Check Out Our Current Issue!
In the May 2026 Issue of the Iowa Sportsman
- Chase the Bite: Early Season
- Calming A Hyper Gun Dog
- Perfecting Your Turkey Setup
- Summer Work That Pays Off in Bow Season
- Artifact Hunting in Iowa
- Wild Edible Foraging
- Tactics for Late-Season Toms
- Iowa’s Venom, Oil and Toxic Sap
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
Turkey Talk – Learn The Language
Turkey Talk – Learn The Language Many moons ago, in my high school days I can remember my Multi-cultural Studies teacher telling the class that if you truly want to understand a culture then you have to learn the language. While I never really applied that piece of advice to the real world, I did […]
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‘Rats and ‘Coons: Tried and True Sets
‘Rats and ‘Coons: Tried and True Sets As a long time trapper it is great to see a bit of resurgence in the sport over the last few years. While trapping took a hit during the late 80’s and all through the 90’s and 00’s it appears that many trappers are getting back into the […]
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Transition Walleyes: Post Spawn Behaviors and Tactics
Transition Walleyes: Post Spawn Behaviors and Tactics Many walleye anglers define this time of year as the post spawn blues. Depending on how the spring has gone, whether warm temps have held or cold temps prevailed this can hold some truth. I like to think of this time of year as an opportunity to intercept […]
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Your Guide to Herbicides
Your Guide to Herbicides I spend a lot of time and money getting things to grow on my farm. Between food plots, apple trees, evergreens, and timber regrowth I’m always trying to get the varieties of plants I want…in the right places, and growing without competition from other plants. When growing food plots I’m targeting […]
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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.
