Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the June 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Waterfowl Hunting Tips for Beginners: 5 Ways to Start
- Deer Hunting Preparation in June: Set Up for Success
- 5 Ways to Cook Fresh Fish in Summer
- A Guide to Summer Catfishing
- Are Allergies More Common Today in Dogs?
- June Food Plot Planting in Iowa: What to Grow Now
- Why Suppressors Are Gaining Popularity Today
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Learning to Fly Fish Iowa
Learning to Fly Fish Iowa When you think fly fishing, I’ll bet you picture mountains, streams and waders – at least I do. However, some excellent opportunities exist right here in Iowa. All Iowans have access to either public or private ponds or lakes. When ponds or lakes are calm and the surface is glassy, […]
READ MOREFood Plots 101: Knowing Food Plot Basics
Food Plots 101: Knowing Food Plot Basics Food plots can be a big part of hunting here in Iowa for many reasons. Do you absolutely need to have a food plot to have success hunting? No. Would a food plot be a tool in your arsenal for deer and turkey? Absolutely! If you have the […]
READ MOREHunter Education It’s More Than Just a Class
Hunter Education It’s More Than Just a Class Hunting is special in that it can be a solo sport, or you can get a few friends together and enjoy the outdoor experiences together. Some people are forced to hunt alone due to safety, or the lack there of, from others. Walking with a gun pointed […]
READ MOREBring The Great Outdoors, Inside. Beat The Heat!
Bring The Great Outdoors, inside. Beat The Heat! I have every reason to list summer as my favorite season. It serves as my respite from a year of long weeks in the classroom as a science teacher. My birthday is in early August. My family usually takes a cross country vacation, plus all of 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.
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.
