September 23, 2021 - 3:29 pm - Posted in Sports

Statewide Iowa — The latest IGHSAU Volleyball rankings are out.

In Class 1A Gehlen Catholic is #3. Class 2A puts Boyden-Hull in the 5 spot, with Western Christian in 6th, and Hinton remaining at 15. Class 3A keeps Sheldon at #5, SBL at 6, Sioux Center in the 9 spot, Unity at #10, and West Lyon is in the rankings at #14.
Class 1A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Burlington Notre Dame
20-6
1
2
Springville
16-2
2
3
Gehlen Catholic
12-5
3
4
Lisbon
15-4
4
5
Holy Trinity Catholic
10-3
5
6
Ankeny Christian
16-3
6
7
Newell-Fonda
16-2
10
8
Dunkerton
14-4
7
9
Gladbrook-Reinbeck
16-7
8
10
New London
10-7
10
11
Lamoni
18-0
12
12
Council Bluffs St. Albert
9-9
13
13
North Tama
12-6
11
14
North Linn
16-4
NR
15
Tri-Center
13-4
NR
 
Dropped Out: Waterloo Christian (14), Southeast Warren (15)
 
Class 2A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Dike-New Hartford
28-0
1
2
Wilton
20-1
3
3
Denver
19-4
2
4
South Hardin
17-0
4
5
Boyden-Hull
14-4
5
6
Western Christian
10-5
6
7
Beckman Catholic
18-4
10
8
Wapsie Valley
9-6
7
9
Sumner-Fredericksburg
16-5
8
10
Osage
11-4
9
11
Kuemper Catholic
18-6
11
12
West Branch
13-2
NR
13
Treynor
13-5
13
14
Missouri Valley
20-2
14
15
Hinton
9-1
15
 
Dropped Out: Grundy Center (12)
 
Class 3A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
West Delaware
24-2
1
2
Davenport Assumption
17-3
2
3
Des Moines Christian
22-2
3
4
West Liberty
17-0
4
5
Sheldon
9-3
5
6
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
13-3
6
7
Mount Vernon
15-5
8
8
West Burlington
14-1
7
9
Sioux Center
12-3
9
10
Unity Christian
6-3
10
11
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
19-2
12
12
Independence
11-5
13
13
Union
11-5
11
14
West Lyon
15-4
NR
15
New Hampton
16-4
15
 
Dropped Out: Red Oak (14)
 
Class 4A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Western Dubuque
13-3
2
2
North Scott
14-4
1
3
Xavier
19-2
3
4
Marion
20-4
5
5
Glenwood
17-2
6
6
Bondurant-Farrar
17-1
7
7
Waverly-Shell Rock
16-4
8
8
Oskaloosa
16-4
4
9
Clear Creek-Amana
12-5
9
10
North Polk
18-7
10
11
Pella
15-5
11
12
Winterset
9-1
12
13
Indianola
13-9
13
14
Decorah
13-2
NR
15
Benton Community
13-7
NR
 
Dropped Out: Webster City (14), Norwalk (15)
 
Class 5A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Iowa City Liberty
17-3
1
2
Pleasant Valley
17-1
3
3
Ankeny
24-4
2
4
Dowling Catholic
15-7
4
5
West Des Moines Valley
17-5
5
6
Urbandale
20-6
6
7
Ankeny Centennial
15-5
8
8
Cedar Rapids Kennedy
17-6
7
9
Cedar Falls
15-5
9
10
Johnston
13-6
10
11
Iowa City West
10-6
12
12
Cedar Rapids Prairie
9-6
11
13
Bettendorf
8-9
14
14
Sioux City North
13-7
15
15
Iowa City High
11-6
NR
Dropped Out: Waukee Northwest (13)
September 23, 2021 - 2:32 pm - Posted in Sports

Northwest Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released their weekly fishing report for northwest Iowa. This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. You can check the activity of your favorite lake or stretch of river, including which species are being caught, a rating of the bite (slow, fair, good or excellent), as well as a hot bait or lure pattern.

NORTHWEST
Black Hawk Lake
Water temperature is in the mid-60’s. Lake level is about 10 inches below the crest of the spillway. Water clarity is about one foot. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are picking up some 8- to 10-inch fish in and around the fish house shelter on Ice House Point. Bluegill – Slow. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore or near the rock pile off Cottonwood Point. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use traditional bass lures fished along shore in areas with rocks, fallen trees or docks. Ice House Point shoreline near the outlet and near the inlet bridge are good areas to target bass. Walleye – Slow: Shore fishing action should pick up as water temperatures. Try along Ice House Point and near the outlet in the east end of the lake. Throw twisters or fish live bait like minnows or leeches under a bobber.

Brushy Creek Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a small minnow in 15 feet of water near woody structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use weedless lures along vegetation edges and traditional bass lures along areas with woody structure. Yellow Perch- Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in 10-15 feet of water.

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Water clarity is roughly 1-2 feet. Most areas along shore are free of vegetation. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore with rocks. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Cast lures along shore and docks. Many areas near shore have only sparse vegetation patches with plenty of casting opportunities. Use weedless lures if fishing in areas with heavier vegetation. Walleye – Slow: A few walleye are being picked up mid-lake along dredge cuts. Shore fishing for walleye should improve as water temperatures continue to cool down and they begin to increase feeding behavior. Cast twisters or crankbaits from shore. Also try live bait such as minnows or leeches fished under a bobber along shore during evenings or mornings.

Water temperatures in most lakes are in the mid-60’s. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig. Largemouth Bass – Fair. Yellow Bass – Good: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig. Shore anglers are having success jigging a piece of crawler on the bottom.

