- Here are a couple of fishing stories no one would believe.
Bass Pro Shop is more than its shining pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee. In the chain’s stores, you can fulfill all your fishing and many other outdoor activity equipment needs.
It’s apparently also the place to be if you’re looking to act like a complete maniac.
Recently, bizarre incidents took place at two Bass Pro Shop locations on both sides of the New Year. The stores in question are located in Alabama and Florida.
In the Alabama case, a 42-year-old man shed off his clothes and decided to go for a swim in the Bass Pro Shop indoor fish pond. He made it easier for the cops to arrest him, though — he slipped and knocked himself unconscious as he climbed out of the water.
Meanwhile, the Florida Bass Pro Shop encountered a shoplifting incident. The burglar didn’t steal lures or even fishing poles, though.
No, he walked out holding a 50-pound tarpon.
Bass Pro Shop — not even once.
Cannonball!
Let’s start off with the case from Leeds, Alabama. On January 5, the local Bass Pro Shop was starting to get ready for closing when things got really out of hand.
A 42-year-old man — later identified as George Owens of Sterrett, Alabama — drove into the store’s parking lot. With his family in the vehicle, he proceeded to race erratically around the parking lot before crashing his car into a pole seemingly on purpose.
After the accident, Owens hopped out of the car and ripped off his clothes before running buck-naked into the Bass Pro Shop. There, the store’s indoor fish pond caught his attention.
According to AL.com, Owen cannonballed ran to a high spot and cannonballed into the pool. He then proceeded to stand under the pond’s waterfall for a while before climbing out of the water.
At this point, the police arrived at the scene. Perhaps sensing his good times were about to end, Owens began yelling at the cops and dove back into the pond.
Eventually, he decided to get out of the pool again. This time, however, he slipped and smacked his head on the floor, knocking himself out.
By the time Owens came to, the cops were already putting handcuffs on his wrists. He attempted to struggle, but the cops had a firm grip on him and his efforts were in vain.
Owens has been charged with an impressive list of violations, including public lewdness, disorderly conduct, assaulting the police, and resisting arrest. According to his family, Owens has struggled with mental health issues and he has been taken to a hospital for evaluation.
“It’s very unfortunate that people like this aren’t receiving the treatment they need,” Leeds Police Department Police Chief Paul Irwin said to CBS42.
Gone Fishing
Now, we’re off to Florida — more specifically Fort Myers. On December 20, 2023, a young man dressed in a wide-brimmed hat walked into the city’s Bass Pro Shop.
It’s kind of hard to believe the outlandish chain of events that followed. Yet, security footage at the store proves it all really happened.
After entering the store, the man grabbed a large fish net off the shelves. With the fishing implement in hand, he headed straight for the store’s fish pond.
This guy didn’t jump in the water, though. Instead, he used his net to scoop up a fish from the pool.
It wasn’t just any fish, either. The man caught a 50-pound tarpon — and then he walked out of the store with it.
Chance Floyd was working at the store’s fishing counter when a customer walked up to her to report the theft. Initially, Floyd thought somebody had stolen one of the store’s fake model fish, but the realization soon sank in.
“It turns out it was a real tarpon. Like, it didn’t even cross my mind that somebody would stoop that low to steal such a federally protected fish and potentially put it in harm’s way,” he told WBTV.
Clearly, a crime happened, but it’s hard to say what the fish pilferer could be charged with. Shoplifting seems a given, but he could also potentially have committed an animal protection violation since, as Floyd pointed out, tarpons are protected in Florida.
Any charges will have to wait until the cops find the guy, though. He seems to have vanished as soon as he left the store and authorities are appealing to the public for information.