For a brief time after Robert “RT” Trosset graduated from the University of Florida in 1974, he sold life insurance—and hated it. Growing up in Cocoa Beach, Florida, he and his dad made annual trips to the Tarpon Lodge in Marathon, which helped kindle his love for fishing in the Florida Keys.
So, when RT turned 24, he left the insurance world behind and headed south to Key West to become a guide. To supplement his income, he worked at the parts department of a marina there, where he fell into favor with legendary guide Bob Montgomery. “Bob was a gruff guy,” RT recalls, “but I think he liked me because I always made sure to have parts on hand for his engine. He would send me his overflow when overbooked, which was a huge break.”
As his skills grew, RT became the go-to guide for avid Miami Beach Rod and Reel Club anglers chasing IGFA world-record fish. For more than 50 years, he has captained his clients to 239 records. While impressive, Trosset considers his greatest achievement to be raising his two sons, Robert “RT3” III and Chris, to love the water. “I am incredibly lucky to have them working on the same dock as me at the Ocean’s Edge Resort,” RT says.
RT3, the eldest son, had success as a junior angler. “I caught a 45-pound bull (mahi) at the Key West Gator Club Dolphin Derby when I was 11 years old,” he says. “I loved fishing with my dad and brother, and it was a big part of our lives growing up,.”
Although RT3 obtained his captain’s license as soon as he was eligible at age 18 and worked fishing charters in the summers during college, his life took a sudden shift after he graduated when he saw a help-wanted sign at a local dive shop and discovered that they were looking for a captain for their dive boat. Today, he’s a master diver who owns Finz Dive Center (finzdivecenter.com). Says RT3, “I also get to help my dad and Chris by providing intel about where fish are located and how they are behaving.”
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Chris also inherited his father’s passion for fishing. “When Chris was 14, his friend’s dad was selling a Silver King flats boat,” says RT. “I helped Chris buy it, and once he got it, he never looked back.”
Although Chris also employs the technique of live chumming with pilchards, which his dad pioneered, his primary focus is on fly-fishing, as evidenced by the name of his fishing charter company’s website: reelflykeywest.com. “I have been fortunate to put my clients on 11 world-record fish, which means I’m only 228 behind my dad,” Chris reveals. “But one of my best memories as a captain was when I helped my dad catch his first sailfish on a fly rod.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of my sons,” RT says with a beaming smile. “Chris is always one of the first at the dock and the last to come in.” While both sons learned a lot about fishing, RT made sure that they learned other lessons as well. “Dad always focused on safety,” says RT3, “which has served me well as a dive-boat captain.”
Perhaps RT’s greatest gift was to impart his wisdom on how to treat customers. “I have always preached the primary goal of doing what’s best for the clients first, and the rest will take care of itself, even if it costs you short-term profit. I will gladly run an extra 10 or 15 miles offshore, even if it costs me an extra $75 in gas, if it means we will catch more fish.”
Recently, RT had a health scare with a heart condition but is now back in action, thanks, in part, to his family’s unwavering support. “One of the ways you know your sons love you is when they buy you a defibrillator implant. Though I’ve had an amazing career, my greatest achievement is raising two boys who share my love of the water and work with such passion.”