Clear Lake
Water temperature is in the mid-60’s. The lake is 4 inches low. Water clarity is 23 inches. Black Crappie – Fair. Walleye – Slow: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or crawler fished near vegetation along the north shore. Also try slip bobber fishing a minnow on the rock reefs. Yellow Bass – Good: Try a small jig tipped with a minnow or cut bait fished in 5 to 6 feet of water along the high bank on the north shore or out from the pump house. Use your electronics to find and stay on fish.

Lake Smith
Bluegill – Fair: Use a small piece of crawler under a bobber along the dam and in open pockets in the vegetation.

Rice Lake
Any water west of the north boat ramp is a waterfowl refuge and is closed to all activity from Sept. 1st through the final day of the duck season. Bluegill – Fair. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Walleye – Slow. Yellow Perch – Fair: Use a jig and minnow in the deeper water along the homes on the south shore.

Silver Lake (Worth)
The vegetation has open up some. Bluegill – Fair: Try a small piece of crawler under a bobber fished along the edge of the vegetation. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Yellow Perch – Slow.

Upper Pine Lake
The boat ramp at Upper Pine Lake will be open this weekend. Black Crappie – Fair.

For information on the lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.

East Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 66 degrees. Many anglers have had success with slip bobbers/spoons and vertical jigging and drop shot fishing. A great bluegill/crappie/yellow bass bite can be found trolling weed lines. Many anglers have observed high catch rates with a lot of sorting. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are hard to target specifically, but can be caught mixed with other panfish. The bite has improved in and around docks and hoists. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Pumpkinseed – Good: Fun and easier to catch from most docks. Use a small hook, bobber and piece of worm.

Lost Island Lake
Anglers report they have started to catch yellow bass in shallow amongst the vegetation. Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair. Walleye – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair. Yellow Perch – Fair.

Minnewashta Lake
Panfishing has been good for anglers trolling weed lines. Vertical jigging is improving. Black Crappie – Fair: A nice crappie bite can be found with a little movement around the lake. Bluegill – Fair. Pumpkinseed – Good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye – Fair: Try using slip bobbers and finding weed lines.

Spirit Lake
The water temperature is 64 degrees. The water has been clearing up; using lighter line works best. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Black Crappie – Fair: Try tube jigs with wigglers or pilkies in deeper water. Bluegill – Fair: Use tube jigs with wigglers or pilkies in deeper water. Walleye – Good: Bite is hit-or-miss at dusk, but the day bite is improving. Many anglers have started to fish in shallower with slip bobbers along weed edges. Yellow Perch – Fair: Best bite is morning till 11:00 and mid-afternoon. Depths vary depending on the time of day. Move often to find fish – schools are smaller and sporadic.

West Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 66 degrees. Many anglers have been most successful with trolling, but jigging and casting has also been very good. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Offshore fishing for bass has been great. Black Crappie – Good: Crappie have been very picky lately, but can be easily caught if you aren’t afraid to switch things up. Can also be caught frequently while picking through other panfish or have been found around weed edges. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy with fish up to 10-inches seen. Try fishing in 15-20 and up to 40 feet of water. Jigging, casting, and slip bobbers work well. Try trolling with twister tails and ripple shads. Walleye – Fair: Walleye have been hard to target, but many anglers have been catching them while fishing for other species.

Offshore fishing for bass has been very good lately. The panfish/perch bite has been excellent. Area lake levels are low, making launching and loading boats more difficult. The forecast calls for highs in the 70’s and 80’s, but lows in the 50’s at night. Lake temperatures have been slowly cooling down and are in the 60’s degrees at night. For current conditions, call the Spirit Lake District Office at 712-336-1840.

September 21, 2021 - 9:43 am - Posted in Sports

Statewide Iowa – The latest IATC High School Cross Country team rankings are out.

Boys 4A

Rank Team
1 Sioux City, North
2 Dowling Catholic, WDM
3 Johnston
4 Dubuque Hempstead
5 Iowa City, City High
6 Norwalk
7 Waukee Northwest
8 Iowa City, Liberty
9 Cedar Falls
10 Ankeny Centennial
11 Ankeny
12 Pleasant Valley
13 Urbandale
14 Prairie, Cedar Rapids
15 Iowa City, West
16 North Scott, Eldridge
17 Linn-Mar, Marion
18 Cedar Rapids Kennedy
19 Des Moines, Roosevelt
20 Valley, WDM

Girls 4A

Rank Team
1 Des Moines Roosevelt
2 Dubuque Hempstead
3 Johnston
4 Ames
5 Valley, West Des Moines
6 Pleasant Valley
7 Dowling Catholic
8 Ankeny
9 Ankeny Centennial
10 Waukee
11 Cedar Rapids Prairie
12 City High
13 Dubuque Senior
14 Iowa City West
15 Southeast Polk
16 Linn-Mar
17 Iowa City Liberty
18 Bettendorf
19 North Scott
20 Urbandale

Boys 3A

Rank Team
1 Dallas Center Grimes
2 Marion
3 North Polk
4 Pella
5 Solon
6 MOC Floyd Valley
7 Western Dubuque
8 ADM Adel
9 Mount Vernon Lisbon
10 Waverly-Shell Rock
11 Decorah
12 Center Point Urbana
13 Glenwood
14 Carlisle
15 Clear Creek Amana
16 Winterset
17 Gilbert
18 Charles City
19 Spencer
20 Washington

Girls 3A

Rank Team
1 Solon
2 Spencer
3 Dallas Center-Grimes
4 Ballard
5 MOC-Floyd Valley
6 Western Dubuque
7 North Polk
8 Carlisle
9 Center Point-Urbana
10 Harlan
11 Marion
12 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
13 Pella
14 Bishop Heelan
15 Dubuque Wahlert
16 Clear Creek-Amana
17 Glenwood
18 Mount Vernon-Lisbon
19 Waverly-Shell Rock
20 Winterset

