Big catfish caught in Banks Lake

Local fisherman Greg Anderson caught what must be a near-record catfish in Banks Lake recently.

Anderson, from Coulee Dam, said he was fishing near the buoys at North Dam, when a 34.7-pound catfish struck his crappie jig.

"It was about 45 minutes before I got my first look at it," Anderson said.

Two other anglers in the boat helped him finally net the big fish.

"It filled the net," Anderson stated. "I was really tired bringing the fish in. The head of the catfish was bigger than a football and was nearly half of its size."

A number of pictures of the fish are on display at Coulee Playland.

One reason the catch was so difficult to land is that Anderson was using a light pole with an 8-pound-test line.

Catfish had been introduced into the lake about 12 years ago, and Anderson's is equal to the largest caught, according to Coulee Playland's Lou Nevsimal.

Nevsimal said he recalls a 20-pounder and a 34-pounder caught in the lake in the last few years.

Some 50,000 catfish fingerlings were dumped in the lake 12 years ago, and since no fingerlings are being caught it is apparent that they are not spawning, Nevsimal stated.

Anderson, who fishes Banks Lake frequently, was recently named co-manager of the the fish pen operation in Electric City.