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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Overlooked Fishing Destinations in Iowa
Overlooked Fishing Destinations in Iowa Growing up in Iowa and fishing as much as I could I never took the time to realize how fortunate we are to have the natural resources that we do. Perhaps it is being over four decades old, or perhaps it is the reflective mind that I am diving into. […]
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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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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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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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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.
