It was about six months ago on a Sunday morning, as ‘Spanish Fly’ ended and some fresh water bass pro came on kissing a crappie or something, that I overheard a newly coined man term. The kitchen’s diminuitive 7-inch TV radio was on as I poured my second cup of coffee. That's when I overheard The Today Show’s weekend anchor talking about “Mancations.” My ears perked up for two reasons. One, the term “Mancation” sounded ridiculous. Two was that I realized I myself could already be a Mancationer.

Though I hesitate to refer to my annual fishing trip with the boys to the Florida Keys in such obtuse vernacular, it seems to me this type of escape-now with a Madison Avenue-friendly title of its own-ought to be a staple of any grown man’s life.

Who really Needs a Mancation?

What father, employee or boss couldn’t use a break from the everyday stresses and demands of life for a brief pause from reality? In a sense, every fishing trip for the recreational angler is just that. But an extended escape minus your beloved requires a specific set of ingredients and in some cases a silver tongue.

If you get to that point and you are ready to make a run at your very own Mancation, what are the ingredients for a trip like this?

Tips for A Five-Star Mancation

-Good Time and Good Timing-One of our guys is an accountant so unless it’s a summer trip, we either schedule it in January or after April 15th. April seems best since we usually go to the Keys. At that point, you get more sunlight, preferable weather and a better fishery. Four days and three nights is just about right.

-Location, Location, Location-If you keep it to four days, a long flight and changing time zones is a drain on precious time. Staying local is usually not our groups' preference since we want to target different fish, in a different place with different captains. We’ve made friends in certain locations over the years and we go back to them most often but mixing it up once in a while can be rewarding.

-Digital Communication-Most of the guys on our trip live in the Northeast, but not everyone. One is in Dallas. We’ll call him “Cowboy”. Cowboy doesn’t like too much email. To be fair, we inundate each other with links to bars and restaurants, good-natured insults (who knew back waxing was such a sensitive subject) and tidbits from sport fishing websites like www.saltwateroutpost.com. On the flip side, any excuse to talk fishing, blue water escapes and flight itineraries is a good one. Many a cold, rainy day was made manageable by culling through email riffs from buddies.

-Top Guns-"Uncle Hersh" is our Top Gun. No one’s Uncle, biologically speaking, he is usually outfitted with fake teeth and shower caps to spare. Hersh may not be “Maverick,” but he applies full throttle to such an extent that it can be exhausting witnessing him once out of the gate. It can be hard to find the combination effused by one of our group’s most revered friends, the mighty Andreas Hirsemann. He possesses that rare combination of qualities that can supercharge any room: charming, honest, genuine and good natured. Alternatively referred to among peers as “A One Man Carnival” “The Human Appetite” and “Unkie Hersh" our Top Gun is six feet two inches and 300 jolly pounds of Pierogies and Beer. Bring along your good friends and any fun guys with the right values-your Top Guns. Add a responsible amount of social lubrication (charter a boat or take a cab in all these cases), great fishing and let the rest takes care of itself.

-Rationale-The last and perhaps most important element, at least for the encumbered, is good rationale for the trip. Saying you need to “go fishing” may work for Saturday afternoons but a deeper meaning is needed for hopping on a plane to drink, eat, laugh and fish in the sun. Everyone seems to find the right note to strike and it would be presumptuous to advise anyone else on how to pull this off. (Sometimes I’m not sure how I do). Although, I have always argued that the most important choice anyone ever makes is their spouse, good ones give you just enough rope not to hang yourself. The other ones tie you to the cleat until it rips out of the dockside. The fact is this kind of escape does a soul good and both parties arguably have the right to a boys or girls weekend once in a while.

Enjoy Every Sandwich

As I look back on the trips I have taken with my First Mate, they have included some spectacular salt water fishing and lots of other bells and whistles. It just seems that everyone needs to rib and get ribbed and indulge their inner 14-year old like they did before there was a Mrs. Someone. You only go around once, and it seems to me that once the big stuff is on track, the next goal ought be to enjoy each moment. In an interview with the legendary Van Morrison, who had been recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, he was asked what advice he would give people as he faced down this reality. His answer: “Enjoy Every Sandwich.”

So whether or not you call it a “Mancation” (I can write it but find it hard to utter out loud), try and make the escape. And if you are in Key West this week, I’ll be the one at the Half Shell Raw Bar. Look for the guy with the idiotic smile on his face, his second draft beer and the fried grouper on a roll…