Fishing

For fishing enthusiasts, the Iowa Great Lakes is the place to be. For a novice angler or a semi-pro, fishing the Iowa Great Lakes can be fun, challenging and rewarding. For easy fishing fun, grab a pole, get some worms and try fishing under the docks for bluegill or crappies. For more challenging fishing, try for perch or bass. Perch are usually found in deeper water, but often school around rocky points and reefs, and bass can be found around bridges, submerged trees and under docks, especially in the mornings and early evenings.

If your looking for Walleyes, try rock reefs, sand beaches and areas around bridges at night. Northerns and Muskies are other fishing challenges. But for early season fishing in a more relaxed approach, hooking a night crawler on the line and letting it sit on the bottom while waiting for a bullhead to bite may be all the fishing required. For the serious fisherman, however, there are many fishing guide services. In this area, the local bait shops can put a fisherman onto some of the operating guides and their services.

Some of the guides that have been in business here for some time and are available for guide work are:

• John Grosvenor is a fishing guide for all species of fish. He operates out of the Manhattan Beach area of West Lake Okoboji. His business phone number is (712) 330-5815. Email jtg@fishokoboji.com    website: www.fishokoboji.com  
• Jim McDonnell, the fishing professor, has been guiding and fishing these lakes since the 1950s. He is considered the grandfather of fishing guides for the areas lakes and has a keen sense of where, how and when to catch any species of fish that live in these waters. McDonnellıs cell phone number is (712) 260-2688 for guide service. Email jamac@royal.tel.co.net   
• Ron Carson is a fishing guide that works out of Village West resort on West Lake Okoboji. He has 14 years experience working with new youth anglers and the experienced fisherman with flexible scheduling. His contact is through Village West (712) 337-3223 ext. 463. Email is roncarson4@hotmail.com
• Shannon Green of Spencer, the current Iowa State Muskie recorder holder. He guides particularly for Muskies and walleyes in our area lakes. Green can be reached by calling (712) 262-2469. Email glgmparts@hotmail.com
• David Thiede from Okoboji, operator of Okoboji Fishing Charters. Okoboji Fishing Charters number is (712) 332-9506.

Fishing in the Iowa Great Lakes area isnıt only for sport fishermen. DNR rules allow the spear fishing of any rough fish, which includes carp, buffalo, suckers, sheepshead, and gar. This can be accomplished from the shoreline, using hand spears or bows and arrows; or by scuba divers using spring-loaded or pneumatic spear guns. Spear guns are prohibited within 100 feet of any swimming beach. There is no limit to the number of rough fish you can harvest while spearfishing, but you do need a valid fishing license. Most of these rough fish are smoked. Your local bait shop will be glad to give you tips and recipes.

Iowa DNR Fishing Website  www.iowadnr.com/fish/index.html

Iowa Fishing regulations website   www.iowadnr.com/fish/regulations/iafshregs.html

Information on Iowa Great Lakes fishing can be found at website   www.iowadnr.com/news/currentfish.html#northwest  

Fishing/ Outdoors Radio Shows

The Fishing Professor (Jim McDonnell) - Campus Outdoors - Saturday ~ 7:20 AM & Sunday ~ 12:10 PM           KUOO FM 103.9 MHz.

The Great Outdoors - with Steve Weisman - Friday 10:30 AM - KILR FM 95.9 MHz.