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Listen Now! To the Iowa Hunting and Fishing Report

The episode features an in-depth fishing and outdoor report for early May across key destinations in Iowa, delivered from the perspective of an active angler who has been on the water. The conversation begins with a recap of the Iowa Walleye Opener on the Iowa Great Lakes, with particular focus on Spirit Lake.

Iowa Hunting and Fishing Report

Check Out Our Current Issue!

Trying Something New In Iowa’s Outdoors

Trying Something New In Iowa’s Outdoors

Trying Something New In Iowa’s Outdoors With promise of a beautiful spring day, I had made plans for an all outdoors St. Patty’s Day a few years back for my 6-year old son Dylan and I. The plan was for us to go coyote calling together and then look for some Indian artifacts and deer […]

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how to kill mature bucks

How to Kill Mature Bucks: Proven Strategies

The Art of Killing Mature Bucks By Mac Chilton Harvesting a mature buck is quite the accomplishment. It takes the right combination of time, effort, strategy, and just a little bit of luck to pull off the feat. It’s no secret that some people are rather good at the task, while many people struggle. To […]

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Choosing A Bass Boat

Choosing A Bass Boat The ability to get out on the water, away from the hustle and bustle is a wonderful thing. As I get older, therapy time in a boat is invaluable. As a youngster, I dreamt of having a bass boat, just like the pros on the Bassmaster tournament trail back in the […]

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Planning a Switchgrass Planting Gathering Summer Intel for Fall Bowhunting

Gathering Summer Intel for Fall Bowhunting

Gathering Summer Intel for Fall Bowhunting By Noel Gandy Is there really an off season? For the diehard bowhunter the answer is likely a resounding “no”! Do things look different during the Spring and Summer months for avid deer hunting enthusiasts? You better believe it. That does not mean, though, that there is not work […]

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Featured Story

Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill

Spring is in full swing here in Iowa, and what can be more pleasant a reminder than the sound of birds, the sight of flowers blooming, and the feel of a warm afternoon? I can think of at least one more thing…Panfish!

I can remember it like yesterday, our family would all meet up at the lake house. There was work to do. The yard was to be picked up, the cabin cleaned, and the dock had to be put in. But then, after the work was finished, it was time for all of us cousins to fish! We would all go out to the garage to pick out a few old rods and tie on a hook and sinker as best we could.

The next order of business was to hunt for worms. Flipping anything that we could find stuck in the ground in hopes of just finding a few crawlers. Once the bait was secured, we were ready to fish. We would go out on the dock and cast, vertical jig, and even troll along the side of the dock. We usually did pretty well use those tactics, but my all-time favorite was walking along the rocks on shore and dropping the bait down every little crevice, not knowing what was going to come up next.

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Created By Iowans, For Iowans

The Iowa Sportsman website and magazine are Iowa’s only privately owned media sources catering to hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts here in Iowa. Simply put, we are unlike other Iowa outdoor media sources: All our staff is from Iowa, from our publisher to our writers. We actually follow through on what we advertise; we provide knowledgeable content from people who know the industry or sport discussed.