Iowa Fishing Reports

[Steve81]

Howdy, folks! I know it has been pretty quiet in here for awhile now but I wanted to drop a line and try to spur some conversation in here. While I don't live in Iowa, I did live in Omaha, Nebraska for 4 years until this past March. Considering that the Iowa bass fishing was always so much better than what eastern Nebraska had to offer, I normally found myself fishing in your neck of the woods. Typically at lakes in the SW part of the state like Green Valley but I also absolutely loved Okoboji! If you have looked up "Iowa bass fishing" on YouTube, you have probably even seen my videos pop up.

All that being said, my point is that you guys have some great fishing in the state. It would be great if you would share some fishing reports here. I know that UB is technically a bass fishing forum and most of you guys are ice fishing right about now but I think ice fishing reports would be great as well. How ever much or little you feel like sharing is perfectly fine.

One last little tidbit. I have recently volunteered to help moderate a few sections here on UB and this section is one of them. So you will see me more often around here.

[coldfront]

steve, i've spent some time on those lakes as well.  if you ever want to have a mapstudy/conversation on a specific lake, I might have a map. 

viking, for example

[Steve81]

Your maps are always beautiful. Were you aware that Viking has been drown down and is under construction? To my knowledge, it has been low for a couple of years now.

As far as a map study conversation, I don't have the software to put out the sweet maps like you do but I'm always down with talking about lakes. To be honest, though, I didn't fish a ton of IA lakes. I had my faves (Green Valley, Anita, Boji) and mostly just stuck with those.

[coldfront]

steve, moved to TN/Chattanooga December 2014.  haven't had the opportunity to fish those lakes since.  miss them.  miss 'no-wake lakes' and the quiet that they support.  miss having access to 30-40 small waters that big tournaments don't touch.

have anita, green valley.  west osceola as well.  binder (60 acre sleeper)...some absolutely GREAT fish in those lakes.

folks talk about 'talent' (aka:  hard work, experience) versus 'buying in' with electronics/technology.if you want to compete in a club situation with folks who've fished a lake for 10-20 years, that technology sure helps understand, break down a lake quickly and get you up to speed.  still, you do have to put in significant time to use the tech properly...  I fully understand the issues.

about viking:  having had the experience over past few years on TN river lakes, ledges... boy would I look at viking differently 'today'.  guessing that IA DNR is going to add brush piles, maybe some rock piles/mounds that concentrate fish closer to edges, piers...  the true magic to that 'pond' sure ought to be offshore...