Fish come in all shapes and sizes, but the fish featured on this website will primarily be the game fish available to be caught in the upper Midwest, as that’s where I’m from and that’s what I’m experienced in.
In the pages of this site you’ll find general facts about the fish species found in the freshwater lakes and rivers in the Midwest. Walleye and crappie are my favorite to fish for, followed by bluegill, smallmouth bass and northern pike. I will target catfish occasionally on the interior rivers of Iowa. I grew up fishing for anything that bites, and for the most part, that’s still true. I used to fish primarily for largemouth bass until I moved to northern Minnesota to work in the Boundary Waters on the end of the Gunflint Trail in the early 2000s.
Lake carving of Seagull Lake made by Todd Ronnings of Ronnings Lake Carvings.
At that point, I fell in love with walleye fishing in the glacial lakes of northern Minnesota. I became spoiled while in the Boundary Waters working at Seagull Outfitters on Seagull Lake. Living in God’s country with the call of the loon literally outside my back door, and walleye, smallmouth bass, crappie, northern pike and lake trout just a cast away. Fishing opportunities are a dime a dozen in this area of the country and easy to take for granted until you don’t have it any more. Isn’t that true for just about anything in life?
Living back home in Cedar Rapids, IA, the fishing opportunities aren’t nearly as plentiful as northern Minnesota, but really, where else would they be….Minnesota is the state of 10,000 lakes. Iowa however has some great opportunities with the many interior rivers, reservoirs and man made lakes.
The fish species that I prefer to fish for have been influenced heavily by my experiences and the great people I’ve met over the years and what I’ve learned from them. My grandparents are from southern Minnesota, and I remember growing up fishing for crappie and bluegill with my grandpa. Those are great memories that every young boy remembers.
As I continue to add to this site, I will feature additional fish species as I obtain the knowledge and expertise through experience and research.