Juan Arevalo is off the hook. A judge found the York man not guilty Monday of illegally catching a fish — a summary offense that would have cost Arevalo $120. Last month, Arevalo shared his story with The York Dispatch. Reporters across Pennsylvania picked it up.
This was a fish tale that had legs.
The tale: Arevalo had been fishing near the banks of the Susquehanna River in York Haven. It was the first weekend in June.
On the end of his line, a large fish struggled. Standing about 15 feet above the water on a platform, Arevalo reeled in a 21- or 22-inch bass.
“That was the biggest bass I’ve ever caught,” Arevalo said at the time.
But Arevalo knew it was illegal to catch bass at that place at that time. The fish had to go back to the water.
As Arevalo worked to pull a double hook from the fish, his friend snapped a picture of a smiling Arevalo holding the wide-mouthed bass.
A few weeks later, Arevalo posted the photo to Facebook. In fact, he made it his profile picture.
Then Arevalo received a certified letter telling him he’s been cited for illegally catching a fish.
At the time, a spokesman for the state Fish & Boat Commission said he couldn’t release any details about Arevalo’s citation because the case was still active.
“But I can say in general that photographs are used to initiate investigations,” Eric Levis said. Continue reading – http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_28513108/york-fisherman-off-hook-photo-bass