Bluegill
Taking on the Midwinter Fishing Doldrums
Taking on the Midwinter Fishing Doldrums Midwinter ice fishing is often completely different than early and late ice. Instead of the aggressive fish that come with both early and late ice, midwinter fish are often more neutral and have seen several months of lures. That’s why here on the Iowa Great Lakes the most successful […]
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Must Have’s For Ice Anglers
Must Have’s For Ice Anglers The ice fishing season is nearing and another exciting year is ahead for anglers in Iowa. As each ice season approaches anglers all over Iowa eagerly anticipate the first time they will hit the ice in search of their favorite wintertime species. Ice fishing is a simple way to fish […]
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How to Catch Pressured Fish: Proven Late Summer Tactics
How to Catch Pressured Fish: Proven Late Summer Tactics September is upon us and nature is buzzing all around us. Hunting seasons are starting to take shape and football takes center stage with many looking for entertainment. September can also be a good time to get in a few more fishing trips before the weather […]
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Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer
Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer The year was 1963, and I was 15 years old, a teenager who loved to play baseball and go to semi-pro baseball games and just kick back on a mid-summer’s evening. A big hit song of 1963 was Nat King Cole’s “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer, and when that song […]
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Preparing Your Boat for the Season
Preparing Your Boat for the Season Hopefully the spring fishing season has treated you well here in the great state of Iowa. I have been out many times traveling through the state with a boat in tow. No matter if you have a 12-foot jon boat, or a 21-foot fiberglass boat. Boating season is just […]
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The Thaw: Ice Out Habits of Iowa Game Fish
The Thaw: Ice Out Habits of Iowa Game Fish The disappearance of ice come spring is a sad time for those of us who love to ice fish. We begrudgingly put away the sleds, augers, and shacks and give one final farewell to all the gear until next winter. But alas, open water season is […]
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Ice Fishing Fundamentals
Ice Fishing Fundamentals Every year I give lots of ice fishing seminars over the course of the winter. LOTS of seminars. So many in fact, that I used to find myself wanting to up the ante with each seminar I presented, tackling increasingly more complex subject matter with each new presentation. A few years ago, […]
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Top 9 Channel Catfish Baits
Top 9 Channel Catfish Baits I once heard a seasoned catfish tournament angler say, “The best bait collectors usually become the best catfish anglers.” At first, that idea took some thinking—but the more time you spend on the water, the more it proves true. Finding and using the right bait is often what separates average […]
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Ice Fishing Preview
Ice Fishing Preview December is around the corner! And with any luck, we will have a chance to get out and start punching holes and feeding our ice fishing addiction. There have been times when we’re on the ice by Thanksgiving, but in most cases, except for Northern Iowa, we’ll still have ice that’s pretty […]
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Successful Ice Fishing Tactics for a New Body of Water
Where to Start? Successful Ice Fishing Tactics for a New Body of Water Ice fishing a brand new lake can be a daunting task. Apparently, it torments a lot of ice anglers because one of the questions I get asked probably more than any others when I present seminars is “how do I approach fishing […]
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