Panfish

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 […]

Summer Fishing Strategy – Podcast

Iowa Great Lakes Grand Slam: Part 1

Iowa Great Lakes Grand Slam: Part 1 By Steve Weisman In baseball terms, a grand slam is the greatest hit of all, and a second grand slam in a two-day period is even more incredible. Many hitters never hit one in their career, let alone two in a two-day period. Now let’s take the grand […]

Hammock Camping in the Hawkeye State: Hanging Out in Iowa

Hammock Camping in the Hawkeye State: Hanging Out in Iowa It doesn’t seem to matter where we camp, our hammock setup always seems to be the talk of the campground. If we had a nickel for every person that stops by and asks to check out the hammocks that Laura and I camp in, we’d […]

Bluegills for Young and Old

Bluegills for Young and Old Let’s face it, I am a bluegill fishing fanatic. And why not? They are plentiful, they put up a great fight and they are great table fare. Oh, and one more thing, they are great fish to get a youngster hooked on fishing. I will also say this: you still […]

Iowa Sportsman Fishing Trip: Lake Rathbun

Iowa Sportsman Fishing Trip: Lake Rathbun By Clayton Will However you say it; Rathbun Lake or Lake Rathbun, it’s a must see Iowa Family Fishing Trip Destination. At 11,000 acres Lake Rathbun is easily Iowa’s largest body of water not called a river or stream. Nestled in Appanoose County Lake Rathbun is a popular spot […]

Bait Rigs that Catch Fish

Bait Rigs that Catch Fish If you were to go out and ask a dozen anglers what their favorite live bait rig is for any number of species you’ll likely get a dozen different answers. Now it may not be a dozen different baits, but certainly a variety of ways to rig those said baits. […]

How to make your Farm Pond a Fish Haven

How to make your Farm Pond a Fish Haven By Ben Leal The song of birds in the meadows and fields greet a cool Iowa morning. The family car is loaded up and ready to make the short drive to Grandpa’s house for a day of family fun. Pulling up to the house, the kids […]

Disappearing Act: Finding Post-Spawn Crappies

Disappearing Act: Finding Post-Spawn Crappies By Rod Woten It absolutely boggles my mind! How can the same crappies that were so bunched up and easy to catch during the spawn be so scattered and elusive after the spawn? How can they just disappear? It’s not like they grew legs and walked to another lake. They’re […]

Getting A New Boat Without Getting Hooked

Getting a new Boat without Getting Hooked For many of us, one of our prized possessions is our fishing boat. And you know what? It really doesn’t matter how old or how much we paid for it. The fishing rig we currently have is the one we have worked so hard to own. Just as […]