Video shows suspect taking silver king tarpon from Bass Pro Shop

Reporter: Jolena Esperto Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
bass pro shop
CREDIT: LCSO

Authorities are still searching for a suspect seen taking a live silver king tarpon from a Bass Pro Shop while witnesses watched in confusion.

The man suspected of stealing the fish at the store inside of Gulf Coast Town Center was caught on video in mid-December.

The video showing the suspect holding a net with a tarpon inside flailing wildly has begun going viral. The video also produced nearly a dozen tips for Crime Stoppers, who still don’t have a suspect in custody.

The man is seen carrying the 50-pound fish in a fishing net and simply walking out of the Bass Pro Shop. He remains unidentified.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Crime Stoppers and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Animal Cruelty Task Force say he not only stole property, but he also caught the fish in an inhumane way.

“If it was up to me, I’d have banned him from ever being near the water. That would be my first thing. You just lost that right there,” said Kurty Ruby, a shopper at Bass Pro Shop.

“It’s kind of like poaching. If you’re a deer hunter, true deer hunters don’t like poachers. I’m sure fishermen who are anglers don’t like somebody to do something like this,” said Shawn Humphreys, another shopper at Bass Pro Shop.

These shoppers told WINK News they wished the man had been stopped; then maybe the silver king’s fate would look better.

And what happened isn’t the first time there’s been a bizarre fish tank incident at that Gulf Coast Town Center location. Back in 2020, a man jumped into the fish tank.

“I don’t know what kind of punishment there is for something like that,” said Ruby.

“It’s gonna end up catching up with them and probably affect him,” said Humphreys.

FWC, Crime Stoppers, and the LCSO Animal Cruelty Task Force are all working on the case. It’s been nearly two weeks since it happened, and so far all Crime Stoppers have are tips they are hopeful will pan out.

If you have any information, contact Crime Stoppers or LCSO. Any tip that can lead to an arrest can net you a reward of up to $3,000.

Click here to submit a tip online.

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