From the Gone Fishing Archives: Winter pike on Cass Lake

I ran into Bob Bruns at Star Island on January 28, 2006. I asked him how the fishing was and he hoisted this chunky northern from the bed of his pickup. He said he caught the fish a couple hours earlier on a sucker minnow. I think his shack was on the drop off by Dougall's place.

I asked him how he prepared the pike and he explained--in considerable detail--his pickling process. The thought of eating uncooked northern sounded a little gross but Bob insisted it was delicious.

The next day, I scrambled down the bank and discovered a jar of pickled pike Bob had dropped off for me earlier in the morning. He was right about pickled pike; it is delicious.