The following-fish story is related in the Brainerd Dispatch: Axel Nelson, the night clerk at the Ransford hotel caught a monster pickerel while out fishing at Gull lake in company with Frank Wright, Charles Moore and Fred Cook. With the smallest bamboo pole in the crowd and a small sized pike hook Nelson angled patiently.
    “Gee, I’ve got a bite,” he suddenly called out. Don’t trip to haul him right in,” said Cook. “Let him go awhile.” Suddenly the pickerel gave a vicious lunge and actually leaped into the boat, slapping against Cook’s shoulders as he landed. Cook felt the fish’s hot breath and his teeth rasped against his ear.
    The fish was a 17 pounder and measured 41 inches in length. Moore got a club and walloped the beast on the nose and Wright bailed blood out of the boat with a minnow bucket to prevent them from swamping [flooding the boat]. The fish last night was on exhibition in the windows of Coffrain & Cook’s barbershop and pool room.

From— The Bemidji Daily Pioneer. (Bemidji, Minn.), 28 June 1913. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.