Panfish

In Search of the Perch Bonanza!

In Search of the Perch Bonanza! By Steve Weisman Anglers will travel great distances on ice when it comes to chasing perch. In the Hawkeye state, one of the go-to places is the Iowa Great Lakes. Big Spirit and the Okoboji chain all have excellent perch populations. However, targeting these schools of meandering perch also […]

Primetime for Panfish

Primetime for Panfish March is a wonderful time of the year that can bring warm weather and with it, thoughts of open water. This leads most anglers to begin preparing for open water leaving many opportunities to fish areas with limited pressure. Some of the biggest bluegills and crappies that swim in systems are caught […]

Three Panfish Lures for Iowa Ice

Three Panfish Lures for Iowa Ice Ice fishing is not just a hobby for me, but a passion and a challenge. I enjoy testing different techniques, baits, and locations to find the best way to catch fish in any condition. One of the ways I have improved my ice fishing skills is by talking to […]

Early Ice Panfish

Early Ice Panfish By Ben Leal Anglers throughout Iowa keep a keen eye on the calendar each year, especially those anglers affectionately known as “ice heads”. Iowa’s average temperatures begin to dip in October and continue the downward trend throughout the month. Halloween paves the way for November to roll in and Thanksgiving is not […]

Big Ice Panfish

Big Ice Panfish By Rod Woten Finding quality panfish in any larger body of water can be a daunting task. In the winter it becomes even more challenging because the sheet of ice covering the lake prohibits you from freely casting wherever you choose in order to cover water and forces you to drill a […]

What Goes On Under The Ice

What Goes On Under The Ice By Todd Reed The world under the ice has always been a mystery, a guessing game you might say. When the world of the fish suddenly gets covered with a sheet of glass how do they react, their world has been changed dramatically. The more we understand about what […]

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 […]

Early Ice Crappies

Ahhhh…nothing like your first trip out to the ice. Days prior to your first trip you go through the list, Vexilar battery…check; auger…check; load new line on your ice rods…check; ice jigs and bait…check; ice shack…check; lantern and heater tested…check; everything seems to be in order and ready to go. Reports are coming in that […]