Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1915 — Free Wood Best Local Fisherman—Caught Fine Pike. [ARTICLE]

Free Wood Best Local Fisherman —Caught Fine Pike.

Jack Johnson may have been compelled to take a back seat at Havfina, but Free Wood, proposes to uphold the record, of his race in Rensselaer, but not by trying to land any Imockouts in a sawdust ring. Accompanied by two or three others Free spent Tuesday afternoon angling in the Iroquois ditch, a short distance below the sand banks. While his companions were busy pullirig in bullheads and sunfish, Free, who had tried a piece of bacon rind for bait, saw his cork plunged beneath the water and his line darting in all directions. He heaved a big heave and landed a pike on the bank. That was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The pike was allowed to lay on the bank until Free returned home and when weighed at 8 o’clock in the evening was 4 pounds strong. It was 26% inches long. Free says that he has established an early spring mark for others to aim at and he has the proof of his catch, for reliable witnesses saw it caught and weighed. One bass weighing a pound and a half was also caught. John Wiseman caught a nice channel cat Monday afternoon.