Iowa Sportsman

Preparing for Spring Fishing

Preparing for Spring Fishing It is amazing how fast the seasons come and go! I know that part of the reason has to do with my age, but the fall weather held on so long that it pushed the ice fishing season well into December. Here in northern Iowa, anglers had to head north as […]

Ice-Out Channel Catfish

Ice-Out Channel Catfish It might come as a surprise to many anglers to learn that channel catfish go on a feeding rampage almost as soon as the ice starts to melt in many of the reservoirs or lakes containing shad and other baitfish. These water bodies experience routine winter die-offs like this every year that […]

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 […]

Cutting Tracks and Calling Coyotes

Cutting Tracks and Calling Coyotes The lone disturbance in the pristine virgin snow 20 feet below me told the story. A lone coyote had traveled the ice on the narrow frozen creek directly under the bridge I was checking, carving his footed imprint into the fresh powder from the overnight’s snowfall. I left the truck […]

The Art of Crow Hunting

The Art of Crow Hunting By Steve Weisman For the past 20 years, Rick Kilpatrick from Estherville and his sons Josh and Travis have hunted waterfowl, pheasants, partridge, turkeys and – are you ready for this – crows! Yes, that black beady eyed bird that makes that annoying caw, caw, caw sound. Rick, himself, began […]

Winter Gun Auction

First Ice Checklist

First Ice Checklist By Todd Reed The ice around the state of Iowa has locked up nicely this year and has provided anglers an escape to nature during these cold months.  I have loved ice fishing for about three decades and with each winter a new excitement comes over me. It isn’t really about the […]

Ice Trolling

Ice Trolling By Rod Woten By now, any hardwater angler that is serious about catching fish knows that mobility is the key. Rather than sitting and waiting for fish to come to them, smart hardwater anglers know that they have to hunt the fish, much like a deer hunter might spot and stalk a trophy […]

Sportsman’s New Year’s Resolutions

Sportsman’s New Year’s Resolutions By Gary Faith Many peoples New Year’s resolutions have to do with self-improvement. They deal with wanting to be better at work, save more money, or maybe get in better shape. Myself, I tend to make everything into, how can i improve my odds of hunting more? This form of self-improvement […]

Breaking It Down Under The Ice

Breaking It Down Under The Ice By Rod Woten Fishing a new lake through the ice for the very first time can be intimidating. While the layer of ice covering the lake gives us unrestricted access, it also makes it much more difficult to effectively eliminate unproductive water. Gone are the sunny summer days where […]