Fishing
Things That Ruin Ice Fishing Success
Things That Ruin Ice Fishing Success Ice fishing has been a passion of mine since 1990, it doesn’t seem possible, but the allure of cutting a hole in the ice to catch fish gets my blood pumping every winter. Growing up during my school days I eagerly awaited Sundays when we would trek out to […]
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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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Ice Fishing Fundamentals
Ice Fishing Fundamentals Every year I give lots of ice fishing seminars over the course of the winter. LOTS of seminars. So many in fact, that I used to find myself wanting to up the ante with each seminar I presented, tackling increasingly more complex subject matter with each new presentation. A few years ago, […]
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Useful Tactics For Walleyes In The Heat!
Useful Tactics For Walleyes In The Heat! The dog days of summer…historically, for lots of anglers these words mean the end of walleye fishing until the cool fall days begin. For fishing guide and tournament angler Kevan Paul, the dog days of summer can still be days of good walleye fishing. “I agree that some […]
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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 […]
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Yellow Bass Iowa’s Overlooked Panfish
Yellow Bass Iowa’s Overlooked Panfish Iowa has a love-hate relationship with the yellow bass. On one hand they’re plentiful, fun to catch and make delicious table fare. On the other hand, in many instances, they’re an invasive species and out-compete other panfish like crappies and bluegills…even largemouth bass. They are prolific breeders so they can […]
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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 […]
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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 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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Ice Fishing Preview
Ice Fishing Preview December is around the corner! And with any luck, we will have a chance to get out and start punching holes and feeding our ice fishing addiction. There have been times when we’re on the ice by Thanksgiving, but in most cases, except for Northern Iowa, we’ll still have ice that’s pretty […]
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