Sports

Fishing action continues

By Steve Weisman - Outdoor Editor

The month of June is always a magical month when it comes to fishing. That seems to be holding true this year. All you have to do is look at the pictures of our area guides with their clients and their catches or check out the bait shops and see their updates...
Adapting for fishing diversity

By Bob Jensen - Fishing the Midwest Fishing Team

Most angling educators agree that the anglers who catch the most fish, and probably the biggest ones, are diverse anglers: They are adept at employing a variety of techniques to catch a variety of fish. This point was made very apparent to me on a recent fishing trip...
The key to water quality and climate security is protecting and restoring nature

By David Thoreson

Editor’s note: David Thoreson is a nationally renowned professional photographer, explorer, environmentalist, educator and public speaker from Lake Okoboji. “Izhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit" In the Gwich’in language, that means “the sacred place where life begins.” The term refers to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) where some 200,000 caribou birth their young after making the longest land-based mammal migration on the planet...
8 common fishing mistakes anglers make

Most anglers dream of the perfect catch, but simple mistakes can prevent you from reeling in the fish. Here are some pitfalls to avoid when fishing: Don’t cast out with an old hook. An old, dull hook can cause frustration when fish easily unhook and swim away. Also, choose a hook appropriate for the size of fish you’re trying to catch. If the fish has a small mouth, use a small hook. For panfish, use a size 6 or 8 hook...
Help stop aquatic hitchhikers this Fourth of July

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking all boaters and anglers to check for unwanted hitchhikers on their boats and equipment this Fourth of July to help protect Iowa lakes and streams. Aquatic invasive species, everything from zebra mussels to Eurasian watermilfoil, move from one water body to another by hitchhiking on boats, in bait buckets and on other equipment used in the water. They can create serious problems for Iowa waters...
Delta Waterfowl to host 'R3' program (6/19/19)

By Steve Weisman - Outdoor Editor

The Prairie Lakes Chapter of Delta Waterfowl will hold a free "R3" (recruitment, retention, and reactivation) program on July 12 and 13. The objective of the event is to get more hunters into the fields and marshes. The Prairie Lakes chapter covers four counties: Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, and Palo Alto. The event will be held at the Palo Alto Sportsman Recreation Area two miles north of Cylinder...
Tips for catching deep water walleyes (6/19/19)

By Bob Jensen - Fishing the Midwest Fishing Team

When a person is preparing to go fishing, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that the fish might not be where we expect them to be. I forgot that fact recently, and it impacted my catching in a negative way. We caught lots of fish, but if I had been better prepared, we would have caught more. Here’s what happened...
'Tis the season for ticks (6/19/19)

By Kiley Roth - DCCB Community Relations Coordinator

A hard shell, long legs and a bad reputation. Know what I am talking about? It’s the wood tick (Dermacentor variabilis)! More than a dozen tick species can be found throughout Iowa, but the most common is the wood tick, otherwise known as the American dog tick. The wood tick is called a hard-tick, because it has a type of shell on its back to protect it. If you’ve ever tried to kill one, you know exactly what I mean...
Spawning stress causes panfish kills Iowa lakes (6/19/19)

Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries biologists are starting to receive phone calls about dead bluegill and crappies in lakes. “Several dozen dead panfish were reported at Lake Iowa Park in Iowa County early last week,” said Paul Sleeper, fisheries management biologist...
Celebrate a child’s first fish (6/19/19)

Preserve the memory of your kid or grandkid hooking their first fish this summer with a special certificate. Print the certificate yourself from an electronic file posted online or request a printed certificate. Apply for a first fish certificate online at www.iowadnr.gov/firstfish or complete the form in the Iowa Fishing Regulations and mail it in...