Iowa fishing in the dumps?

[CPace]

Wow, really getting annoyed at not reading any reports of good fishing results, almost anywhere in Iowa!  Maybe it's just me, not being able to get out due to work, but I was hoping to shore up my spirits by at least reading of a few "hats off" results!!  What is it, any ideas as to why Iowa seems to have become the land of dead lakes and ponds?  Or, is it just me, and I'm being too critical?  Go ahead, I can take it if I'm wrong!  Just seems to me, even on soft water, the fishing is sub-standard in Iowa, from what I remember even just a few years ago!  Even the DNR site doesn't list anywhere the bite is really good, just seeing fair or slow!!!  Sad to think that I'm gonna have to go to MN to actually have a good ice fishing season!!  Hope it picks up soon!!! 

[happinator]

Iowa, land off farm runoff. Minnesota? Very little runoff, the main question is what are u going after? Farm ponds are king for bullgillz and crapy and rivers for cats, what more do u want? Its Iowa not minisata eh, ice fishing is slower so just relax and crack a cold one and enjoy the outdoors bud, Gods country is beautiful

[Big Blue]

Most generally ice fishing is slow in January. It should start picking up in a couple of more weeks.

[Kevin23]

Nobody is dumb enough to post a good bite on here. Might as well put up a poster at the bait shop. Our areas are too small to support huge numbers of anglers.

[MelroseHawkins]

I've been wondering the same thing. This is going on two years now. How can every lake seem to be going thru a bad cycle at the same time? It seems some should be on an up swing. It's depressing.

[Robby]

Nobody is dumb enough to post a good bite on here. Might as well put up a poster at the bait shop. Our areas are too small to support huge numbers of anglers.

Ditto.

[Tomo]

I think everyone is out fishing.  I have been hearing a lot of fish being caught, just not many people posting.  I went to a pond last Sunday.  Was out for 2 hours and caught 12 Catfish pound and a half in size, and a dozen small gills.  First time I ever caught a cat through the ice.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

Nobody is dumb enough to post a good bite on here. Might as well put up a poster at the bait shop. Our areas are too small to support huge numbers of anglers.

Yup.  I'm not saying a word about my area.  It's already a shanty town on my local lake.

2014 treated me well, and 2015 is shaping up pretty well also.  But I'm not saying a word about where I've been,  publicly,  anyway.  Fish are a renewable resource,  but not that renewable.

[Cotacatchers]

Fishing been really good for me.   Public and private lakes
I'd say learn your lake - humps , piles ect

[tricohatch]

Yup.  I'm not saying a word about my area.  It's already a shanty town on my local lake.

2014 treated me well, and 2015 is shaping up pretty well also.  But I'm not saying a word about where I've been,  publicly,  anyway.  Fish are a renewable resource,  but not that renewable.

X2  Sometimes you have to try new tactics,lures,baits,lakes etc. Don't get in the same old rut! That is why they call this fishing and not catching!

[Cotacatchers]

Run & Gun.  Run & Gun.   Drill drill drill

[Icegypsy]

For what it's worth..

Big Creek is better than years' past.  East side rock jetty rock slope picked-up a 16" eye last week 20 FOW on a chubby darter tipped with minnow heads..very agrressive presentation.. squeeze don't cut the heads

A good number of shacks last week at Big Creek.  More people are out there it seems.

Side note, I used my new Marcum WI Fi Pan Cam (very cool) worth the investment if you want a camera projects the image to an Ipad/Phone takes videos and pics. 

Cheers and good fishing. Work takes me to Fargo this week I will find my way to Devils Lake and look forward to that! 

[nwifisherman]

This has been my best year ever in Iowa. I have learned to find area on navionics maps that look like they could hold fish and start drilling tons of holes in the area. 80% of the battle is finding what you want to catch. I have found that fishing away from the pack is somewhat a gamble but can be well worth it. Fishing in the pack is usually good until it gets too crowded but going out on your own is always a mystery. For me it has been either excellent or terrible with no in between when going out on my own.

[jrjach75]

Nobody is dumb enough to post a good bite on here. Might as well put up a poster at the bait shop. Our areas are too small to support huge numbers of anglers.

