Midlife Knocking
The sun had gone to bed hours ago in a sea of oranges and yellows spread across the sky. Constellations and planets winked at us as the Gulf of Mexico flattened out like a slick, black puddle. Classic rock tunes that I know every word to rang out of a head-high speaker. My best friend stood next to me, cracking jokes and talking smack. And every time my bait hit the bottom, it got bit.
Surely this must be what heaven feels like, especially after being stuck at home for weeks with dreams of adventure flooding my thoughts. But this was no dream. This was real-time, and I had just flipped another keeper over the rail.
Last fall, I decided I needed to do something special for my 45th birthday. I’d always wanted to fish the rich waters of the Dry Tortugas, a small group of islands about 70 miles west of Key West. The Tortugas don’t see much in the way of boat traffic, and the fishing, especially bottom fishing, is legendary. I figured 2020 was the year to make
