Iowa Sportsman

Iowa Trout Grand Slam – Podcast

‘Rats and ‘Coons: Tried and True Sets

‘Rats and ‘Coons: Tried and True Sets As a long time trapper it is great to see a bit of resurgence in the sport over the last few years. While trapping took a hit during the late 80’s and all through the 90’s and 00’s it appears that many trappers are getting back into the […]

The Other Masked Bandit: The Badger

The Other Masked Bandit: The Badger I was sitting on the phones at work one day getting bored with no one answering the phone and having read every trapper magazine and book I could get my hands on, I got to thinking about writing some kind of article. But what could I write about that […]

Bad Weather Bass

Bad Weather Bass By Todd Reed Vacation time has been put in for, the cabin is rented and supplies are bought…and then Mother Nature ruins your plans to enjoy some bass fishing on your favorite lake/river. What are you to do? You should get in that vehicle and go catch some bass! Mother Nature can […]

Disappearing Act: Finding Post-Spawn Crappies

Disappearing Act: Finding Post-Spawn Crappies By Rod Woten It absolutely boggles my mind! How can the same crappies that were so bunched up and easy to catch during the spawn be so scattered and elusive after the spawn? How can they just disappear? It’s not like they grew legs and walked to another lake. They’re […]

Transition Walleyes: Post Spawn Behaviors and Tactics

Transition Walleyes: Post Spawn Behaviors and Tactics By Nick Johnson Many walleye anglers define this time of year as the post spawn blues. Depending on how the spring has gone, whether warm temps have held or cold temps prevailed this can hold some truth. I like to think of this time of year as an […]

Des Moines River Kayaking

Des Moines River Kayaking  By Ricky Kinder The trip wasn’t off to a good start. At 6:30 p.m. on Friday May 10th my cousin Nick and I were standing in what used to be the parking lot for the Yellow Banks Park boat ramp, but was now consumed by the swollen Des Moines River. Three […]

Chasing Early Season Northern Pike

Chasing Early Season Northern Pike By Steve Weisman When the ice begins to leave our northern Iowa lakes, anglers head out looking for ice-out smallmouth bass, pre-spawn walleyes and panfish. However, there is one prolific game fish that is often overlooked: the northern pike. In many cases, they are totally ignored. As a result, a […]

Capturing Nature: Tips for making the most of your Outdoor Photos

Capturing Nature: Tips for making the most of your Outdoor Photos By Laura Woten Imagine the SCENE: trout fishing in the Driftless Region of Northeastern Iowa in the spring. The flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and the water is flowing fast and clear. A mother doe and her new twin fawns wander up […]

Your Guide to Herbicides

Your Guide to Herbicides By Tom Peplinksi I spend a lot of time and money getting things to grow on my farm. Between food plots, apple trees, evergreens, and timber regrowth I’m always trying to get the varieties of plants I want…in the right places, and growing without competition from other plants. When growing food […]