Fishing
Fishing Iowa’s Rivers
Fishing Iowa’s Rivers By Ben Leal River fishing… it’s one of the best ways to enjoy the great outdoors here in Iowa. You can find solitude, peace and quiet and amazing fishing all at the same time. As a young angler growing up in New Mexico I spent hours wading cool mountain streams chasing after […]
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Trout Stay-cation
Trout Stay-cation By Rod Woten Stay-cations are all the rage now. Taking a vacation without investing lots of time and money getting to the destination just makes a lot of sense. After all, the less time you spend traveling to your destination, the more time you can actually spend enjoying your destination. So what if […]
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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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A Best Kept Secret Revealed: Targeting Northern Pike
A Best Kept Secret Revealed: Targeting Northern Pike By Steve Weisman Mention ice fishing the Iowa Great Lakes, specifically West Okoboji and Big Spirit Lake, to anglers and their eyes light up as they envision chasing their favorite game fish. Yet, there is one prolific game fish that is often overlooked: the northern pike. Bays […]
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You Might Be An Iowa Sportsman If…
You Might Be An Iowa Sportsman If… If Jeff Foxworthy is the king of Rednecks then Iowa sportsmen are king of, well Iowa sportsmen. We thought it would be fun to take a card out of Foxworthy’s deck and see what fellow Iowa sportsmen would come up with if posed the question “You might be […]
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Tips for Getting the Fishing Rig Ready for Open Water
Tips for Getting the Fishing Rig Ready for Open Water By Steve Weisman 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 […]
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Late Ice Season Crappies
Late Ice Season Crappies By Ben Leal March is here and anglers are starting to look at their boats, bass and walleye rods, thinking about the open water season. February is the time of year when, in Iowa, most of the outdoor sports and recreation shows take place, giving a reason for thoughts of open […]
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Trolling on Ice
Trolling on Ice By Bob Jensen 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, […]
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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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The Basics of Walleye Fishing
The Basics of Walleye Fishing Walleyes are arguably one of the tastiest freshwater fish in the US, and in my opinion, the tastiest fish to catch in the state. On top of that, they also top the charts as one of the feistiest fish to land this side of (and in) the Mississippi river. Walleyes […]
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