Panfish

When the bite is on

When the bite is on By Ben Leal September…ahhhhhh…cooling temps, well at least we hope they start cooling off. We’ve just wandered through the heat of July and August and it was in a word, hot! Fishing, for the most part, was an early morning or late afternoon evening event. Two reasons really; you want […]

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Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund and its impact on Iowa’s Natural Resources

Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund and its impact on Iowa’s Natural Resources By Steve Weisman Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk around the state about the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its budget. Basically, there are two areas of revenue: (1) The Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund […]

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Fall Structure: What Draws Fall Fish?

Fall Structure: What Draws Fall Fish? By Nick Johnson Finally, the blistering heat and humidity of this past summer is starting to thin out and cooler weather is on the horizon. Everything seems to be eating and water levels are generally very stable in both rivers and lakes. Fall is a transition time, slow as […]

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Fishing Myth Busters

Fishing Myth Busters By Todd Reed No matter how often you fish, or don’t fish there are many people that have certain beliefs about fishing.  What makes fishing better…what you can’t do when you fish.  There are many myths about fishing that the common public say and truly believe in.  Perhaps Grandpa said these things […]

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Fishing Big Spirit Lake For The Fall Double Header

Fishing Big Spirit Lake For The Fall Double Header By Steve Weisman Fall is always a great time for fishing. The months of September and October offer stretches of mild weather and beautiful colors as the trees turn a myriad of colors, and best of all, the fish are putting on that fall “feed bag” […]

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Tackle Talk: Go-To Lures for Multi-Species Angling

Tackle Talk: Go-To Lures for Multi-Species Angling By Nick Johnson How many lures does one angler need? I would venture to guess than many of you reading this have a stockpile of options to choose from and yet each season make repeated pilgrimages to the tackle store to increase personal inventory with new and improved […]

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10 Reasons Why You Don’t Catch Fish

10 Reasons Why You Don’t Catch Fish By Todd Reed No matter your skill level, from successful tournament angler to an aspiring elementary kid, we all have days that we can’t catch any fish. There are many reasons why boys and girls, men and women struggle to catch fish at times. Some days it seems […]

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Pontoon’s As Fishing Boats?

Pontoon’s As Fishing Boats? By Steve Weisman Ever since I purchased my first boat over 40 years ago, nothing has been more exciting, time consuming and, yes, even exasperating as it has been to narrow down the list to my final choice. Back in 1972, I began with a 14-year-old 14-foot Crestliner and a 10 […]

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Avoiding Boating Mistakes

Avoiding Boating Mistakes By Steve Weisman I’ve been a boat owner for over 40 years and for the most part have enjoyed my boating experiences. At the same time, along the way I have witnessed and been part of mistakes that have certainly affected those experiences. Some have been laughable, some what I would call […]

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Iowa’s State Record Fish: Part II

Iowa’s State Record Fish: Part II By Ben Leal Last month we took a look at the current State records for perch, walleye, northern pike and muskellunge or musky as they are known. We also noted some areas where an angler might have a chance at landing that next record. With warming waters we’ll start […]

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