sense at first, but once you understand the concept, it […]
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Battling Invasive Species in Iowa Lakes
Battling Invasive Species in our Iowa Lakes Early in the fall of 2022, a shocking discovery was made on the Okoboji chain of lakes. Eurasian watermilfoil, an aggressive invasive plant that can negatively impact a body of water by outcompeting the native plants and becoming the dominant species was found. The scary part is that […]
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Upgrading Your Summer Fishing Reels
Upgrading Your Summer Fishing Reels The rivers are flowing, and some lakes are free of ice; now is the time to start thinking about your open water fishing arsenal. March is a great time to upgrade an integral part of your fishing tools, and you will notice the difference the first time you use them. […]
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Pond Structure Improvement
Pond Structure Improvement There is no doubt that many of Iowa’s anglers began their fishing endeavors on one of the 110,000 ponds scattered throughout the State. This is true for me too, Grandpa would introduce grandchildren to pond fishing, usually with a spiderman or barbie fishing pole. A small hook with a bit of worm […]
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What Goes On Under The Ice
What Goes On Under The Ice The world under the ice has always been a mystery, a guessing game you might say. When the world of the fish suddenly gets covered with a sheet of glass how do they react, their world has been changed dramatically. The more we understand about what happens to the […]
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Bait and Lures for Ice Fishing
Bait and Lures for Ice Fishing Ice Fishing opportunities are increasing across the state of Iowa right now, and there is no better time to go out and give it a try. What was once a simple sport of drilling a hole in the ice and sitting on a five-gallon bucket has turned into a […]
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Selecting the Best Ice Auger for Ice Fishing Season
Selecting the Best Ice Auger for Ice Fishing Season The world of ice fishing has changed so much in the past twenty years that some do not even recognize the sport anymore. Gone are the days of a couple of poles, a handful of jigs, a five-gallon bucket and a hand auger. Today’s ice angler […]
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Prepping for Ice Fishing
Prepping for Ice Fishing When you ice fish and live north of HWY 20 in northern Iowa and the month of November arrives, it’s time to think “pre ice fishing”. You never know what might happen. Here on the Iowa Great Lakes, there have been times when I have been ice fishing on Thanksgiving. Ok, […]
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