Boys 2A

Rank Team
1 Danville/New London
2 Tipton
3 Williamsburg
4 Western Christian
5 Mid-Prairie
6 Des Moines Christian
7 Unity Christian
8 GCGR
9 Waukon
10 Oelwein
11 Monticello
12 Davis County
13 Okoboji
14 Albia
15 Clear Lake
16 Spirit Lake
17 Anamosa
18 Dike-New Hartford
19 East Marshall
20 Clarinda

Girls 2A

Rank Team
1 Mid-Prairie
2 Denver
3 Monticello
4 Tipton
5 Unity
6 Williamsburg
7 Jesup
8 Cherokee
9 Sibley
10 Albia
11 Davis County
12 Clarinda
13 Okoboji
14 Van Meter
15 Des Moines Christian
16 Roland Story
17 Beckman Catholic
18 Union LaPorte
19 Clear Lake
20 George Little Rock-CL

Boys 1A

Rank Team
1 ACGC (Guthrie Center)
2 Earlham
3 Maquoketa Valley (Delhi)
4 Central Decatur (Leon)
5 St Albert (Council Bluffs)
6 Ogden
7 St Edmond (Fort Dodge)
8 Regina (Iowa City)
9 Valley Lutheran (Cedar Falls)
10 Newman (Mason City)
11 Woodbine
12 Bellevue
13 Central Springs (Manly)
14 South Winneshiek (Calmar)
15 Columbus (Columbus Junction)
16 Pella Christian
17 Missouri Valley
18 Hudson
19 North Mahaska (New Sharon)
20 Wayne (Corydon)

Girls 1A

Rank Team
1 South Winneshiek
2 Logan Magnolia
3 Pekin
4 St. Edmond Fort Dodge
5 Regina Iowa City
6 Hudson
7 Sumner Fredericksburg
8 Earlham
9 Newman Mason City
10 North Linn
11 Nashua Plainfield
12 Central Elkader
13 ACGC
14 Central Decatur
15 Montezuma
16 St. Albert Council Bluffs
17 Collins Maxwell
18 Manson Northwest Webster
19 Tri Center
20 Baxter
September 20, 2021 - 11:16 am - Posted in Sports

Statewide Iowa — The latest Radio Iowa High School Football poll is out.

BHRV is ranked #3 in Class 3A. Class 2A puts Spirit Lake at 3rd, ELC in 4th, West Lyon at the 7 spot, and Unity Christian is in the rankings at #9. West Sioux is 7th in Class 1A and Remsen St. Mary’s is 5th in 8-players.

Class 5A
1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (4-0), LW #2 vs Dubuque Senior (Thur)
2. Ankeny (3-1), LW #3 vs DSM Roosevelt
3. Southeast Polk (3-1), LW #1 vs Waterloo West
4. WDM Valley (3-1), LW #4 @ Marshalltown
5. Iowa City High (4-0), LW #6 vs Iowa City West
6. Urbandale (3-1), LW #7 vs DSM East
7. Cedar Falls (3-1), LW #9 @ Muscatine
8. Linn-Mar (4-0), LW (X) vs CR Jefferson
9. Cedar Rapids Prairie (3-1), LW (X) @ Ottumwa
10.Dowling Catholic (1-3), LW #5 vs C.B. Abe Lincoln

Class 4A
1. North Scott (4-0), LW #1 vs Iowa City Liberty
2. Indianola (4-0), LW #2 vs Perry
3. Cedar Rapids Xavier (3-1), LW #2 vs CR Washington
4. Bondurant-Farrar (4-0), LW #7 vs Carlisle
5. Lewis Central (2-2), LW #4 @ CB Jefferson
6. Fort Dodge (4-0), LW #6 @ Webster City
7. Fort Madison (4-0), LW #8 @ Mount Pleasant
8. Waverly-Shell Rock (3-1), LW #5 @ Waterloo East
9. Norwalk (3-1), LW #9 @ Boone
10.Newton (4-0), LW #10 vs Pella

Class 3A
1. Harlan (4-0), LW #1 vs Saydel
2. West Delaware (3-1), LW #2 @ Center Point-Urbana
3. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (4-0), LW #3 vs Carroll
4. Solon (4-0), LW #4 vs West Burlington
5. Humboldt (4-0), LW #5 vs Ballard
6. Nevada (4-0), LW #7 vs Gilbert
7. Independence (4-0), LW #8 @ South Tama
8. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (3-1), LW #10 vs Sioux Central
9. Mount Vernon (3-1), LW (X) @ Benton
10.Davenport Assumption (2-2), LW #6 vs Central DeWitt (Thur)

Class 2A
1. Southeast Valley (4-0), LW #1 @ #4 Estherville Lincoln Central
2. Waukon (3-1), LW #2 @ Oelwein
3. Spirit Lake (4-0), LW #3 @ #6 OABCIG
4. Estherville Lincoln Central (3-1), LW #4 vs #1 SE Valley
5. West Marshall (3-1), LW #7 vs Iowa Falls-Alden
6. OABCIG (3-1), LW #5 vs #3 Spirit Lake
7. West Lyon (2-2), LW #10 @ Sheldon
8. Greene County (3-1), LW (X) @ Clarinda
9. Unity Christian (3-1), LW (X) vs Okoboji
10.Pocahontas Area (3-1), LW #6 vs Clarion-Goldfield-Dows

Class 1A
1. Van Meter (4-0), LW #1 @ West Central Valley
2. Iowa City Regina (4-0), LW #2 @ Wilton
3. Underwood (4-0), LW #3 @ MVAOCOU
4. Pella Christian (4-0), LW #4 @ #6 Sigourney-Keota
5. Dike-New Hartford (4-0), LW #6 vs East Marshall
6. Sigourney-Keota (4-0), LW #7 vs #4 Pella Christian
7. West Sioux (3-1), LW #8 vs Western Christian
8. Cardinal (Eldon) (4-0), LW #9 vs Van Buren
9. Dyersville Beckman (4-0), LW #10 @ Postville
10.Waterloo Columbus (3-1), LW (X) @ Cascade

