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
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Chasing Pike on the Ice
Chasing Pike on the Ice When Chad Loreth moved to the Iowa Great Lakes area in 2005, he knew he was coming to a great year-round fishery. Loreth has enjoyed helping anglers, both veteran and novice, young and old, enjoy the fishery through his guide service, Iowa Great Lakes Outdoors, Inc. As much as he […]
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Ice Fishing Styles and Techniques
Ice Fishing Styles and Techniques Ice fishing… you mention that to any number of people from the Southern states, and they will look at you like you have lost your mind. I often post images of myself or my family members out on the ice catching any number and variety of fish. A video of […]
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The Genz Fish Trap Turns 40
The Genz Fish Trap Turns 40 Yes, I am an ice fishing fanatic. Moving to northwest Iowa from South Dakota in 1978, I found an ice fishing mecca like I had never seen before, and I could write a book about my learning curve when it came to finesse fishing. Over the next several years, […]
READ MORE5 Tips for Final Days Bucks
5 Tips for Final Days Bucks The doldrums of winter can be taxing on anyone. Short days coupled with cold temperatures can tend to get some folks in a funk. Don’t tell that to a dedicated whitetail hunter though. The days between December 21-January 10 mark the late muzzleloader portion of the Iowa whitetail season […]
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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.
