Man walks into California Bass Pro Shops. Then he takes one look at the fish: ‘We need to do better’

Outdoorsy stores are usually in favor of wildlife safety. But what happens when the outdoors comes inside, and its creatures stop thriving?

One outdoorsman says that what he saw in a Bass Pro Shops tank left him worried instead of pleased.

‘Hey, yo, Bass Pro, we need to do better here'

Outdoors enthusiast Nathan Dodero (@n8outside) shares a video filmed at the Rancho Cucamonga, California, Bass Pro Shops. His video has more than 537,000 views.

The video begins with Dodero filming the store's aquarium. He zooms in on fish floating still, looking vacant, with their faces pressed into the corner of the glass.

“Hey, yo, Bass Pro, we need to do better here,” he says. “We need to do better.”

Dodero then pans to more stock-still, vacant-looking fish.

“These fish look like they're about to die,” Dodero says. “What is going on?”

Finally, Dodero zooms in on a fish with mottled skin on its head.

“Look at his head. What?” he says. “What? What? Dude, I feel bad.”

Viewers in Dodero's comment section said they had seen such conditions before.

“All bass pro fish look like this unfortunately,” one commented. Dodero replied, “Tbh I've seen [Bass Pro Shops] tanks in way better condition than this.”

“Those fish have been there a long time,” another viewer theorized. “It's called ‘Lateral line disease' … [It's] mostly caused by stress. My guess is the lights are always on, and they don't get proper rest.”

“I think how Bass Pro Shops get their fish [is] they rescue them,” a third wrote. “That's why most of them have chunks [taken] out of them.”

How does Bass Pro Shops source its fish?

Bass Pro Shops has described its aquariums as local showcases. Its Rancho Cucamonga store page lists an 8,000-gallon freshwater aquarium holding trophy-sized catfish, bass, striper, and bluegill from local waters.

A Bass Edge article says each store's aquarium is stocked with trophy fish native to the area, and that its Live Exhibits Team is responsible for their care and well-being. There does not appear to be any evidence supporting the claim that the company rescues fish at risk.

Many fish do, however, arrive as donations. Bass Pro's fish donation rules require anglers to get preapproval through a hotline and deliver the fish. Should the company accept the fish, it will “arrange delivery and pending a successful quarantine (minimum 30 days) provide a fiberglass replica from [its] award-winning Wildlife Creations taxidermy studio.”

Regarding the condition one commenter mentioned, Practical Fishkeeping says that “hole in the head” disease and head and lateral line erosion are essentially the same condition. It manifests as pale, eroding holes appearing on the head.

The publication says stress appears to play a significant role, and that high nitrate levels may also factor in. However, it also notes that “nobody can say with certainty what is the main trigger.”

There is no comprehensive reporting on Bass Pro Shops aquarium conditions. In a 2019 MonsterFishKeepers forum thread, one user said he had never seen a Bass Pro or Cabela's tank without injured or deformed fish. Meanwhile, another said the main Bass Pro aquarium is usually in good shape and that injuries are expected when predators share tanks.

@n8outside

Subplot News reached out to Dodero via TikTok comment, and to Bass Pro Shops via email.

The post Man walks into California Bass Pro Shops. Then he takes one look at the fish: ‘We need to do better' appeared first on Subplot News.