Class A
1. West Hancock (4-0), LW #1 @ North Union
2. Woodbury Central (4-0), LW #2 @ Lawton-Bronson
3. Grundy Center (2-1), LW #3 @ AGWSR
4. North Linn (4-0), LW #4 vs Soyuth Winneshiek
5. Riverside (Oakland) (4-0), LW #5 @ AHST
6. Logan-Magnolia (3-1), LW #6 vs Missouri Valley
7. North Tama (4-0), LW #7 vs Nashua-Plainfield
8. Mason City Newman (3-1), LW #8 vs #9 North Butler
9. North Butler (4-0), LW #10 @ #8 Newman Catholic
10.Earlham (3-1), LW (X) @ St. Albert

8-Player
1. Montezuma (5-0), LW #1 vs SE Warren
2. CAM (Anita) (4-0), LW #2 @ #4 Audubon
3. Easton Valley (4-0), LW #3 vs Central City
4. Audubon (4-0), LW #4 vs #2 CAM (Anita)
5. Remsen St. Mary’s (4-0), LW #5 @ St. Edmond
6. Newell-Fonda (4-0), LW #6 vs Kingsley-Pierson
7. Janesville (4-0), LW #7 @ #10 Turkey Valley
8. WACO (5-0), LW #8 @ New London
9. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (4-0), LW #9 @ GMG
10.Turkey Valley (4-0), LW #10 vs #7 Janesville

September 16, 2021 - 2:50 pm - Posted in Sports

Northwest Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released their weekly fishing report for northwest Iowa. This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. You can check the activity of your favorite lake or stretch of river, including which species are being caught, a rating of the bite (slow, fair, good or excellent), as well as a hot bait or lure pattern.

NORTHWEST
Black Hawk Lake
Water temperature is in the low 70’s. Lake level is about 9 inches below the crest of the spillway. Water clarity is about one foot. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are picking up some 8- to 10-inch fish in and around the fish house shelter on Ice House Point. Bluegill – Slow. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore or near the rock pile off Cottonwood Point. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use traditional bass lures fished along shore in areas with rocks, fallen trees or docks. Ice House Point shoreline near the outlet and near the inlet bridge are good areas to target bass. Walleye – Slow: Try along the dredge shelf in front of Denison Beach or the rock pile off of Cottonwood Point.

Brushy Creek Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a small minnow in 15 feet of water near woody structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use weedless lures along vegetation edges and traditional bass lures along areas with woody structure. Yellow Perch- Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in 10-15 feet of water.

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Water clarity is roughly 1-2 feet. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore with rocks or near the dredge cuts if fishing by boat. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Cast lures along shore and docks. Many areas near shore have only sparse vegetation patches with plenty of casting opportunities. Use weedless lures if fishing in areas with heavier vegetation. Walleye – Fair: Pick up fish along the dredge cuts with crankbaits or bottom bouncers. Use planer boards to pull crawler harnesses just above the weedlines. Try jigging or slip bobber fishing in the deep areas of the dredge cuts where many areas are free of vegetation. Shore fishing for walleyes should improve as water temperatures cool.

Water temperatures in most lakes are in the lower 70’s. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig. Largemouth Bass – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig.

Clear Lake
Water temperature is in the low 70’s. The lake is 3.36 inches low. Water clarity is 23 inches. Black Crappie – Fair. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or chicken liver on the wind swept shore after sunset. Walleye – Slow: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or crawler fished near vegetation along the north shore. Also try slip bobber fishing a minnow on the rock reefs. Yellow Bass – Good: Use a small jig tipped with a minnow or cut bait fished in 5 to 6 feet of water along the high bank on the north shore or out from the pump house. Use your electronics to find and stay on fish.

Rice Lake
Any water west of the north boat ramp is a waterfowl refuge and is closed to all activity from Sept. 1st through the final day of the duck season. Bluegill – Fair. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Walleye – Slow. Yellow Perch – Fair: Use a jig and minnow in the deeper water along the homes on the south shore.

Silver Lake (Worth)
The vegetation has open up some. Bluegill – Fair: Try a small piece of crawler under a bobber fished along the edge of the vegetation. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Yellow Perch – Slow.

Upper Pine Lake
The boat ramp at Upper Pine Lake is closed until the new ramp is installed.

For information on the lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.

East Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 69 degrees. Many anglers have had success with slip bobbers/spoons and vertical jigging and drop shot fishing. A great bluegill/crappie/yellow bass bite can be found trolling weed lines. Many anglers have observed high catch rates with a lot of sorting. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are hard to target specifically, but can be caught mixed with other panfish. The bite has improved in and around docks and hoists. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Pumpkinseed – Good: Fun and easier to catch from most docks. Use a small hook, bobber and piece of worm.

Lost Island Lake
Anglers report they have started to catch yellow bass in shallow amongst the vegetation. Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair. Walleye – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair. Yellow Perch – Fair.

Minnewashta Lake
Panfishing has been good for anglers trolling weed lines. Vertical jigging is improving. Black Crappie – Fair: A nice crappie bite can be found with a little movement around the lake. Bluegill – Fair. Pumpkinseed – Good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye – Fair: Try using slip bobbers and finding weed lines.

Spirit Lake
The water temperature is 69 degrees. The yellow perch bite has been slower, but the walleye bite has picked up. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Walleye – Good: Bite is hit-or-miss at dusk, but the day bite is improving. Many anglers have started to fish in shallower with slip bobbers along weed edges. Yellow Perch – Fair: Best bite is morning till 11:00 and mid-afternoon. Depths vary depending on the time of day. Move often to find fish – schools are smaller and sporadic.

West Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 68 degrees. Many anglers have been most successful with trolling, but jigging and casting has also been very good. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Offshore fishing for bass has been great. Black Crappie – Good: Crappie have been very picky lately, but can be easily caught if you aren’t afraid to switch things up. Can also be caught frequently while picking through other panfish or have been found around weed edges. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy with fish up to 10-inches seen. Jigging, casting, and slip bobbers work well. Try leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup. Walleye – Fair: Walleye have been hard to target, but many anglers have been catching them while fishing for other species.

Offshore fishing for bass has been very good lately. The panfish/perch bite has been excellent. Area lake levels are low, making launching and loading boats more difficult. The forecast calls for highs in the 70’s and 80’s, but lows in the 50’s at night. Lake temperatures have been slowly cooling down and are below 70 degrees at night. For current conditions, call the Spirit Lake District Office at 712-336-1840.

September 14, 2021 - 9:33 am - Posted in Sports

Statewide Iowa — The latest IATC cross country team rankings are out.

In the Class 3A boys rankings, MOC-Floyd Valley is #6. The 3A girls rankings puts Spencer in the 7 spot MOC-Floyd Valley in 14th, and SBL in 19th. Class 2A boys rankings have Western Christian in 3rd, Unity Christian in 7th, Spirit Lake is ranked 10th, and Okoboji is #18. 2A girls rankings puts Cherokee at sixth, Sibley-Ocheyedan in the 8 spot, Unity Christian in 9th, Okoboji in 17th and GLR-CL is 18th.

Boys 4A

Rank Team
1 Dowling Catholic, WDM
2 Sioux City, North
3 Johnston
4 Iowa City, City High
5 Dubuque Hempstead
6 Waukee Northwest
7 Cedar Falls
8 Norwalk
9 Ankeny
10 Ankeny Centennial
11 Pleasant Valley
12 Urbandale
13 Iowa City, West
14 Prairie, Cedar Rapids
15 Iowa City, Liberty
16 Valley, WDM
17 North Scott, Eldridge
18 Linn-Mar, Marion
19 Cedar Rapids Kennedy
20 Southeast Polk
Girls 4A
Rank Team
1 Des Moines Roosevelt
2 Johnston
3 Dubuque Hempstead
4 Ames
5 Valley, West Des Moines
6 Pleasant Valley
7 Dowling Catholic
8 Ankeny
9 Ankeny Centennial
10 Urbandale
11 Waukee
12 Linn-Mar
13 City High
14 Iowa City West
15 Southeast Polk
16 Iowa City Liberty
17 Dubuque Senior
18 Indianola
19 North Scott
20 Cedar Rapids Prairie
Boys 3A
Rank Team
1 Dallas Center Grimes
2 Marion
3 North Polk
4 Pella
5 Western Dubuque
6 MOC Floyd Valley
7 Waverly-Shell Rock
8 Glenwood
9 ADM Adel
10 Mount Vernon Lisbon
11 Solon
12 Carlisle
13 Decorah
14 Clear Creek Amana
15 Charles City
16 Center Point Urbana
17 Gilbert
18 Washington
19 Winterset
20 Newton
Girls 3A
Rank Team
1 Solon
2 Dallas Center-Grimes
3 Bishop Heelan
4 Carlisle
5 Gilbert
6 Ballard
7 Spencer
8 North Polk
9 Western Dubuque, Epworth
10 Dubuque Wahlert
11 Center Point-Urbana
12 Pella
13 Marion
14 MOC-Floyd Valley
15 Glenwood
16 Mount Vernon-Lisbon
17 Harlan
18 Davenport Assumption
19 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
20 Clear Creek-Amana
Boys 2A
Rank Team
1 Danville/New London
2 Tipton
3 Western Christian
4 Williamsburg
5 Mid-Prairie
6 Des Moines Christian
7 Unity Christian
8 GCGR
9 Waukon
10 Spirit Lake
11 East Marshall
12 Albia
13 Monticello
14 Davis County
15 Anamosa
16 Oelwein
17 Jesup
18 Okoboji
19 Denver
20 Clear Lake
Girls 2A
Rank Team
1 Mid-Prairie
2 Denver
3 Monticello
4 Tipton
5 Jesup
6 Cherokee
7 Williamsburg
8 Sibley
9 Unity Christian
10 Roland
11 Van Meter
12 Davis County
13 Des Moines Christian
14 Union LaPorte
15 Albia
16 Clear Lake
17 Okoboji
18 George Little Rock-CL
19 Dike-New Hartford
20 West Marshall
Boys 1A
Rank Team
1 ACGC (Guthrie Center)
2 Earlham
3 Maquoketa Valley (Delhi)
4 Ogden
5 Central Decatur (Leon)
6 Valley Lutheran (Cedar Falls)
7 Woodbine
8 Regina (Iowa City)
9 St. Albert (Council Bluffs)
10 St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)
11 Newman (Mason City)
12 Bellevue
13 North Mahaska (New Sharon)
14 Collins-Maxwell (Maxwell)
15 South Winneshiek (Calmar)
16 Central Springs (Manly)
17 Columbus (Columbus Junction)
18 Madrid
19 Missouri Valley
20 Pella Christian
Girls 1A
Rank Team
1 South Winneshiek
2 Logan Magnolia
3 Pekin
4 St. Edmond
5 Regina Iowa City
6 Hudson
7 Earlham
8 Newman Mason City
9 North Linn
10 Sumner Fredericksburg
11 Nashua Plainfield
12 Central Elkader
13 Collins Maxwell
14 ACGC
15 Manson Northwest Webster
16 Baxter
17 Montezuma
18 Central Decatur
19 Tri Center
20 Marquette Bellevue
September 13, 2021 - 3:34 pm - Posted in Sports

Statewide Iowa — Sites for the 2021 IHSAA and IGHSAU state qualifying meets for all four classes of cross country are now available.

