a buddy heads out to sea

Lost my fishing buddy of 30 years. We caught most everything, big, and smalls.

Off of Casey Key, Michael once hooked a large tarpon, and we fought it together for nearly 5 hours. That summer morning became a scorching afternoon as we each took turns on that rod & reel, exhausted and laughing hard. We finally brought it boat-side when a dark shape came up from underneath, from the dark depths, and tore that six foot sport fish all apart.

As a practical joker, a funny man as he was, Michael always had something to bring to the occasion. From fishing Sarasota's back bays, Michael had made up his own fish 'descaler' by implementing an old bottle cap as if living from the past.

 

Michael's homespun 'descaler' shows up at a filleted shore-lunch of Redfish.