(Des Moines, IA) -- Officials in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries' Bureau expect 2020 to end up as one of the biggest for anglers. Joe Larshied says Iowans bought 430-thousand fishing licenses this year, 23-percent more than the previous year. He credits the increase on Iowans' seeking ways to have fun outdoors, amid the pandemic. He says they have issued record numbers of trophy fish certificates (500) and "First Fish" certificates (100) for kids. He's expecting ice fishing to be popular this winter as well.
New licenses go on sale today, (December 15th) Larshied encourages anglers to check out the DNR's website for ice fishing tips. He says you can go low-tech, with low-cost equipment and a bucket to sit on. More elaborate ice-fishing is a tradition in northern Iowa. He says there are some ice-shacks in place already in some northern locations.
He says in the next few weeks, some of Iowa's smaller ponds will ice over and should be safe to fish.