Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway
Paul Bunyan Tells A Tale: Fishing at Moonlight Bay

Just north of Brainerd, MN, lies the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. One of the Chain's bays, Moonlight Bay, is a great spot to fish. In fact, it was right here on this bay that Paul Bunyan, the giant logger of tall-tale fame, once battled the biggest, most cantankerous fish in the North Country-- Ike the Pike. Sit back and relax as you read this tall tale, told by Paul Bunyan himself.

This is a great spot to fish. And it was right here that I once caught the most cantankerous fish in the North Country— Ike the Pike.

See, if you walk out on that skinny strip of land, and you’ve got a good fishin’ pole, you can cast all the way to the south end of Cross Lake... or way over to Whitefish, and work the channel that comes into Rush. Well I can, anyway.

So I was out there one still, sunny morning, fishin’ for Ike. And like I said, he was the biggest, nastiest, most ill-tempered critter that ever swum. Ike was a big ’un, too. He was 50 feet long and weighed more than 10 teams of heavy horses. No hook could ever catch that fish. He’d just bend ’em straight and spit ’em out. So I used a bathtub with a ship's anchor chained to it. Hung it under a big bobber and just kinda popped it along. For a fishin’ pole, I used a 100-foot balsam tree. They’re the bendiest. I had a reel made outa big wagon wheels, and for line, I used drag cable. It was a good outfit.

Well, I took that bathtub and slinged ’er out a loooooong ways. Sure enough, ol’ Ike was swimmin’ nearby, and he bit that thing just out of pure meanness. He thrashed and he splashed, and jumped about 200 feet out of the water. When I pulled back, it snapped my bobber off the line and it flew all the way over to Pequot Lakes.

We had at it, fightin’ tooth and nail for two hours. With all that splashin’, it rained a foot right here where you’re standing. Well, I was gettin’ pretty pooped, and I guess ol’ Ike was too. He swam up and spit that bathtub right back at me. Then he winked... and swam away. Best fishin’ fight I ever had!

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