Man stole live tarpon from Bass Pro Shops in Florida, deputies say

Rachel Tucker
·1 min read
7

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida officials are searching for a man who was caught on camera walking through Bass Pro Shops and holding a large fish in a net.

The man walked out of the Fort Myers store with a tarpon on Wednesday, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

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He was accused of entering Bass Pro Shops with a net and scooping the fish out of the tank. Bystander video provided by the sheriff’s office showed the man carrying the flopping animal through the sales floor, flanked by a woman and another man who was filming.

The sheriff’s office is working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to investigate the alleged theft. According to FWC, tarpon are a protected species and, if caught in the wild, must be released.

“We’re #FishingForInformation and would love nothin’ more than to chum it up with this guy,” the sheriff’s office wrote in its pun-filled social media post. “Don’t get caught aiding and a-bait-ing.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.

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