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!
Three Surefire Presentations to Catch Bass Through the Ice
Three Surefire Presentations to Catch Bass Through the Ice Many ice fishermen around central Iowa spend the winter months targeting panfish through the ice. I am no exception; I love to catch big bull bluegills and slab crappies as much as the next person. Panfish are more than willing to bite during the winter and […]
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Mink Trapping Secrets: 5 Sets to Catch More Mink
The Elusive Mink Why is it that many trappers can catch truck loads full of coon but only a few mink? Is it because they make sets that aren’t attractive to a mink or is it the way the trap is set so they miss the short legged animal? The male mink can get up […]
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Fishing for Springtime Channel Cats
Fishing for Springtime Channel Cats As spring fever begins to subside, rivers and lakes begin to warm. The northern rivers and lakes begin to open up after a long winter of being sealed up from the world by ice. In the Midwest, The world of the channel catfish begins to take hold for another year […]
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Pass The Time With DIY Deer Hunting Projects
Pass The Time With DIY Deer Hunting Projects How many of you whitetail archery hunters already have a count down to opening day on October 1st? Chalk me up as guilty. The good news is that every day the sun rises we are one day closer to that glorious day. The bad news; we still […]
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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.
