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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The Do’s and Don’ts of Turkey Season
The Do’s and Don’ts of Turkey Season The lull of winter is in full swing for me. Fall/winter hunting seasons have all closed and I am finding myself anticipating the next best thing. Turkey season! My mind has shifted. In my daydreaming I now see episodes of turkey hunts. When I’m driving to and from […]
READ MORE38 Tips For 38 Days of Iowa Turkey Hunting!
38 Tips For 38 Days of Iowa Turkey Hunting! The doldrums of winter are behind us, friends! Warm, sunny days are ahead and with that comes a favorite pastime of many: Spring Turkey Hunting! Iowa offers a unique style of turkey hunting date options that incorporate four different seasons plus a youth season. A hunter […]
READ MOREEarly Spring Fishing: BASS
Early Spring Fishing: BASS By Todd Reed April cold water bass fishing can be one of the most challenging times of the year to follow and catch these fish. However, if you study the weather, choose the correct baits, and know where to begin looking for bass you will be one up on the average […]
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Turkey Preparation: What you Should Be Doing Now
Turkey Preparation: What you Should Be Doing Now If you are a turkey hunter then you probably already know that spring turkey hunting can be completely different than fall turkey hunting, but the fundamentals to prepare for either are going to be the same. Like any hunting, the key to success is hard work during […]
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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.
