Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the April 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Best Places for Early Season Open Water
- Building a Foundation for the Field
- Range Safety Tips
- Building a Farm Pond to Hold More Wildlife
- Shed Antlers: Do they really tell us anything?
- What Makes a Great Food Plot
- Keeping Kids Engaged in Turkey Hunting
- Pre-Spawn Bass
- Springtime Panfish-Perch, Crappie, and Bluegill
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Preseason Scouting for Spring Gobblers
Preseason Scouting for Spring Gobblers Have you ever asked yourself what one thing is most vitally important to the success of any turkey hunt before it begins? Some might say that it is practicing with their trusty box call or mouth call to be able to replicate just the right sounds. Others may point out […]
READ MOREUtilizing Frost Seeding For Clover Food Plots: Whitetails 365
Utilizing Frost Seeding For Clover Food Plots: Whitetails 365 As spring approaches hunters begin to plan and strategize over food plots. One staple that should be included in your food plot tactic is clover. Clover is one of the best perennial food sources for deer, and offers birds prime habitat as well. It is beneficial […]
READ MOREIowa’s Bald Eagle Territory Monitoring Project: Giving Back
Iowa’s Bald Eagle Territory Monitoring Project: Giving Back Have you ever enjoyed watching the majestic bald eagle in flight over the Iowa countryside? Or have you viewed the live Decorah eagle nest video online with awe and wonder? I have always had a fastination with the great bald eagle and enjoy watching them make a […]
READ MORESearching for White Gold: Whitetails 365
Searching for White Gold: Whitetails 365 November 4, 2021 was a pretty special day in the deer woods for me. Early that morning I had the pleasure of filming one of my best friends take his biggest buck to date: a 180” Southwest Iowa monarch that he had been chasing for two years. While on […]
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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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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.
