Most of the fish Peters and his fishing companions catch are smallmouth bass in the 8- to 12-inch range -- but not all bass in the river are smallies: Largemouth bass are also known to haunt stretches of this stream.

Peters had a tip for anyone fishing from a canoe drifting downstream. "I often use topwater plugs," he offered. "I like to cast and am always surprised at how many fish are in shallow water close to shore. Subsurface lures often get caught on snags, and you have to furiously paddle upstream to retrieve them. This doesn't happen with topwater lures."

Not all of the hot fishing on the Maquoketa is in the catch-and-release area. According to Kirby, worthwhile fishing exists even within the towns and cities that line the banks. "Fish are caught in Dundee and below the Manchester, Monticello and Maquoketa dams," he said. "Probably the best of these is below the dam at Manchester."

According to the biologist, fishing of substantial quality is available as well in the Pictured Rocks area in north-central Jones County. It has excellent smallmouth bass habitat and plenty of fish.

Smallmouth bass are efficient predators, but minnows and crawdads make up the bulk of their diet. Major hatches of aquatic insects often occur in midsummer, and the fish shift their diet to take advantage of the bounty -- hence the effectiveness in the warm months of surface poppers.

In general, any artificial bait that mimics crawdads and minnows will work well on bass. Crankbaits, spinners, spoons and a wide range of plastic baits will work well. Jack Lorenz, former national director of the Izaak Walton League, is a lifelong angler who has traveled the continent fishing for smallies. "One of my most effective lures is a Yamamoto Senko," he said. "I cast upstream and let the lure tumble down with the current, and often a bass will grab it. Many other soft plastic lures are effective."

IDNR biologists see a bright future for Iowa's smallmouth bass. "This fish will always provide an important fishery in our clear water rivers and a few lakes," said Don Bonneau. Anglers can help preserve fish populations by practicing catch-and-release fishing even in areas where the law allows harvest.

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Being outdoors in an Iowa April is delightful. The earth is coming to life as winter fades away, and one of the best places to be is along the Maquoketa River fishing for Iowa's "other" black bass.