Walleye
Walleye Fishing in Iowa
Walleye Fishing in Iowa Ask any freshwater angler what is a sought-after fish for table fare, and you’ll get a resounding response, “walleye.” Sure, crappie and bluegill will come up in that conversation as well, but walleye, by far, will always be on that list. The common name, “walleye,” comes from the fact that their […]
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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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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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Ready for The Mid-Winter Ice Fishing Blues?
Ready for The Mid-Winter Ice Fishing Blues? As the crisp and frigid air chills your body, snow covers the landscape as far as you can see, the sight is somewhat magical on this early February day. However, as you drive to your ice fishing destination that beautiful sight reminds you that you are smack-dab in […]
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Taking on the Midwinter Fishing Doldrums
Taking on the Midwinter Fishing Doldrums Midwinter ice fishing is often completely different than early and late ice. Instead of the aggressive fish that come with both early and late ice, midwinter fish are often more neutral and have seen several months of lures. That’s why here on the Iowa Great Lakes the most successful […]
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Must Have’s For Ice Anglers
Must Have’s For Ice Anglers The ice fishing season is nearing and another exciting year is ahead for anglers in Iowa. As each ice season approaches anglers all over Iowa eagerly anticipate the first time they will hit the ice in search of their favorite wintertime species. Ice fishing is a simple way to fish […]
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The Cost of Getting into Ice Fishing
The Cost of Getting into Ice Fishing Last year’s pandemic was a boon for people heading to the outdoors. It was the one place that was safe. Fishing numbers and licenses in the state of Iowa were up by over 50 percent. Some were anglers getting back into the sport of fishing, while others were […]
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Summertime Shad and Square Bills
Summertime Shad and Square Bills I decided to fish my way through 2020, the year of social isolation, and experienced the most epic day of largemouth bass fishing of my life. I have no idea how many bass I caught the morning of August 7th, but I fished one spot for an hour and a […]
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Targeting Shallow Weed Walleyes
Targeting Shallow Weed Walleyes Over the 40 plus years that I have lived in northwest Iowa, I’ve enjoyed fishing walleyes on the Iowa Great Lakes. My target lakes have included Big Spirit, East and West Okoboji. For many years, however, I missed a real opportunity during the summer months. After fishing the weed edges in […]
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A Place For Family and Friends: The Outdoors
A Place for Family and Friends: The Outdoors As a young man growing up in the Loess Hills of western Iowa, I was too busy pursuing teenage interests to realize the beauty the hills had to offer. It wasn’t until I was older and a college student at Mankato State University that I found myself […]
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