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!
Why use Prescribed Burning
Why use Prescribed Burning I remember watching our field of switchgrass being burned for the first time. With a drip torch in hand, the volunteer fire department struck the first line of flame, and I watched as the flame slowly gained strength. The fire spread, low and steady at first, but then surging forward. As […]
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Tips for Hunting in the Snow
Tips for Hunting in the Snow On a snowy Saturday morning last December, I doubted the instincts of one of my Small Munsterlanders, Della. We were chasing pheasants with some of my friends and their dogs. We were two birds shy of a three-man limit and one of those birds was mine. On our way […]
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Four Reasons to Hunt with a Muzzleloader
Four Reasons You Need Hunt with a Muzzleloader The muzzleloader is one of the most traditional weapons still used in modern times. The guns, bullets, and powder have all been advanced in ways over the last 100 years but there is still a bottom line tradition to shooting one. This weapon only gives you one […]
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JANUARY ICE TACTICS
JANUARY ICE TACTICS January in Iowa is best described by one word…cold. Average temperatures will range from highs in the low 30’s, dipping to 6 degrees by morning. Ice still dominates lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Ice fishing remains the mainstay for going after crappie, bluegill, perch, and walleye. SAFETY FIRST As any ice angler knows, […]
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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.
