Iowa Outdoorsman

Swap Meet, Deer Classic, IPB Party Highlight Event Packed Weekend

Brannon Hilton — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:49:56 +0000

The 34th Original Fisherman’s Swap Meet is this Saturday February 25th and Sunday February 26th at the Iowa State Fair Grounds. Doors open at 9:00 am and admission is $5/adult.

The Iowa Deer Classic at the Iowa Event Center starts Friday February 24th at 3:00 PM.

Doors open at 9:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $12/adult and $5/kid.

The Iowa Premier Bass Series Kickoff Party is Friday the 24th from 6-9 pm at Brightwell’s Boathouse in Urbandale. The highlight of the night will the the speaker, FLW Pro Jim Moynagh.

FLW Pro Jim Moynagh to Speak at IPB Kickoff

Brannon Hilton — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:48:23 +0000

The Iowa Premier Bass 2012 season kick off party is coming up here in a couple weeks. February 24th to be exact. Like last year, the party will include food and drinks at Brightwell’s Boathouse on Hickman Rd in Urbandale. The highlight of the night will be the guest speaker, FLW Pro Jim Moynagh.

FLW Pro Jim Moynagh will speak at the IPB Kick off party at Brightwell's Boathouse on February 24th.

Moynagh has won over $1,000,000 as a pro fisherman and is widely know for his M&M boat and his football head rock jigs. He is going to speak about his background as a Northern fisherman (from Minnesota).

IPB Kickoff Party. February 24, 2012. 9943 Hickman Rd Urbandale, IA. 6-9 pm. www.ipbass.com

IPB Web Site Gets Face Lift

Brannon Hilton — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:11:37 +0000

The guys over at the Iowa Premier Bass series are ramping up for what promises to be another great year of tournament bass fishing in the state of Iowa.

They kicked off 2012 with a new web site. This site has all of the info you need for the 2012 season. Make sure to check it out!

Iowa’s Late Goose Season

Brannon Hilton — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:20:26 +0000

: These pre-snow geese found our decoy spread appealing.

The second week of December, in Iowa, marks the end of duck season, the start of 2nd shotgun season, and the start of late goose season. As December progresses, thousands of geese will hold up in Iowa while there is abundant food, and open water. For many, this is the time of the year they have been waiting for. While I still prefer to shoot greenheads, shooting a limit of honkers as almost as appealing.

What makes this time of year so exciting? Its the snow! Once it snows, snow covered blinds disappear in the fields. Birds congregate on isolated fields and become reasonably patternable. When you combine these variables, you have a recipe for some fun and exciting hunting.

Late season goose hunting is not for everyone. It is cold, takes a lot of scouting, and is not an inexpensive sport. Blinds, decoys, and trailers are fairly expensive tools of the trade. However, those who take part in this season experience one of the funnest styles of hunting there is.

2011 Iowa Goose Season Dates

Iowa Deer Rut Heating Up

Brannon Hilton — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:27:04 +0000

Dave Fehrer displays a nice Southern Iowa 11 pointer taken during the Iowa Rut.

For the past couple of weeks Iowa bow hunters have seen increased rut activity. According to many reports, the past few days have been the best. Bucks in Iowa are either with a doe or searching for a doe. Active bucks in search of a mate will aggressively respond to a doe bleat. Many expect this intense activity to continue for the next several days. Spending time in your tree stand in Iowa during this peak rutting activity will likely give you a chance and a true monster Iowa buck!

Fall Bass Fishing

Brannon Hilton — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:06:24 +0000

When Fall rolls around, many of Iowa’s Outdoorsmen get geared up for hunting. We have a number of great hunting opportunities in our state. The die-hard fishermen, on the other hand, are enjoying some of the best bass fishing of the year.

Lance Baker shows off a nice Iowa Fall Smallmouth.

There are several reasons why bass fishing is good in the Fall. For starters, water temperatures begin cooling. This results in better oxygen levels. Big fish will move in from their deep structure and suspended summer holding areas.

Another reason is because bass prepare for cold Winters. Bass will school and aggressively feed in the Fall.

Fall bass can be caught with numerous lures and techniques. Crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics can all be good choices. On the right day, a good Fall top water bite can be Phenomenal.

This fat Largemouth is one of many that Jeremy Thayer has found this Fall.

If I were to go bass fishing tomorrow, my top 3 rigs would be a crankbait, a jig, and a spinnerbait. I would start shallow and fish quickly to determine if bass were shallow and active. If that didn’t work, I would find the closest contour break leading to deep water. During the Fall, bass are typically in one of these 2 areas eating whatever lures you are confident in offering.

