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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Dove Opener Countdown
Dove Opener Countdown If you’re looking for something fun to do with your dog before the upland and/or waterfowl seasons open, you should consider dove hunting. Forty-one of the lower forty-eight states have a dove season. Pursuing doves creates high demands for our dogs. The hunts are action-packed, especially if you’re in a hot field. […]
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Fall Fishing in Iowa
Fall Fishing in Iowa Iowa, nature begins to transition from summer to fall. As the water temperatures drop, fish know that colder weather and winter are not far off. The coming chill will have most predatory fish on the prowl, fattening up before Mother Nature slows things down for them. Weather Like all of Iowa’s […]
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5 Hacks for Bass Fishing with Plastics
5 Low Tech Hacks for Soft Plastics and Bass ‘Hacks’ nowadays are defined as a clever solution to a problem. In an era of high-tech gadgetry and complex rigging options here are five decidedly low-tech ideas to consider when fishing soft plastic lures for Largemouth Bass (and other species as well). I have gathered these […]
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Types of Sportsmen
Types of Sportsman Sportsmen and women come in all different shapes, sizes, ages, etc. We have our own individual personalities that make us each unique. We come from different walks of life. Work different types of careers or go to different schools. Have different political and religious views. etc. It seems, at times; about the […]
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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.
