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
Click Here To View This Issue Now!
How to Revitalize a Pond
How to Revitalize a Pond A well-maintained pond can be the heart of a landscape, providing a serene retreat for nature enthusiasts and a thriving habitat for fish and wildlife. However, as time goes by, ponds can lose their luster. Water quality may diminish, fish populations can become unbalanced, and invasive species may take over. […]
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Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat
Leveraging Prairie to Improve Habitat As I write this I am winding down for the evening after surviving an ice crusted day of freezing rain. A unique phenomenon my friend Luke Fritch and I have noticed on such days is the presence of pheasants near our houses as the ice glazes over all of the […]
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Guide to Creating a Spring Food Plot for Deer Hunters
Guide to Creating a Spring Food Plot Spring is the perfect time for deer hunters to start preparing food plots. The plans for deer season 2025 start now and a well-planned food plot not only improves hunting opportunities but also contributes to the overall health and nutrition of the local deer population. Creating a food […]
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Dog Nutrition Breakdown
Dog Nutrition Breakdown If you’re getting nutritional advice for your dog from cousin Eddie, you need to stop. In the Christmas classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, Snots (the dog) is under the table and Clark asks Eddie, “What’s wrong with the dog?” Eddie nonchalantly responds, “Oh, he’s just yakkin’ on a bone…he’s probably just been […]
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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.
