What a season! After last winter...if we can even call it a winter, I was so eager to get out on the ice this year. The year started on December 6th at the Mississippi River and came to an end yesterday on West Lake Okoboji, March 9th. Three months of ice fishing in the state Iowa has become more rare in the past few years so I am happy that we had a nice long winter this year. My group was able to explore many lakes and river sections throughout the season, I was able to make it out 27 different times (including several short little trips). The weather and ice conditions were great along the Highway 20 region and north, however the southern part of the state did not have very good ice most of the winter. Unfortunately, I did not travel south of Hwy 20 very much at all with the unpredictable ice they had.
Ice fishing is a great sport and I like how it can be done in large groups, not just one or two people in a boat. It is a great social activity and my group had a lot of that this winter. Catching fish in fantastic, however when you can do it with a bunch of friends or family, it just makes it that much more enjoyable. Not only does ice fishing allow time to talk and be with friends it allows for some great food to be put in the freezer. Several fish frys, fish tacos and fish cake meals have already happened in 2025 thanks to ice fishing, and several more to come as well.
A huge thanks to a few of my sponsors for allowing me to use the best equipment on the ice. This year was the debut year of the Vexilar FLX38. This was really fun to use and fine tune to make catching easier. This year I also used the Lew's SpeenSpin reel. With 10 ball bearings packed into this size 10 reel and a drag system that let the big fish run, it was a delight to say the least. Last but certainly not lease is the Cedar Falls Scheels Store. When it comes to fishing, if you need it, they have it. Stop on in or order online for everything outdoors.
It is always a bit sad to put the gear away, but the anticipation of floating in the boat and swinging long bass rods makes it a little easier.
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