Fishing

Spring Ritual: Spawning Crappies
Spring Ritual: Spawning Crappies By Rod Woten Spring is finally in the air! Ice has finally decided to release its grip on our lakes, the sun is starting to feel warmer, and the days are getting longer. Surely gobbling turkeys and popping morels can’t be too far behind? Ever since becoming a fly fishing guide, […]
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Hardwater To Open Water
Hardwater To Open Water By Ben Leal As March approaches there are quite a few anglers that start looking at their boats, rods and reels, thinking about the open water season. February is the time of year when in Iowa, most of the outdoor sports and recreation shows are taking place giving reason for thoughts […]
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Walleye Length Changes Coming in 2022
Walleye Length Changes Coming in 2022 When you catch a walleye in Iowa, there’s a good chance that the fish got its start in one of Iowa’s walleye hatcheries. Since walleye often don’t reproduce naturally in the state’s inland rivers and lakes, their populations must be maintained through the Iowa DNR’s stocking program. The hundreds […]
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Getting Ready for the Spring Spawn
Getting Ready for the Spring Spawn Spring in Iowa, and anywhere in the country, is a pretty busy time for our fishy friends who reside in area lakes. Warming water temps signal walleye, crappie, and bass that it’s time to start moving to shallow spring haunts. Walleye are the first to transition to shallow water […]
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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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Plan A, B and C when the Fish Disappear
Plan A, B and C when the Fish Disappear By Todd Reed The ice fishing season is well underway and anglers are having success all around the state of Iowa. The fish have had ample time to get in their winter patterns and can become pretty predictable this time of year. Typically that is a […]
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A Trip Down Memory Lane
A Trip Down Memory Lane By Steve Weisman In late September, my wife and I traveled to her hometown of Redfield, SD for her 50th year class reunion. The kids of ’69 were now in their late 60s, and as a friend of mine and I watched the Redfield homecoming parade, we cheered as the […]
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Iowa Ice Hotspots for Crappie
Iowa Ice Hotspots for Crappie By Ben Leal November of 2019 will be remembered by the sudden blast of cold that blew into the State early in the month…Anglers across Iowa, especially those in the central portions of the state were talking about being on the ice by Thanksgiving. As I sit and hammer out […]
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The Good and Bad Yellow Bass
The Good and Bad Yellow Bass By Todd Reed What: Yellow Bass are an invasive species in some lakes around Iowa. They are not meant for lakes but have found their way into some, and typically means the lake will not survive. Yellow Bass are in the same family as the white bass and striped […]
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Preparing for Spring Fishing
Preparing for Spring Fishing It is amazing how fast the seasons come and go! I know that part of the reason has to do with my age, but the fall weather held on so long that it pushed the ice fishing season well into December. Here in northern Iowa, anglers had to head north as […]
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