As the weather gets cold, I've been looking forward to ice fishing, and one of my favorite ways to eat fish - pickled pike
The only problem is that I live in Madison, and catching small pike for pickling is limited by the Wisconsin "southern zone" rules (Only two northern pike may be kept and they must be at least 26"), and the rules on my home lake - Mendota - are even more restrictive (one pike over 40" may be kept).
The "northern zone" rules make catching and keeping small-medium pike for pickling much more realistic (Five northern pike of any length may be kept).
So my question is, are there any lakes in Southern WI with good enough pike fishing that would be worth my time to try to get some legal pike, or would I be better off driving north?
If I do go north, the lakes in the Northern Zone (North of highway 10) that would be the shortest drive from Madison are Lake Dubay, Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Mosinee Flowage, or Lake Wausau. Are any of these worth the drive for some pike fishing through the ice?
