crappie
Ready for The Mid-Winter Ice Fishing Blues?
Ready for The Mid-Winter Ice Fishing Blues? As the crisp and frigid air chills your body, snow covers the landscape as far as you can see, the sight is somewhat magical on this early February day. However, as you drive to your ice fishing destination that beautiful sight reminds you that you are smack-dab in […]
READ MORE
Tight Lipped Ice Tactics
Tight Lipped Ice Tactics We’ve all experienced it… a day we load up and head out full of anticipation of a great day out on the ice. You’ve dreamt of that ice rod bending as you set the hook on yet another slab crappie or 10-inch plus bluegill…Vexilar screens lighting up with fish on the […]
READ MORE
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 […]
READ MORE
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 […]
READ MORE
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 […]
READ MORE
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 […]
READ MORE
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, […]
READ MORE
Hunting Offseason Preparation: 9 Ways to Boost Success
The End of One Season is the Beginning of a New Season: Offseason Hunting Strategy Guide What should hunters do in the offseason? Hunters should use the offseason to improve success by: Scouting deer movement and habitat Practicing shooting skills regularly Gaining permission for new land Maintaining and upgrading equipment Improving habitat and food sources […]
READ MORE
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 […]
READ MORE
When the bite is On
When the bite is on September…ahhhhhh…cooling temps, well at least we hope they start cooling off. We’ve just wandered through the heat of July and August and it was in a word, hot! Fishing, for the most part, was an early morning or late afternoon evening event. Two reasons really; you want to avoid sweating […]
READ MORE