Team assignments and meet information for each site will be released the week of October 11.

With adjusted dates for postseason cross country, Class 4A and Class 3A meets will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 20. Class 2A and Class 1A meets will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 21.

The state meet in Fort Dodge has also been split over two days, with 4A and 3A racing on Friday, October 29, followed by 2A and 1A races on Saturday, October 30.

2021 STATE QUALIFYING MEET SITES
CLASS 4A
Ankeny
Cedar Rapids, Kennedy
Indianola
Marshalltown
Pleasant Valley

CLASS 3A
Decorah
LeMars
Pella
Solon
Winterset

CLASS 2A
Anamosa
Dike-New Hartford
Southeast Valley
Unity Christian
Williamsburg

CLASS 1A
Cascade
Clayton Ridge
Newman Catholic
Panorama
Pekin
Regina
Ridge View
Southwest Valley

September 13, 2021 - 11:45 am - Posted in Sports

Northwest Iowa — The latest Radio Iowa football rankings are out.

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley is up to #3 in Class 3A, while SBL fell to 10th. Class 2A puts ELC down to #4, CLGLR is back in the rankings at #8, and West Lyon is at the 10 spot.  West Sioux fell to #8 in Class 1A, and Remsen St. Mary’s is ranked 5th in 8-player.

Class 5A
1. Southeast Polk (3-0), LW #1 @ #3 Ankeny
2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (3-0), LW #3 vs CR Jefferson
3. Ankeny (2-1), LW #6 vs #1 S.E. Polk
4. WDM Valley (2-1), LW #7 vs Waukee
5. Dowling Catholic (1-2), LW #2 @ #6 Iowa City High
6. Iowa City High (3-0), LW #8 vs #5 Dowling
7. Urbandale (2-1), LW #5 @ DSM Roosevelt
8. Johnston (2-1), LW #9 vs Waukee Northwest
9. Cedar Falls (2-1), LW #10 vs Ankeny Centennial
10.Sioux City East (3-0), LW (X) @ 3A #10 Sergeant Bluff-Luton

Class 4A
1. North Scott (3-0), LW #1 @ #2 Xavier
2. Cedar Rapids Xavier (3-0), LW #2 vs #1 North Scott
3. Indianola (3-0), LW #5 vs #4 Lewis Central
4, Lewis Central (2-1), LW #4 @ #3 Indianola
5. Waverly-Shell Rock (3-0), LW #6 vs 3A #2 West Delaware
6. Fort Dodge (3-0), LW #7 @ Marshalltown
7. Bondurant-Farrar (3-0), LW #10 vs Pella
8. Fort Madison (3-0), LW (X) @ Washington
9. Norwalk (2-1), LW #3 vs Dallas Center-Grimes
10.Newton (3-0), LW (X) @ Saydel

Class 3A
1. Harlan (3-0), LW #1 @ Glenwood
2. West Delaware (2-1), LW #3 @ 4A #5 Waverly-Shell Rock
3. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (3-0), LW #4 vs #9 Algona
4. Solon (3-0), LW #6 @ #6 Assumption
5. Humboldt (3-0), LW #7 @ Boone
6. Davenport Assumption (2-1), LW #2 vs #4 Solon
7. Nevada (3-0), LW #8 @ Hampton-Dumont-Cal
8. Independence (3-0), LW #9 @ Vinton-Sjellsburg
9. Algona (3-0), LW #10 @ #3 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
10.Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2-1), LW #5 vs 5A #10 Sioux City East

Class 2A
1. Southeast Valley (3-0), LW #2 vs #5 OABCIG
2. Waukon (2-1), LW #3 vs #9 North Fayette Valley
3. Spirit Lake (3-0), LW #5 vs #6 Pocahontas Area
4. Estherville Lincoln Central (2-1), LW #1 @ Clarion-Goldfield-Dows
5. OABCIG (3-0), LW #8 @ #1 Southeast Valley
6. Pocahontas Area (3-0), LW #7 @ #3 Spirit Lake
7. West Marshall (2-1), LW #9 @ Chariton
8. Central Lyon/GLR (1-2), LW (X) vs #10 West Lyon
9. North Fayette Valley (3-0), LW (X) @ #2 Waukon
10.West Lyon (1-2), LW (6) @ #8 Central Lyon/GLR

Class 1A
1. Van Meter (3-0), LW #1 vs Panorama
2. Iowa City Regina (3-0), LW #3 vs Mediapolis
3. Underwood (3-0), LW #4 vs East Sac County
4. Pella Christian (3-0), LW #5 vs Van Buren County
5. MFL MarMac (3-0), LW #6 @ Waterloo Columbus
6. Dike-New Hartford (3-0), LW #7 @ South Hardin
7. Sigourney-Keota (3-0), LW #8 vs Pleasantville
8. West Sioux (2-1), LW #2 @ Emmetsburg
9. Cardinal (Eldon), LW #9 @ Central Decatur
10.Dyersville Beckman (3-0), LW #10 vs Cascade

Class A
1. West Hancock (3-0), LW #1 vs West Fork
2. Woodbury Central (3-0), LW #2 vs Akron-Westfield
3. Grundy Center (2-1), LW #3 vs Hudson
4. North Linn (3-0), LW #4 @ Clayton Ridge
5. Riverside (Oakland) (3-0), LW #5 vs Sidney
6. Logan-Magnolia (2-1), LW #6 vs Tri-Center
7. North Tama (3-0), LW #7 vs Nashua-Plainfield
8. Mason City Newman (2-1), LW #8 @ #9 Saint Ansgar
9. Saint Ansgar (2-1), LW #10 vs #8 Newman
10.North Butler (3-0), LW (X) @ BCLUW

