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!
What to do When Food Plots Fail
What to do When Food Plots Fail Nothing is more frustrating than planting your food plot, taking the time to prepare and plant only to have it fail. Yet, this happens. Sometimes we were the problem, and sometimes there are outside factors that decimate it. In this article, we are going to look at some […]
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Mastering the Fall Fishing Game
Mastering the Fall Fishing Game Fall is quickly approaching, and we feel it all around us. From the shortening of the days to the cool mornings, to the leaves beginning to change on the oaks and the maples. The fish can feel it too. Fall is prime time to catch trophy fish. The fish have […]
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Trout Fishing in Northeast Iowa
Trout Fishing in Northeast Iowa Some call it Little Switzerland, others call it river Bluff Country. Apparently, the correct name for it nowadays is The Driftless Region, or more colloquially, The Driftless. Regardless of what you call it, there’s no denying that it is a very special place. It’s a place where it’s very easy […]
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Using Trail Cameras to Target Whitetail
Using Trail Cameras to Target Whitetail If you have read many articles or listened to many podcasts that have featured yours truly, then you have likely heard the story of a buck that was hunted who was affectionately nicknamed “Coondog.” There was nothing super special about this particular buck outside of the fact that he […]
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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.
