Panfish

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Calling all Iowa Sportsman!

Calling all Iowa Sportsman! Tired of the same old hunting and fishing stories? Want to get the inside scoop on the latest gear, techniques, and local hotspots? Then, you need to tune in to The Iowa Sportsman Podcast. You can expect up-to-date hunting and fishing reports. Get the lowdown on what’s biting and where to […]

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Open Water Fishing in March

Open Water Fishing in March

Open Water Fishing in March The month of March is characterized by rapidly rising daily high temperatures, with daily highs increasing from 41°Fto 56°F over the course of the month, exceeding 72°F or dropping below 26°F only one day in ten. As temps rise throughout the area, ice will begin to lose its grip on […]

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Fishing Late Season Ice

Fishing Late Season Ice

Fishing Late Season Ice February is the time of year when, in Iowa, most outdoor sports and recreation shows are taking place, giving reason for the thoughts of open water. Reality soon sets in as you peer out the window and see a blanket of snow covering much of the ground and fishing boats remain […]

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Primetime for Panfish

Primetime for Panfish March is a wonderful time of the year that can bring warm weather and with it, thoughts of open water. This leads most anglers to begin preparing for open water leaving many opportunities to fish areas with limited pressure. Some of the biggest bluegills and crappies that swim in systems are caught […]

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What is a Trophy Fish

What is a Trophy Fish

Trophy Fish What Makes Em’ Grow   As a lifelong angler I have had the thrill of catching some genuine trophy fish. As a boy, a trophy was anything bigger than the last fish I caught. And in one case it was one that never took the bait, but one I could clearly see as […]

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Iowa’s State Parks

Iowa’s State Parks In the last 25 years of technological advancements, I have watched our culture advance at a tremendous pace that, I worry, will never slow down. Phones, computers, iPods, iPads, GPS, electric cars, automatic vacuums, auto lawnmowers, and more! We are certainly making things easier for our lifestyles, but we are also creating […]

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Best Crappie Baits

Best Crappie Baits   Crappie…animals that forage for discrete, isolated resources are often characterized as either “ambush” (sit-and-wait) or “cruise” (active) searchers. Juvenile white crappie, Pomix annularis, search for zooplankton prey using a salutatory search (SS) strategy. Unlike ambush and cruise, SS involves… Had you readers going there for a moment didn’t I… Well lucky […]

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Raising an Outdoors Child

Train Up A Child   When I was a child I had my life, and my parents had theirs; they did not try to weave their lives into my life; we were not best friends. I did what was normal for a nine-year-old boy, while my parents worked, mowed the yard, went to church suppers, […]

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Three Panfish Lures for Iowa Ice

Three Panfish Lures for Iowa Ice

Three Panfish Lures for Iowa Ice Ice fishing is not just a hobby for me, but a passion and a challenge. I enjoy testing different techniques, baits, and locations to find the best way to catch fish in any condition. One of the ways I have improved my ice fishing skills is by talking to […]

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2024 Boating Accessories

2024 Boating Accessories

2024 Boating Accessories Boat: a device that allows a person to float on water. That is a simple definition of a boat, and one that I do not think of when speaking about boats. Depending on the day I may think of a boat as a shiny, fast moving bass boat, and on other days […]

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