Where do you consider good places to fish in IA

[j58]

Just curious where those of you living in IA consider good fishing places to be and what are your most effective flies?

What do you want to go after? lmb, smb,pike,trout,carp,bluegill, musky?

[j58]

I am not into carp on purpose yet, and usually my fishing has been pan fish, bass, and trout. I used to live up there and fished there for years. I still come back and visit because all my family is up there. Who knows, someday I may be back up there for good.

I do practice all catch and release.

[Rick Z]

I don't think that you can beat farm ponds for warmwater fish.

Rick

[j58]

Rick, is it hard to obtain access to the ponds. When I lived up there I didn't know a lot of the ponds were even there. I used to drive a little ways over west of Des Moines to the Garst ponds, but I don't know if you can still do that.

What is it that you find to be some of your most effective flies?

BTW Rick, I am the one who emailed you.

J.

Rick, sure farm ponds are fun, but they really only hold lmb and bluegill. I'd rather fish rivers like the Wapsi,Cedar,maquoketa,Volga,Yellow and the turkey. One can fish for smallies,pike,pumkinseed,rock bass,carp and walleyes all on the same trip.Oh, and the scenery on these rivers is great.

[This message has been edited by lefthandedbrian (edited 24 August 2005).]

[j58]

LHB what are your most effective flies up there? Do you bank, boat, tube, canoe or yak on those rivers?

I typically use a canoe or a pontoon boat. For smallies I like deceivers and buggers,but my pet fly for smallies (especially in clear water) is a black ghost, for pike I use bigger deceivers and Tarpon flies. For carp I tend to use soft hackles and pt nymphs. But as a true fly chucker, I tie many more patterns and flies than I'll ever use

[j58]

Thanks for the info, I will be divorcing soon and since he is not using our canoe at all I am thinking about keeping it, just wondered how useful it would be or whether or not to get something smaller than it.

Here's a couple of good links [url=http://www.iowaoutdoors.org/:4856a]http://www.iowaoutdoors.org/[/url:4856a] [url=http://omega.grad.uiowa.edu/news.php:4856a]http://omega.grad.uiowa.edu/news.php[/url:4856a]