Iowa Sportsman

Skills Every Angler Should Know

Skills Every Angler Should Know

Skills Every Angler Should Know So many of us go fishing or hunting like it’s second nature. We know how to tie knots, how to load and unload a boat, and even basic survival skills. Many of us have learned these skills since we learned how to walk, but many people never had a parent […]

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Early Spring Fishing – Crappie

Early Spring Fishing – Crappie Crappie… animals that forage for discrete, isolated resources are often characterized as either “ambush” (sit-and-wait) or “cruise” (active) searchers. Juvenile white crappie, Pomix annularis, search for zooplankton prey using a salutatory search (SS) strategy. Unlike ambush and cruise, SS involves… Had all you readers going there for a moment didn’t […]

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Reliable Catfish

Reliable Catfish As catfishing grows across the United States it has become more about what to catch them on than how to catch them. Catfishing can be as simple or difficult as you want to make it. Understanding them and how they operate like anything is the key to success. Also, like anything else the […]

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Trolling Tactics for Walleyes

Trolling Tactics for Walleyes

Trolling Tactics for Walleyes As a fishing guide on the Iowa Great Lakes, M. Doug Burns is often asked by anglers, “What should I do when I troll for walleyes?” Burns, who has been a professional guide since 1986, begins to answer this question by saying, “There is not one single answer to this question. […]

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Upland Dog Steadiness Training

When we Steady our Upland Hunting Dogs

When we Steady our Upland Hunting Dogs Steady to Wing Pointers: For a pointer to be steady to wing (or steady to flush) this would mean that once the dog goes on point, they remain on point while the handler searches for the bird and kicks the bird up (this would also be called “Whoa […]

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Early Spring Walleye Destinations

Early Spring Walleye Destinations

Early Spring Walleye Destinations We’re turning the page. Old Man Winter is slowly losing his grip, and our thoughts turn to spring and open water walleye fishing. Beginning in March through April, it’s definitely time to cash in on the early walleye bite. For this article, however, we’re going to talk about three different early […]

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Strategies to Obtain more Hunting Ground

Strategies to Obtain more Hunting Ground

Strategies to Obtain more Hunting Ground Locking down permission to hunt private land in Iowa is like winning the lottery. Hunters on private land enjoy higher success rates and influence how often the farm is hunted, how many animals are harvested, and how habitat is managed. Moreover, hunters that respect landowners’ wishes and are willing […]

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Chilly Open Water Cats

Chilly Open Water Cats Spring is here (or should) be. After a long winter we all are ready to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. The ice is off but the water is still cold. It is not yet pre spawn yet catfish are starting to come alive. Spring brings new life to everything […]

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5 Steps for an Easy DIY European Mount

5 Steps for an Easy DIY European Mount

5 Steps for an Easy DIY European Mount As a native Iowan I am reminded how blessed I am every October when I begin pursuing whitetails in a state notorious for producing trophy class deer. Once the hunt is over, when we have harvested a mature buck, we seek a way to preserve the memories […]

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Supercharged Shore Fishing

Supercharged Shore Fishing

Supercharged Shore Fishing I imagine your first fishing experience was similar to my own. You most likely were equipped with a button cast reel already spooled with cheap, monofilament line that was better suited for hog tying your tackle box or twisting itself into an impossible knot than it was for helping drag in a […]

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