LAKE SUPERIOR
Three Wisconsin counties -- Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas -- border Lake Superior. Pike fishing is open all year on this Great Lake, but not on tributaries and sloughs connected to it. The Department of Natural Resources is managing for trophies here, so there is a two-fish daily bag limit and the minimum size is 26 inches, according to the 2005-2006 regulations booklet.

Chequamegon Bay is a good place to fish. If you decided to go there early in the spring, call ahead and make sure the ice is out. Of course, this is big water and requires a suitable craft, because it can get rough in a hurry. You'll find good boat ramps near Ashland and Washburn on Chequamegon Bay, and more near Bayfield near the Apostle Islands.

The standard pike hunter's technique at any time of year is to look for weedbeds where the fish can hide and ambush prey. Work spoons and spinnerbaits slowly over the weeds -- and be prepared for a big whack. Fish reaching 20 pounds are not uncommon, and larger fish are caught on occasion.

You can reach the Ashland Chamber of Commerce at (715) 682-2500 or 1-800-284-9484, or log on to their Web site at www.visitashland.com for more information on the area. The Bayfield Chamber of Commerce home page is at www.bayfield.org, or call (715) 779-3335. Numbers for the Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce are (715) 394-7716 or 1-800-942-5313, or you can go online to www.superiorchamber.org.

PESHTIGO RIVER
The mouth of the Peshtigo River on the bay of Green Bay is famous for its spring northern pike fishing.

It's just a few miles south of Marinette and the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary. Some claim the nickname "gator" was coined for the big pike in this area. The Peshtigo flows through the city of the same name and meanders for miles before reaching Green Bay at what the locals call "Peshtigo Harbor." There's not much there except for two boat launches -- one at the end of Harbor Road and the other off County Highway BB -- and big pike.

Pike fishing is open all year in Green Bay and the Peshtigo River. The Peshtigo is covered under "Special open season for major Green Bay tributaries" in the regulations booklet. There is no size limit, and the daily limit is five fish.

Ice-out comes at different times each year depending on the temperature and amount of snowmelt and rain, but the river is navigable long before the ice is gone from Green Bay -- at least during most springs. As soon as the ice leaves, pike hunters head out and will fish right behind the melting ice on the bay as well as upstream. It's not unusual to have boats in the river while ice-anglers are still on the bay. The next step will be trolling with tip-ups!

The pike move into the Peshtigo before ice-out and often stay around until the end of April or early May. Soaking smelt, suckers and shiners is popular on the cold days, while the warm spells allow casting artificials. Big spinners are very popular -- with both the pike and the pike anglers.

Depending on river conditions, you can fish in the main river channel or in the backwater sloughs. If you hit it just right, you may be able to sight-fish the pike in the sloughs where they recover after spawning. It's not uncommon to see the large females escorted by several smaller males.

Navigation hazards such as trees are common in the Peshtigo River. Motor with caution, and be aware that the main channel meanders. It's easy to run onto a sandbar or mudbar when the river turns -- and you don't.