Yesterday I received an email from the City of Dubuque Leisure Services Department, announcing the Free Family Fishing Day at the Lower Bee Branch Creek, from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
Ever take your child or grandchild fishing and manage only a few small sunfish? Imagine how excited they'd be reeling in a fish that takes two hands — or assistance — to hold up for a photo.
I first came to know the late Larry Pauly as a young reader of his "Outdoors with Larry" column in the Telegraph Herald. In 1987, I became his co-worker.
It’s become a family tradition to submit photos of our catches to John Campbell for inclusion on his “Big Ol’ Fish” segment on the KCRG-TV sports broadcast.
At Saturday’s Kids Day, one of the Mississippi Walleye Club members noted that “many hands make light work.” Once again, that fact was very evident during the group’s annual event.
My youngest son, Andrew, is not as enthusiastic about fishing as No. 2 son, Brian, or me. However, I convinced him to participate in the annual Mississippi Walleye Club's Kids Day last Saturday, telling him that he could catch a fish bigger than anything anyone else in the family had ever caught.
Last month, I joined my two oldest sons on a Boy Scout camping and tubing trip to a farm near Cascade, Iowa. The Scouts were reminded to bring fishing poles. I packed one for my middle son, but not for myself.
Here's an opportunity to give your child a memory that will last a lifetime.
Early April is the time to catch northern pike at O’Leary’s Lake -- the Mississippi River backwater south of Lock & Dam No. 11 -- and Dave Gronen and friends wasted no time in taking advantage of the bite.
A study of Dubuque’s Bee Branch Creek by the DNR yields good news for urban anglers.
The gravel drive was lined with vehicles and the deck of the Eagle Point Fishing Barge was crowded with anglers this morning. The fall bite is on.
David and Patricia Baum, of Des Moines, spent time last week catching small catfish and big stripers in the Des Moines River. This week they tried the Mississippi.
My Bass-Fishing Friend recently told me that “fall fishing is THE BEST!!!”
Johnny Goodwin, of Waterloo, Iowa, had some down time while he and his girlfriend were visiting Dubuque on business, so he thought he’d check out the fishing.
As we neared the end of my family’s weeklong fishing trip to northern Wisconsin last month, my hands were feeling a bit rough.
John Deere retiree Frank Langkamp, of Dickeyville, Wis., spent Wednesday morning relaxing with a pole in hand at O’Leary’s Lake. He was revisiting a fishing hole he frequented years ago.
My family’s outing at Heritage Pond last evening was memorable, not only for the fish, but for the way we caught some of them.
Chris Ament, of Dubuque, spent part of his vacation perched on the ledge at Lock & Dam No. 11, jigging a leech. And the fish were cooperating.
When I asked my three sons what type of fish they hoped to catch during our mid-August vacation to Wisconsin, my 12-year-old, Brian, surprised me by saying “walleye.”
Life aboard the Eagle Point Fishing Barge, anchored near Lock & Dam No. 11 on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River, is slow-paced. Unfortunately, the fishing action has been matching that lately.
While fishing with my family in northern Wisconsin earlier this month, my 14-year-old son, Grant, hooked a smallmouth bass on a night crawler. As he brought it into the boat, something popped out of its mouth.
During our family vacation to Wisconsin’s Northwoods last week, we did plenty of fishing. I made it a point to tell my sons that if a northern pike — or a "snake fish," as we've nicknamed them — ever followed their lure to the side of the boat, leave it in the water and move it around to ent…
Using the technology might make it seem like you’re cheating, but anglers fishing Iowa lakes now have access to the GPS coordinates of tree piles, rock reefs, brush and stake beds.
“I had him on last night, but I had 4-pound test and he broke my line,” said Robby Schumacher, of Dubuque. In hopes of avenging the loss, Schumacher returned to the fishing hole today.
Mark Cook, a retired mechanic from East Dubuque, Ill., was out and about Wednesday morning when he let himself get distracted. And it was worth his while.
Any angler’s first fish is memorable, and sharing a photo of yours could net you a tackle box.
Dave Flury Jr. and Steve Seipp won Sunday’s Mississippi Walleye Club draw tournament in Dubuque with five fish totaling 23.82 pounds, edging Wayne Milliman and Ethan Small by less than a pound.
It’s no coelacanth, but the discovery of a species believed vanished from Iowa has biologists abuzz.
Last Friday, my wife and three sons took advantage of a rare summer night without any ballgames. We headed to the river with a carton of night crawlers and a box of jig heads and twister tails.
If your child forgot to submit an entry for a chance to fish with the pros on Kids Day, don’t sweat. The deadline has been extended by two weeks.
This week’s flash flooding in Dubuque County brought home a sad reality: There are some anglers and other outdoor lovers who are not the most environmentally conscious.
Bass club fishing has been growing at the college level in recent years, but now it’s extending into the prep arena.
Last night my family and I joined Cub Scout Pack 53 for an evening of fishing at Heritage Pond, north of Dubuque. The small sunfish were plentiful, but the greatest excitement came courtesy of a nearby fisherman.
There are still spots available for youngsters who want a chance to catch the fish of a lifetime.
Advertisers know that using the word “free” will attract attention. The same goes for the DNR.
Following a Sunday morning bike ride, my family and I decided to try some fishing along the river. With the water still high and fast, I wasn’t holding out much hope for catching anything.
Tyler Welborn hoped to wet a line this morning at O’Leary’s Lake, but the river was still high and “the bugs were terrible.” So, the Dubuquer crossed back over the Mississippi to his hometown and settled on a fishing jetty at Bergfeld Pond, on the city’s west side.
Anglers had to contend with high waters, but the first Dubuque Bass Club tournament of the season was a success, drawing a 21-boat field.
With blue skies and temperatures in the 80s, it seemed like summer vacation to the 15 Hillcrest students enjoying a day outside the classroom on Tuesday. They were gathered for a class fishing trip at Heritage Pond, north of Dubuque.
OK, it actually doesn’t have to be a creel. Maybe it’s a stringer, a live well, or just the tally in your head.
For Mother’s Day this year, our three boys and I took my wife fishing. And it was HER idea!
While on the Encyclopedia Dubuque website last night, I noticed the “Random Article” button. The first item that appeared when I clicked on it was a biography of William A. Wright, Jr. I soon learned that the Dubuque entrepreneur, who passed away in 2012, made a big impact on fishing.
The Wisconsin DNR is offering a freebie to help the technologically inclined in their fishing pursuits.
Mike Knockel, of Dubuque, was after trout at Heritage Pond this morning, but when he pulled in a carp, he wasn’t too disappointed.
When my elderly neighbor called on Sunday afternoon to ask if I was interested in one of her late husband’s fishing poles, I said, “Sure.”
Saturday’s forecast calls for a high temperature of only 59, but — if you throw on a jacket — it might be the perfect opportunity to enjoy some fishing with your family.
The Bass World Sports Tournament Association Team Classic historically features a lot of Midwestern anglers. This year, at the Lake Guntersville, Ala., competition on April 3-4, two local teams finished in the top 25.
The Wisconsin River is one of the longest remaining stretches of free-flowing river in the Midwest. The lower portion, a 92-mile corridor, stretches from Prairie du Sac to the Mississippi River and includes meandering shoreline and sandbars, acres of wetlands and backwater ponds.