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Learning to Fly Fish Iowa

Learning to Fly Fish Iowa

Learning to Fly Fish Iowa When you think fly fishing, I’ll bet you picture mountains, streams and waders – at least I do. However, some excellent opportunities exist right here in Iowa. All Iowans have access to either public or private ponds or lakes. When ponds or lakes are calm and the surface is glassy, […]

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Iowa’s Bald Eagle Territory Monitoring Project: Giving Back

Iowa’s Bald Eagle Territory Monitoring Project: Giving Back Have you ever enjoyed watching the majestic bald eagle in flight over the Iowa countryside? Or have you viewed the live Decorah eagle nest video online with awe and wonder? I have always had a fastination with the great bald eagle and enjoy watching them make a […]

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Hardwater Ice Fishing Techniques

Hardwater Ice Fishing: Try Something New

Hardwater Ice Fishing: Try Something New It’s hard to believe we’re on the cusp of another ice fishing season. I’m not complaining, mind you. I actually prefer short summers. In fact, if I had my way, we’d have 4 months of spring, 4 months of fall and 4 months of winter. The last I’d heard, […]

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Wonderboy

Wonderboy

Story of Wonderboy While many may disagree, one of the greatest sport’s movies is the 1984 masterpiece, The Natural, starring Robert Redford. It is a movie not about baseball, but of fulfilling lost dreams and redemption. Throughout the film, the protagonist, Roy Hobbs, incredible talent, was due to his bat “Wonderboy”. Something made carefully by […]

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Fishing New Water Under The Ice

Fishing New Water Under The Ice One of the challenges we all face, whether you’re fishing from a boat or standing on the ice on a new body of water, the question becomes, “where do we fish?” With the advent of modern technology, and much of it portable now, we can make some very educated […]

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Is A New Fishing Boat in your Future

Is a New Fishing Boat in your Future Over the past year Iowans have been spending more time together as a family in the outdoors. Fishing and boating have become popular activities where families can unwind, relax and enjoy each other’s company in the setting of nature. Perhaps you have been debating about getting a […]

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Chasing Late Season Bluegills In Clear Water

Chasing Late Season Bluegills In Clear Water For years and years ice fishermen from across the Midwest have headed to northwest Iowa’s West Lake Okoboji to sight fish the finicky bluegills which West Okoboji is famous for. Late ice toward the end of February and into March can be incredible. Once in a while, for […]

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Snowmobiles: The New Rage?

Snowmobiles: The New Rage? I am amazed how far snowmobiles and the sport of snowmobiling have come in the 40-ish years since I first threw a leg over one. I remember our old Ski-Doo and Rupp sleds fondly. At the time they seemed powerful, comfortable and agile. Fast forward 40 years and the performance improvements […]

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Early Tactics for Full Buckets

Early Tactics for Full Buckets

Early Tactics for Full Buckets Once the calendar turns to November, anglers in the Ice Belt begin praying for several sub-freezing days and nights to get that first sold ice on fishable waters. Here on the Iowa Great Lakes that can be early as Thanksgiving but most usually around the middle of December. Now that […]

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Chasing Nighttime Fish

Chasing Nighttime Fish

Chasing Nighttime Fish How’s this for fishing the first night of this past Walleye Opener on West Okoboji? Six walleyes 15-16 inches, another 12 walleyes in the slot from 17-22 inches, 5 walleyes over the slot with the largest at 25 inches. Oh, and a 22.5-inch/7-pound 4-ounce trophy smallmouth! Not a bad night’s work, I’d […]

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