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Bluegill . Channel Catfish . Crappie . Largemouth Bass . Northern Pike . Smallmouth Bass . Trout . Walleye .

TOP SURPRISE FROM LAST YEAR:
Bass Fishing on the Mississippi River - One year ago, anglers and biologists alike were very concerned about the future of largemouth bass fishing on the “Big River”. Anglers were catching and biologists were sampling significant numbers of bass, primarily largemouths, late last fall and winter that had large, red, open sores at various locations on their bodies. Quite frankly, infected fish looked bad with a capital B. Lab tests confirmed that the sores were caused by bacterial infections, but some bass also tested positive for Largemouth Bass Virus, an exotic virus that has shown up in several waters around the country. Would all infected bass die? Would this huge bass population crash? Would it spread all up and down the river? Would it spread to other species? Would it spread to inland waters? These were questions for which there were no reliable answers. However, some of our worst fears subsided as both bass fishing success and the average size of fish caught were both excellent during 2003. While many anglers release all the bass they catch, those who keep legal-size bass longer than 14 inches on the Mississippi intended for the table need not fear bodily harm. While it is not recommended to keep and eat obviously infected or sick fish, there are no known diseases of fish that can harm humans as long as the flesh is cooked.

BEST HUNCH FOR THIS YEAR:
Meyers Lake (Black Hawk) - This 26-acre lake located adjacent to Highway 20 in the City of Evansdale is definitely on the rebound after a severe winterkill in 2000-2001 forced a complete lake renovation and fish restocking. Seven-inch bluegills, 8-inch crappies and 14-inch channel catfish were all abundant in surveys conducted last fall. Largemouth bass will be 12-14 inches and provide some excellent catch-and-release action (15-inch minimum length limit), and if you are looking for a place to catch a mess of nice bullheads , Meyers Lake is a good choice for 2004.

BEST PLACE TO SPEND TIME WITH THE FAMILY:
Volga River Recreation Area (Fayette) - This 5,400-acre state recreation area is an excellent family fishing destination. Located four miles north of Fayette just off Highway 150, this area is a beautiful combination of lake and streams, hills and valleys, timber and prairie, bustling recreation activity and quiet solitude. The 135-acre Volga Lake has good fishing for bluegills and crappies and has lots of channel catfish including some real lunkers. There's easy shoreline access including a floating fishing pier, and sidewalk access for fishing off the dam as well as a jetty on the dam. Excellent boat ramps and courtesy dock are available for no-wake boating. Also meandering through the area is the Volga River, a small rocky river that harbors many feisty smallmouth bass and is best fished by wading. The non-modern campground has 42 non-electric campsites. There are miles of nature, bridle, biking and snowmobile trails. Wildlife abound and is excellent for deer and turkey hunting. Rumor has it that the elusive morel mushroom can be found in abundance in early spring (but, shhh…. please don't tell anybody)! For a change of pace, try fishing one of the five stocked trout streams that are located less than 20 minutes away.

HIDDEN JEWEL:
Little Turkey River (Delaware) - This trout stream is located in a 480-acre state wildlife area 2-miles east of Colesburg just off Voyager Road. This remote timbered valley is a real gem. Extensive stream habitat improvement projects over recent years have significantly benefited this trout stream. Stocked twice a month, primarily with ½-pound brown trout but with a few brook and rainbows mixed in, on an un-announced basis, this stream will get you away from the crowds. As an added bounce, the brown trout fingerling stockings have produced a population of stream-reared browns that will test your trout fishing skills. As with all state wildlife management areas, primitive pack-in camping is allowed so spend a few days to fully enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a bubbling trout stream flowing through beautiful timbered hills and valley.

MOST OVERLOOKED:
Drum and Catfish Fishing on the Mississippi River - Mention Mississippi River and most anglers think about walleye, sauger, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, northern pike and smallmouth bass; but, a couple of species are possibly more numerous combined than any of the above - freshwater drum (also known as sheepshead) and channel catfish. With drum and catfish, you don't have to worry about minimum size limits, bag limits and possession limits, 'cause there ain't none! The only things to worry about are, “Do I have enough bait?”, “How many do want to clean?” and “How much room do I have in the freezer?” Nor do you have to worry about having fancy gear and bunch of high-priced lures. Even though both species are legally harvested by commercial fishermen, their populations have remained very strong. Drum are probably increasing due to the recent infestation of the exotic zebra mussels on which drum readily feed. There are several strong year classes of channel catfish entering the fishery and angling success should be very good for many years to come. Both are bottom feeders, attain large sizes and are very strong fighters. A rod with some backbone, strong line and either bait-casting or larger spinning reels with good drag systems are recommended. Nightcrawlers and crayfish (live or just the tails) work very good for both. Use big crayfish if you want to target big drum. Dip baits and stink baits work best on catfish during the warmest months. Get the bait right on the bottom on the main channel borders or in the side channels. Always fish where there's current. The best eating of both species are from those weighing under 2-1/2 pounds. For drum, it's important to place them immediately on ice and trim away any reddish meat from the fillets. The next time you're feeding deep-fried drum to friends or family, ask them what species they think they are eating and you'll be surprised how many times you will hear the reply, “Walleyes!”.

--article by Dave Moeller, from Iowa Conservationist