8-Player
1. Montezuma (4-0), LW #1 @ Melcher-Dallas
2. CAM (Anita) (3-0), LW #2 vs East Mills
3. Easton Valley (3-0), LW #3 @ Springville
4. Audubon (3-0), LW #4 @ Exira-EHK
5. Remsen St. Mary’s (3-0), LW #5 @ Kingsley-Pierson
6. Newell-Fonda (3-0), LW #6 @ Algona Garrigan
7. Janesville (3-0), LW #7 @ Rockford
8. WACO (4-0), LW #8 vs Iowa Valley
9. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (3-0), LW #10 @ Triploi
10.Turkey Valley (3-0), LW (X) vs Riceville

September 9, 2021 - 2:16 pm - Posted in Sports

Northwest Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released their weekly fishing report for northwest Iowa. This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. You can check the activity of your favorite lake or stretch of river, including which species are being caught, a rating of the bite (slow, fair, good or excellent), as well as a hot bait or lure pattern.

NORTHWEST
Black Hawk Lake
Water temperature is 71 degrees. Lake level is about 7 inches below the crest of the spillway. Water clarity is about one foot. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are picking up some 8- to 10-inch fish along Ice House Point and near the fish house in Town Bay. Bluegill – Slow. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore or near the rock pile off Cottonwood Point. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use traditional bass lures fished along shore in areas with rocks, fallen trees or docks. Ice House Point shoreline near the outlet and near the inlet bridge are good areas to target bass. Walleye – Slow: Try along the dredge shelf in front of Denison Beach or the rock pile off of Cottonwood Point.

Brushy Creek Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a small minnow in 15 feet of water near woody structure. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Use weedless lures along vegetation edges and traditional bass lures along areas with woody structure. Yellow Perch- Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a crawler or minnow in 10-15 feet of water.

Storm Lake (incl Little Storm Lake)
Water clarity is roughly 1-2 feet. Channel Catfish – Fair: Use cut bait or dip baits fished on the bottom in areas along shore with rocks or near the dredge cuts if fishing by boat. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Cast lures along shore and docks. Many areas near shore have only sparse vegetation patches with plenty of casting opportunities. Use weedless lures if fishing in areas with heavier vegetation. Walleye – Fair: The walleye bite is hit-or-miss. Anglers need to adjust some methods to fish in areas that have vegetation. Pick up fish along the dredge cuts with crankbaits or bottom bouncers. Use planer boards to pull crawler harnesses just above the weedlines. Try jigging or slip bobber fishing in the deep areas of the dredge cuts where many areas are free of vegetation.

Water temperatures in most lakes have cooled to the lower 70’s. For more information, contact the Black Hawk District office at 712-657-2638.

Beeds Lake
Black Crappie – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig. Best bite is early morning. Largemouth Bass – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair: Drift fish or troll a small minnow or tube jig.

Clear Lake
Water temperature is in the lower 70’s. The lake is 2.16 inches low. Water clarity is 25 inches. Black Crappie – Fair. Channel Catfish – Fair: Try cut bait or chicken liver on the wind swept shore after sunset. Walleye – Slow: Use a jig tipped with a minnow or crawler fished near vegetation along the north shore. Also try slip bobber fishing a minnow on the rock reefs. Yellow Bass – Good: Use a small jig tipped with a minnow or cut bait fished in 5 to 6 feet of water along the high bank on the north shore or out from the pump house. Use your electronics to find and stay on fish.

Rice Lake
Any water west of the north boat ramp is a waterfowl refuge and is closed to all activity from Sept. 1st through the final day of the duck season. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Walleye – Slow. Yellow Perch – Fair: Use a jig and minnow in the deeper water along the homes on the south shore.

Silver Lake (Worth)
The vegetation has open up some. Bluegill – Fair: Try a small piece of crawler under a bobber fished along the edge of the vegetation. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are biting on a variety of baits. Yellow Perch – Slow.

Upper Pine Lake
The boat ramp at Upper Pine Lake is closed until the new ramp is installed.

For information on the lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.

East Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 72 degrees. Many anglers have had success with slip bobbers/spoons and vertical jigging and drop shot fishing. A great bluegill/crappie/yellow bass bite can be found trolling weed lines. Many anglers have observed high catch rates with a lot of sorting. Black Crappie – Fair: Crappie are hard to target specifically, but can be caught mixed with other panfish. The bite has improved in and around docks and hoists. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Pumpkinseed – Good: Fun and easier to catch from most docks. Use a small hook, bobber and piece of worm.

Lost Island Lake
Anglers report they have started to catch yellow bass in shallow amongst the vegetation. Black Crappie – Fair. Bluegill – Fair. Walleye – Fair. Yellow Bass – Fair. Yellow Perch – Fair.

Minnewashta Lake
Panfishing has been good for anglers trolling weed lines. Vertical jigging is improving. Black Crappie – Fair: A nice crappie bite can be found with a little movement around the lake. Bluegill – Fair. Pumpkinseed – Good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson)
Walleye – Fair: Try using slip bobbers and finding weed lines.

Spirit Lake
The water temperature is 72 degrees. The yellow perch bite has been slower, but the walleye bite has picked up. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Walleye – Good: Bite is hit-or-miss at dusk, but the day bite is improving. Many anglers have started to fish in shallower with slip bobbers along weed edges. Yellow Perch – Fair: Best bite is morning till 11:00 and mid-afternoon. Depths vary depending on the time of day. Move often to find fish – schools are smaller and sporadic.