Iowa Deer Rut and Moon Phases

Brannon Hilton — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:56:11 +0000

Yesterday, October 11, marked the first full moon of the Fall for 2011. This is an important piece of information for many of Iowa’s bow hunters who follow the moon phases of the Fall.

Over the next few weeks, as the harvest continues and the temperatures drop, Iowans will see an increase in deer activity. Many believe that the moon phases play a big part in this annual occurrence.

Researches and hunters agree that the 2nd full moon of the Fall has historically marked peak rutting activity for Whitetail Deer. The days before, and the days prior, are the best times for bow hunters to be in their stands. The monster Whitetails of Iowa will be seeking, chasing, and breed does. During this time, common sense is thrown to the wind, and that once in a lifetime buck might just slip up and put himself in your sights.

The 2nd full moon of the Fall of 2011 is scheduled to be November 10. Mark your calendars.

Understanding Turkey’s Breeding Phases

No Shortage of Geese in Iowa

Brannon Hilton — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:07:45 +0000

: Jake West and Drew McCombs show off some Iowa bred Canada Geese

Iowa’s North and South early goose seasons are now under way, and reports suggest many areas of the state have very healthy goose populations. I have talked to several hunters who said they saw hundreds of geese during their hunts over this past weekend. Most guys were hunting freshly picked corn fields, but some guys found great success hunting water as well. I also heard of a couple groups who found some success hunting alfalfa fields.

I hunted 2 areas in Central and South Central Iowa this past weekend. Both days we saw several hundred birds. They were in several different flocks, but they all showed up at once. At times it was chaotic. I talked to several groups who experienced the same thing. Once they start flying its fast and furious.

All of the geese we are seeing now are a part of Iowa’s resident goose population. They make their nesting homes on our ponds, golf courses, and marshes. This is as far North as they ever go, and some may never leave. Our goose population continues to thrive due to quality nesting habitat and plenty of food. As Iowan’s we are fortunate to have excellent goose hunting opportunities from the beginning to the end of each hunting season. Unlike the periodic duck lulls, there always seems to be plenty of geese.

Tony Johnson and Ryan Trousdale Win 2011 IPB Series

Brannon Hilton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:30:32 +0000

Johnson & Trousdale top a competitive 2011 IPB Series Field

There probably isn’t a more coveted title in Iowa’s bass fishing circuit these days than the IPB Series title. In just its 2nd season, the IPB has already elevated itself to the level of some of the best seasons in the old Team Supreme series. Along with great turnouts and payouts have come great competition. Topping that great competition in 2011 is the team of Tony Johnson and Ryan Trousdale. They finished the season 5 points ahead of Al and Jeremy Thayer. That is a very narrow margin.

There were a lot of great people at all of the tournaments this year. Tournament Directors, Scott Steinkritz and Lance Baker did a great job of putting the anglers in the position to succeed. Take a look at these stats:

Three Mile Thaw- 4^{th (42 teams)}

Rathbun Rivalry-7^{th (35 teams)}

Boji Brawl-9^{th (32 teams)}

Icaria Invasion-11^{th (35 teams)}

12 Mile Triumph-2^{nd (28 teams)}

Mississippi River Ruckus-14^{th (25 teams)}

From start to finish, there were strong numbers of boats. These good turnouts translated to great payouts:

2011 Iowa Premier Bass Stats

Money Paid out- just shy of $27,000

Bonus Money/Gift cards/Prizes -$ 7,000

Average for the year -33.74 boats per tournament (42 high & 25 low)

Fish- 682 for 1804 pounds

Big Bag for 2011 – 24.12lbs Rathbun Lake (Kevin and Zita Lovell)

Big Bass for 2011 – 7.62lb Rathbun Rivalry (Dave Vanhouten)

Qualified 18 teams to the national champions (see IPB site for all 18 teams in results)

WOW is about all I can say about that. This was a great season for the Iowa Premier Bass Series. Lance and Scott exceeded everyone’s expectations by taking this series to the next level. Stay tuned for next year as IPB continues to bring Iowa a top-of-the-line bass series.

2012 Schedule

4-21-12 Three Mile Thump

5-19-12 Rathbun Revival

6-16 & 6-17-12 Boji Battle

7-14-12 Brushy Creek Blitz

7-29-12 Make A Wish Charity OPEN- Lake Rathbun

8-25-12 Icaria Insurgence

9-00-12 *Surprise Lake/River* will be announced shortly

Iowa DNR Confirms Mountain Lion Sighting

Brannon Hilton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:13:03 +0000

We all get pictures sent to us from time to time from someone claiming they saw a mountain lion or a bear in Iowa. Well, this one has been confirmed. www.desmoinesregister.com has reported that the Iowa DNR has confirmed this picture from Clinton County.

Click here for more information.