Ha! No kidding, learned my lesson on that one a few seasons ago. Got out yesterday and did really well, did decent today as well. Mississippi backwaters.

[brittlab]

We have had a good season so far on several different lakes. too many bite chasers on the web who don't want to put the time in to find active fish themselves. Forums are good for asking equipment questions or showing pictures from ponds or private waters but those of us that fish mostly public waters are hesitant to post up too much info.

[crappeye]

No it's not!

[DougU]

We did pretty good today. Hope to do better tomorrow. Not going to tell you where........One tip.....patience was the key today......for us anyway. Watched a group drill tons of holes and move around a lot. They didn't do so well today. Tomorrow they might..............

[shoredog]

Iowa fishing is no good when your lazy and read forums instead of going out and finding fish..Its been a great year if you put in the time and effort. Step up be a man and drill some holes

[Cotacatchers]

Iowa fishing is no good when your lazy and read forums instead of going out and finding fish..Its been a great year if you put in the time and effort. Step up be a man and drill some holes

Ha Ha , good one.   Again- drill drill drill    Swiss cheese it up!

[Plan B]

Having a great season, 3rd weekend of limiting out on crappie on a public lake. Put in a lot of work in open water gps,n brush piles. The time and effort is now worth it, and really don't want to share that with all the lurkers.

[Cotacatchers]

Having a great season, 3rd weekend of limiting out on crappie on a public lake. Put in a lot of work in open water gps,n brush piles. The time and effort is now worth it, and really don't want to share that with all the lurkers.

Do the same thing B always have my hand held gps with me always thinking about ice

[teamhardcorefishing_cc]

Having a record season so far for me. Gills I'm catching are averaging 9". Caught my personal best gill the other day just a hair over 10". My advice is to put your own time in. I don't own any gps devices but I fish enough to know exactly where a few brush piles are. 

[prestonc]

Been great every time I've gone! 

[NEWLEE]

I did pretty good yesterday. Caught 15 gills, one nice crappie, and 3 bass in 2 1/2 hrs. It was windy but when you're catching fish you don't notice those things 

[Ihawkangler]

Went out on to a public lake on Saturday and between 3 of us (2 newbies) caught over 100 fish and cleaned ~ 30.  Nothing huge, but we wanted enough for a fish fry, practiced good conservation and had a lot of fun in the process.  As others have stated, had to drill a lot of holes to catch more than 1 every 30 minutes, but we finally found a couple that we could mark fish in.  I will say that the bite went from lite to very lite the past 1.5 weeks and without a spring bobber, you couldn't detect it and I use lite tackle. 

I had a tough year last year, but as I reflected on it, I sat way too long in holes with no marks. This year I am really trying to not adopt the "sit and wait" method, although 38 in January vs. -10 certainly helps in this department. 

[Trump]

If you're having troubles locating fish on public waters where the pressure is high then find a farm pond.  90% of my fishing is done on farm ponds, and weather permitting you can always catch fish on a farm pond.  Its as easy as knocking on the door and asking.  The worst they can say is no and the second worst thing they can say is yes but don't drive down! Use Google maps and a plat mapthen go to what you think is a deep part of the pond and start your search.  I'm pretty sure DNR had a stocking program back in the day, so most ponds have fish. Usually bass catfish craps and gills.  Last year we found a pond that sits in the middle of a row crop field that you couldn't see from the road, owner said people used to fish it but not in years.  Two of us pulled 46 gills out that averaged 9 1/2" caught a dozen over 10"  the waters there you just have to fish it.(stepped off my soap box)

[tracksnorth]

This year is certainly better than last year at clear lake.

[phisherman]

Yep, Iowa ice fishing is definitely in the dumps.  Everyone should just quit ice fishing in Iowa...   

Public lake-Friday, 1/9/15 morning bite, limited out on gills by 10am, 7 crappie, several bass released:





Public lake-Sat, 1/10/15 morning bite, limited out on gills by 10:30am, 1 crappie, several bass released:



Public lake-Sat, Evening bite, 1/10/15, 9 crappie and a 17" walleye:

[slick ice]

Put the beer down, pick up the auger ,go walk around drill some holes and you will find fish.

[Joboo2334]

Still swimming in Iowa