Early Spring Trout Fishing
Early Spring Trout Fishing

Early Spring Trout Fishing Spring in Northeast Iowa’s Driftless Region marks the beginning of one of the most rewarding trout fishing seasons in the Midwest. This is one of the prettiest areas in Northern Iowa marked with limestone bluffs, spring-fed creeks, and rolling pastures. The Driftless Region contains a several cold, clear streams that flow steadily year-round. This creates perfect trout habitat, and spring offers fishermen peaceful days on the water. With stable water temperatures, increasing insect activity, and hungry post-winter trout, there’s no better time to explore these legendary streams. Why The Driftless Region? This region is a trout […]

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End of Fishing Season Things To Do Ways to Rig Plastics Berkley Shares the Science of Fishing Lures

Berkley Shares the Science of Fishing Lures

Berkley Shares the Science of Fishing Lures Ever wonder what the process is for manufacturers to bring a bait from the concept stage to the fishing market? I recently had the opportunity to learn more about this at a fishing seminar put on by the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club at its annual spring get […]

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Best Tips to Catch More Spring Bass You want to be a Fishing Guide

You want to be a Fishing Guide

You want to be a Fishing Guide I have written this article before but every few years it seems situations change and the world needs a reminder as to what a fishing guide does and some need to be asked if it is really the right avenue for them. Some of this may seem discouraging […]

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An Iowa Treasure Hunt Get into the Outdoors

Get Into The Outdoors

Get Into The Outdoors My wife and I have four daughters! You can all pray for us! But truthfully, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Having these young ladies in my life has been an incredible journey as we have raised them through the years. My oldest is sixteen and my youngest is eight. […]

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Taxidermy Field Tips for Better Mounts The Dangers with Being too Good

The Dangers of Being Too Good: Whitetails 365:

Whitetails 365: The Dangers of Being Too Good I was watching a pretty well-known hunting show a few years back and the host of the show was talking about habitat improvements on his farm. Through the segment, he was explaining why he was creating the best habitat on every acre of his farm. The explanation […]

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Featured Story

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

Ok, this first big buck profile is a little self-serving in that it is of a buck that I personally took this past deer season. While it is likely not the “biggest” big buck that we will profile this year it is definitely one of my most special deer ever.

Turning a Dream into Reality

As has been noted in several articles since 2023, my family and I finally put together the means to purchase our very own piece of Iowa ground. “The 32,” as we call it, has become a passion project to see if we could take an unassuming piece of real estate and harvest a mature deer from there by giving him all he needs in the way of habitat. This year was the first year that the farm would be huntable in the state in which we intended due to construction projects over the past couple of seasons.

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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.