Fishing

Icey Eyes

Icey Eyes By Ben Leal Iowa is in the heart of the ice belt and anglers throughout the Midwest will venture North, South, East or West to test their ice fishing skills on our local waters. Some areas like West Lake Okoboji for instance are on many a hit list for large bull bluegill. Other […]

Winter Panfish Preview on the Iowa Great Lakes

Winter Panfish Preview on the Iowa Great Lakes By Steve Weisman With the entire open water panfishing so outstanding on the Iowa Great Lakes, ice fishermen can hardly wait to see what the hard water season will bring. Big Spirit, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Minnewashta and West Okoboji consistently produced excellent panfishing action all summer. […]

Become a Better Hardwater Angler

Become a Better Hardwater Angler By Rod Woten Are you new to ice fishing and want to shorten the learning curve? Are you a seasoned angler that wants to take your game to the next level? Are you frustrated with catching few or small fish…want to catch more and bigger fish? When I first started […]

Early Ice Crappies

Ahhhh…nothing like your first trip out to the ice. Days prior to your first trip you go through the list, Vexilar battery…check; auger…check; load new line on your ice rods…check; ice jigs and bait…check; ice shack…check; lantern and heater tested…check; everything seems to be in order and ready to go. Reports are coming in that […]

Let’s Go Ice Fishing w/ Rod Woten – Podcast

Late Fall Strategies for Cold Water

The bite of cold has overcome Iowa by now, whitetail bucks are in rut and waterfowl hunting is picking up. With so many outdoor related distractions the thought of fishing takes a back burner to many. Even I find myself trading the rods for a shotgun at this point and celebrate the excitement of ice […]

Early Season Ice Tactics that will Fill your Bucket

Early Season Ice Tactics that will Fill your Bucket Anglers throughout Iowa keep a keen eye on the calendar each year, especially those anglers affectionately known as “ice heads”. Iowa’s average temperatures begin to dip in October and continue the downward trend throughout the month. Halloween paves the way for November to roll in and […]

It is Never to Late to Start Ice Fishing

It is Never to Late to Start Ice Fishing I have been ice fishing since junior high school, or let’s just say, a long time ago.  I can still remember that first time stepping onto the river backwater, it was an eerie feeling, but the feeling of anticipation and excitement soon overtook that eeriness.  Dreams […]

What it is like to be a Tournament Bass Angler

What it is like to be a Tournament Bass Angler Bass tournaments are the ultimate fishing thrill.  The feeling that you get at 5am as you hop in your boat and face your competitors for the day is like no other.  I have been fishing tournaments for twenty-five years and there is no doubt in […]

End of Fishing Season Things To Do

End of Fishing Season Things To Do How quickly our fishing seasons come and go. Spring and summer are gone, and fall is coming to a close. Sure enough, soon the ice will be on lakes, and we’ll be heading into ice fishing season. However, there are some end of the open water season things […]