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!
5 Reasons to Ice Fish in Minnesota
5 Reasons to Ice Fish in Minnesota What happens when you combine more than 10,000 lakes full of fish with a state that produces consistent below freezing temperatures? You get the recipe for ice fishing of epic proportions. Throw in dozens of full-service resorts, outfitters, and sleeper fish house businesses that cater to ice anglers […]
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Iowa CWD & EHD Update 2025
Iowa CWD & EHD Update There is nothing better than Iowa’s outdoors. When it comes to deer hunting, I’ve asked, “What’s the biggest threat to our deer herd?” While lots of options come to mind: coyotes, predators, anti-hunters and more. One of the biggest threats is actually the local health of our deer. For those […]
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Providing Hope Through the Outdoors
Providing Hope Through the Outdoors The roosted gobbler startled Josh Herman; it was the first gobble of the morning, and Josh had never heard such a sound. He came to full alert as his guide and friend made the first call of the morning. Josh was experiencing his first turkey hunt while bound to his […]
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The Vizsla
The Vizsla History of the Breed Vizslas are a breed that has been recognized and celebrated as a dog of royalty in the country of Hungary, where they originated. Most of the known early roots of this breed are traced back to families of the upper class. Its high status among society meant the dog […]
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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.
