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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
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Check Out Our Current Issue!

First Ice

First Ice By Ben Leal Ahhhh…nothing like your first trip out to the ice. Days prior to your first trip you go through the list, Vexilar battery…check; auger…check; load new line on your ice rods…check; ice jigs and bait…check; ice shack…check; lantern and heater tested…check; everything seems to be in order and ready to go. […]

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The Whitetail Rut in Iowa: Whitetails365 Rut Ambush Locations Bucks

Set A Rut Ambush

Set A Rut Ambush: Locations to Fool Bucks With hunting season well underway, deer hunters across the state have gotten their taste of the chase. November rolls in and we begin to see rutting bucks chase after hot does, while at the same time leaving their marks warning off potential competitors. Little do they know, […]

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Iowa Deer Hunting Forecast 2022-23 Hunting Locked Down Bucks

Hunting Locked Down Bucks

Hunting Locked Down Bucks As the old saying goes: The only certainties in life are death, taxes, and locked down bucks come November. Well, most of that saying is well-known, but in the whitetail world losing tabs on a bruiser buck during November is almost always a certainty. Deer hunting can be very fickle. There […]

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Reflections on Deer Season

Reflections on Deer Season

Reflections on Deer Season Hunting season, for us, is more than just chasing whitetails or birds; it’s our escape button. It gives us a much-needed chance for escape and an opportunity to connect with God, nature, as well as friends and family. Hunting is how we finally slow down, take a solid break from the […]

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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.