by Keith Lozott, Contributing Writer
I would say there is nothing like fishing with one or several of your best friends. I for one seem to have buddies that are engineers with a couple of them being past math champions. Oddly enough I’m an English major (a not so good one to boot) that became a real estate professional. Camaraderie while fishing is unparalleled because you’re on a skiff or center console boat where you have each other’s full attention. We talk shop, politics, relationships, life, humor and even fishing if time permits. It’s really an extremely fortunate part of my life having great friends that love to fish like I do. Recently, one of my best friends had to move to BC Canada to help his family with an ailing father. As much as I knew he had to make the trip north and west it was really a sad day to watch such a good and true person leave. I will say he being gone (the Canadian math champion and engineer) will save me a fortune by not constantly trying to improve my skiff for maximum performance in his mind. I will admit off the record the boat has been improved with his ideas. After it’s all said and done I’m positive we will get back on the water in the years to come and I look forward to fishing the third annual Delacroix redfish extravaganza on 2018.
Now for the ironic part of this story. I lose a good a fishing partner but then get another one back that happens to be the former Pittsburg math champion and is a rocket scientist as well. I don’t know if it is the engineer and math side of their brains that makes them good anglers but man these guys are good. My buddy Mike that I used to fish with on the Space Coast when I lived in Central Florida just so happened to move 30 minutes north of me in Ft. Pierce. I’ve fished quite a bit in Ft. Pierce and the fishing can be great with redfish, huge (record setting) trout, snook and not to mention great offshore fishing as well. Watch out fish we’re headed your way.
I guess I felt lost or hamstrung not having someone to fish with on a regular basis. Losing a fishing partner and a no holds barred good friend in this way was very much like moving to Atlanta for two and half years and knowing I was at minimum 8-10 hours away from the nearest saltwater. I know I can launch the boat, fish solo and have a great time while doing it but there is this something that is amazing about sharing time with great friends on the water. Now let’s see if I can’t get my nine year old daughter to head out and fish with Daddy. Getting her to enjoy the outdoors like I do will be a monumental task but I’m up for the challenge. She actually inspired me to write this very article by saying “Daddy write about how you lost a fishing partner and got a new one already”.