West Okoboji Lake
The water temperature is 72 degrees. Many anglers have been most successful with trolling, but jigging and casting has also been very good. Use lead core and tadpole baits. Offshore fishing for bass has been great. Black Crappie – Good: Crappie have been very picky lately, but can be easily caught if you aren’t afraid to switch things up. Can also be caught frequently while picking through other panfish or have been found around weed edges. Bluegill – Good: Bluegill are biting like crazy with fish up to 10-inches seen. Jigging, casting, and slip bobbers are working well. Leeches or worms and a simple bobber setup work well. Walleye – Fair: Walleye have been hard to target, but many anglers have been catching them while fishing for other species.

Offshore fishing for bass has been very good lately. The panfish/perch bite has been excellent. Area lake levels are low, making launching and loading boats more difficult. Many boaters are already taking their boats out for the season, making the lakes less congested and allowing for better fishing opportunities. The forecast calls for highs in the 70’s and 80’s, but lows in the 50’s at night. Lake temperatures have been slowly cooling down and are in the low 70’s. For current conditions, call the Spirit Lake District Office at 712-336-1840.

September 7, 2021 - 10:53 am - Posted in Sports

The latest Iowa Run, Jump and Throw cross country polls are out and a the area is well represented.

In 3A boys MOC Floyd Valley is #6. In the girls 3A poll Spencer is #7 with MOC Floyd Valley at 15. The 2A boys poll has Western Christian at #2 with Unity at 7, Spirit Lake at 11, Okoboji at 18 and George Little Rock Central Lyon at #20. The Girls 2A poll features Cherokee at #5 with Sibley Ocheyedan at 8, Unity at 9, Okoboji at 14 and George Little Rock at 19.

Boys 4A
Rank Team
1 Sioux City, North
2 Dowling Catholic, WDM
3 Johnston
4 Iowa City, City High
5 Dubuque Hempstead
6 Waukee Northwest
7 Cedar Falls
8 Norwalk
9 Iowa City, West
10 Pleasant Valley
11 Urbandale
12 Iowa City, Liberty
13 Prairie, Cedar Rapids
14 Ankeny Centennial
15 Valley, WDM
16 Linn-Mar, Marion
17 Cedar Rapids Kennedy
18 Bettendorf
19 Southeast Polk
20 Ankeny

Girls 4A
Rank Team
1 Dubuque Hempstead
2 Pleasant Valley
3 Valley, West Des Moines
4 Johnston
5 Ankeny
6 Ankeny Centennial
7 Des Moines Roosevelt
8 Ames
9 Southeast Polk
10 Dowling Catholic
11 Waukee
12 City High
13 Linn-Mar
14 Dubuque Senior
15 Urbandale
16 Iowa City West
17 Indianola
18 Cedar Falls
19 Waukee Northwest
20 Bettendorf

Boys 3A
Rank Team
1 Dallas Center Grimes
2 North Polk
3 Marion
4 Pella
5 Glenwood
6 MOC Floyd Valley
7 Waverly-Shell Rock
8 Western Dubuque
9 Mount Vernon Lisbon
10 Carlisle
11 ADM Adel
12 Solon
13 Decorah
14 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
15 Clear Creek Amana
16 Charles City
17 Gilbert
18 Center Point Urbana
19 Washington
20 Newton

Girls 3A
Rank Team
1 Bishop Heelan
2 Solon
3 DCG
4 North Polk
5 Carlisle
6 Pella
7 Spencer
8 Western Dubuque, Epworth
9 Ballard
10 Dubuque Wahlert
11 Mount Vernon-Lisbon
12 Davenport Assumption
13 Glenwood
14 Center Point-Urbana
15 MOC-Floyd Valley
16 Harlan
17 Gilbert
18 Waverly-Shell Rock
19 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
20 Washington

Boys 2A
Rank Team
1 Danville/New London
2 Western Christian
3 Tipton
4 Williamsburg
5 Mid-Prairie
6 Des Moines Christian
7 Unity Christian
8 East Marshall
9 GCGR
10 Albia
11 Spirit Lake
12 Waukon
13 Jesup
14 Monticello
15 Davis County
16 Oelwein
17 Denver
18 Okoboji
19 New Hampton
20 GLR-CL

Girls 2A
Rank Team
1 Mid-Prairie
2 Denver
3 Tipton
4 Jesup
5 Cherokee
6 Monticello
7 Williamsburg
8 Sibley Ocheyedan
9 Unity Christian
10 Van Meter
11 Roland Story
12 DM Christian
13 Davis County
14 Albia
15 Okoboji
16 Danville NL
17 Pocahontas
18 Dike-New Hartford
19 George LR-CL
20 WCKP

Boys 1A
Rank Team
1 Earlham
2 ACGC (Guthrie Center)
3 Maquoketa Valley (Delhi)
4 Ogden
5 Bellevue
6 Central Decatur (Leon)
7 St. Edmond (Fort Dodge)
8 Newman (Mason City)
9 Regina (Iowa City)
10 South Winneshiek (Calmar)
11 Madrid
12 St. Albert (Council Bluffs)
13 Missouri Valley
14 Central Springs (Manly)
15 Northwest Webster (Manson)
16 Valley Lutheran (Cedar Falls)
17 Nodaway Valley (Greenfield)
18 Cascade
19 Columbus (Columbus Junction)
20 Wayne (Corydon)

Girls 1A
Rank Team
1 South Winneshiek
2 Hudson
3 Pekin
4 Login Magnolia
5 Regina Iowa City
6 Newman Mason City
7 St. Edmond Fort Dodge
8 Earlham
9 North Linn
10 Sumner Fredricksburg
11 Central Elkader
12 Kee Lansing
13 Tri Center
14 Collins Maxwell
15 Marquette Bellevue
16 ACGC
17 Manson Northwest Webster
18 Baxter
19 Montezuma
20 Central Decatur