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Steve Weisman

Plans released for Iowa’s 2024 Okoboji Blue Water Festival

Featured, Fishing, Iowa, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Iowa’s Okoboji Blue Water Festival (OBWF) is less than a month away. This year’s 9th annual event is set for Saturday, Aug.10, at Preservation Plaza green space in Arnolds Park on the shores of West Lake Okoboji.
Co-chair and organizer Greg Drees shares the excitement that he and his co-chair Julie Peterson have for this all-day clean water celebration.
“It’s hard to believe that we are in our ninth year,” Drees said. “This year promises to be even bigger than ever. More and more people are coming to see what this OBWF is all about.”

Plans released for Iowa’s 2024 Okoboji Blue Water Festival Read More »

Mitigation of low-head dams dubbed as “drowning machines” continues in Iowa

Featured, Fishing, Iowa, National Fishing, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

Since the 1800s, low-head dams have been a part of Iowa’s inland rivers. According to the organization Iowa Rivers Revival (IRR), at one time there were 174 low-head dams in 57 of the state’s 99 counties.
These low-head dams were used to help support grist, woolen and sawmills in the 19th century, and then in the early 1900s, the larger ones were converted for hydroelectricity. Then during the depression era, the U.S. government’s Civilian Conservation Corps gave temporary jobs to unemployed civilians, who constructed dams for recreational improvements. 
Over the years, these low-head dams have been dubbed “drowning machines.”

Mitigation of low-head dams dubbed as “drowning machines” continues in Iowa Read More »

Grant recipients announced from Iowa’s Great Lakes Walleye Weekend

Featured, Fishing, Iowa, National Fishing, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

The Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce recently released the recipients of the 2024 Iowa Great Lakes Walleye Weekend grant program.
Each year a portion of the Iowa Great Lakes Walleye Weekend registration proceeds are donated back to the community to assist with various conservation and angling projects. This year with over 2,100 anglers from 18 different states participating in the contest, a total of $21,000 was split between five applicants with a variety of projects directly affecting angling and conservation in the Iowa Great Lakes Area.

Grant recipients announced from Iowa’s Great Lakes Walleye Weekend Read More »

Steve Weisman: Plenty of fish and good times had on Iowa’s 42nd annual Walleye Opener

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Iowa, National Fishing, Opinion /

The 42nd annual Walleye Opener held May 4-5 on the Iowa Great Lakes was the second largest turnout ever with anglers from 18 different states participating in the annual contest.
“With almost 2,200 anglers vying for one of the 10 tagged walleyes with $42,000, we couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout for the 42nd Annual Iowa Great Lakes Walleye Weekend,” said Blain Andrea, president of the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce.

Steve Weisman: Plenty of fish and good times had on Iowa’s 42nd annual Walleye Opener Read More »

Mother Nature disrupts timeline for restoration project on Northwest Iowa’s West Swan Lake

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Iowa, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

One of the most successful programs with Iowa’s water bodies is the restoration work done on the state’s shallow-water lakes, and one of the more recent success stories comes from northwest Iowa on Little Swan Lake, which is north of Superior.
The project began in 2017, but because of wet cycles of 2018-2020, a complete drawdown was not completed at the time. A drier period occurred, and a drawdown was completed. That helped get rid of many rough fish, which helped bring back the aquatic plant life and clean up the water.
Currently, West Swan Lake, another shallow-water lake located southeast of Gruver, is going through the restoration process.

Mother Nature disrupts timeline for restoration project on Northwest Iowa’s West Swan Lake Read More »

Iowa hatcheries collect 200 million walleye eggs to boost stocking with ideal netting conditions this year

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Iowa, National Fishing, National News, News /

Each spring, fisheries biologists and hatchery personnel prepare for the Iowa DNR’s annual gill netting and egg collection that results in stocked walleyes in many state waters. Four hatcheries take part in the collection: Lake Rathbun, Storm Lake, Clear Lake and Spirit Lake, with collected eggs transported to either the Lake Rathbun Hatchery or the Spirit Lake Hatchery.

Iowa hatcheries collect 200 million walleye eggs to boost stocking with ideal netting conditions this year Read More »

Farm ponds produce some great fishing in Iowa

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Iowa, National Fishing, National News, News /

In 2023, 186 qualifying catches in Iowa’s Master Angler Program were taken at farm ponds across the state. The Master Angler Program recognizes “memorable-sized catches” for more than 40 fish species. 
Farm ponds produced most of the fish that fit that category last year. Next on the list was West Lake Okoboji with 58 qualifying catches, while East Lake Okoboji was third with 46 qualifying catches.

Farm ponds produce some great fishing in Iowa Read More »

Student Angler Federation’s Junior and High School Bass Fishing Iowa State Championships returning to the Okobojis

Featured, Fishing, Iowa, National Fishing, National News, News /

For the second consecutive year, Bass Federation’s (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF) is returning to the Okoboji Chain of Lakes for the SAF Iowa State Championships.
This year’s championship will be held on April 27.
“Last year we had nearly 50 boats consisting of two youth partners per boat for the 2023 SAF Championships,” said SAF Youth Director Bob Harris. “With the leagues growing across the state, I am anticipating we could approach 70 teams this year.”

Student Angler Federation’s Junior and High School Bass Fishing Iowa State Championships returning to the Okobojis Read More »

Big money up for grabs during the 42nd Annual Walleye Weekend on Iowa Great Lakes

Featured, Fishing, Iowa, National Fishing, National News, News /

Each year the Iowa Great Lakes Area kicks off the walleye season with the Iowa Great Lakes Area Walleye Weekend tournament put on by the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. This year’s tournament begins at midnight on Saturday, May 4, and ends at 11:59 a.m. on Sunday, May 5.
This is the 42nd annual event, and to help celebrate the event, 10 tagged walleyes have been released into the Iowa Great Lakes chain of lakes with the grand prize for catching one of these tagged walleyes this year set at $42,000.

Big money up for grabs during the 42nd Annual Walleye Weekend on Iowa Great Lakes Read More »

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