A Florida fisherman was cited for possession of illegally caught snook that were discovered hidden beneath a false cooler insert.
“Think you can outsmart our officers? Think again!” My Florida Fish and Wildlife wrote Tuesday in a statement.
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Law enforcement was tipped off by a concerned citizen, as anglers are required to release snook caught in Sarasota County through May 31.
“When the officer opened the lid to the cooler, all he could see were groceries,” Fish and Wildlife explained. “But, when a false insert sized to fit within the dimensions of the cooler lifted out, seven snook were in a sneaky hiding space.”
The person was issued multiple citations and “the fish were returned to the water to become food for other marine life.”
–Snook image courtesy of My Florida Fish and Wildlife