By ADAM GELLER
AP National Writer
ALONG THE GULF COAST – It’s barely 5 a.m., and last night’s sliver of moon still hangs in a charcoal sky as Dave Marino eases the 24-foot bayboat from the dock and into the flat, dark waters of the canal leading toward the Gulf of Mexico.
The air hangs thick with the vapors of the bayou, but for now it’s cool – the ideal start for what should be a perfect day in the life of a fishing guide: chasing speckled trout in the morning, redfish in the afternoon.
“I’m 41 years old and that’s the way it’s always been,” says Marino, a lifelong fisherman who started his own charter business in Myrtle Grove, La., to relieve the stress of his primary job, fighting fires.