Jay Walton

When my old fishing partner, Rob Welch, called me to discuss his new endeavor for a website to complement his fishing show “In Your Backyard Iowa” I admitted that he was he was really making the right step to reach out to outdoor enthusiasts to explore more of what Iowa has to offer in quality fishing destinations within our borders.  I applauded him for his efforts to share an extremely important quality of life benefit that so many of us have enjoyed throughout our lives.  Whether fishing and hunting has been a family tradition, or whether some event motivated an individual to pick up a rod and reel out of  ...

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Brad Johansen

I’m a life long resident of Northeast Iowa and my earliest two memories of fishing came with my dad and granddad.  I can distinctly remember fishing the Turkey River East of Eldorado, Iowa on a warm April Sunday afternoon for Suckers with Grandpa Carl.  The second memory is Northern Pike fishing with my dad on the Wapsipinicon River.  The power of a big Pike was intimidating and addictive to a young boy.  These two trips kindled a passion for fishing that came full circle in college...

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Dan Ketchum

Growing up in Southwestern Wisconsin exposed me to a lot of what Mother Nature has to offer.  I was able to hunt and fish without ever having to get very far from home.  Whether it was fishing the Mississippi for walleyes and catfish, or hunting the river bluff country for deer, there was always something to do in my backyard.  Growing up in a family that lived for the outdoors and considered opening day of deer season a holiday, has helped to fuel the passion I have for the outdoors today...

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Todd Jafvert

When the people at “In Your Backyard Iowa” asked me to write a little about myself for the web page I had to think about it for awhile. What makes me qualified to talk or write about fishing and hunting in Iowa? The best way to describe my qualifications is that from ice out until the end of September my wife doesn’t ask if I’m going fishing but where am I fishing and is it a tournament. From the first of October until first ice she asks what are you hunting this weekend?  And from first ice until ice out she asks either is the ice safe yet or is it still safe and are you cleaning fish today? ...

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Scott Ingram

There are many things about living in Iowa that I enjoy, but none more so than the Iowa outdoors.  From the time I was a youth, I have spent most of my life outdoors and along the way have picked up several hobbies including hunting, fishing and trapping.  If you were to visit my house today I’d take you out back where you’d see my hunting dogs anxious to get in some work prior to the upcoming season.  You might notice the set of locked horns in my barn I found last winter from two monster Iowa bucks that paid the...

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The Knobloch Brothers

Winterset, Iowa is were Ryan was raised and still calls home, his passion for hunting started at a very early age when Dad and Grandpa Knobloch would take him on quail hunts in Southern Illinois. From that he began to progress into waterfowl hunting as a teenager, and the rest is history. As a full time shop manager at his father- in-laws auto repair shop, Ryan spends any and all extra time scouting, tuning the calling skills, of course hunting in the fall, and spending time with his wife Julie and two boys Drake and Beau.

Winterset, Iowa is also where Ross calls home. He started at a young age hunting out of a duck boat with Ryan, his Dad (John) and Bob Duffy a family friend. Not only does Ross enjoy waterfowling and turkey hunting, but he also is a avid bowhunter with many Pope and Young bucks to his credit. Ross is a Lubricant Territory Manager for Agriland FS, and when not scouting or hunting Ross enjoys spending time with his wife Leah

Cristin Fitzpatrick & Todd Chyreck

As a young girl growing up in Binghamton, New York my parents would frequently take us out in the boat fishing, hiking the high peaks in the Adirondack Mountains or camping alongside the Saint Lawrence River. Naturally, as I grew older I became involved in other sports, figure skating in particular. Instead of taking trips to hike mountains in Lake Placid, NY I would be competing in the Empire State Games. I fell in love with the sport and soon lost touch with the outdoors. I was so consumed with pressures that society places upon young women that I had completely lost touch with reality