October’s Boy Scout camping trip takes Troop 761 to the banks of South Island in Georgetown, in search of the giant bull red fish. The ride from the boat ramp was foggy, especially after the sun started to shine through. I could hardly make out the shape of Hunter Jordan’s boat, even less, the trees along the bank. I followed the tracks on my GPS religiously, only peering up to make sure that I didn’t cross the wake of another boat.
We reached the ocean and the fog cleared. The inlet was calmer than I had ever seen it before, and Hunter’s boat quickly landed a massive 54- inch red fish. Hunter’s crew consisted of Daniel Vance, Daniel Brown, and Matthew Fitzgibbon. My boat carried Ryan Stephens, Josh Brown, and Gabe and Keegan Sherman.
Keegan tossed the anchor and I reversed the boat until the rope was strung tight. The boat turned with the current until it faced the breakers. Our position was sound, and I cast the lines while Keegan selected a radio station. I kept the engine running in neutral while the radio was on. My greatest fear at sea next to capsizing, is to have a dead battery.
It was not long before a reel started singing, and Josh seized the rod. The first fish got away from us, but it was not long before another opportunity came along. Josh fought the fish with everything he had, and followed the fish back and forth across the back deck. There was a break in the waves behind us and a giant red tail appeared. The whole crew cheered with excitement, as the fish came closer to the boat. The fish turned on its side and we wrangled him into the boat.
Shortly after the release, another rod jolted and Keegan took to fighting the fish. We continued to land six more fish through the course of the morning.
Douglas Lynn and William Byrd arrived around lunch time, and we pulled both boats into the beach to make camp. The wind was not as bad as it was last time I camped here, so we were able to set our tents on the beach instead of seeking shelter in the dunes.
Once camp was finished, we launched the boats and continued fishing. Ryan joined Douglas and William, who landed six bull reds that afternoon. They were anchored just outside the surf, and some of the waves seemed to carry their boat for a few yards.
All of the red fish we caught were too large to keep, but Gabe, Keegan, and Ryan caught several whiting which we put in a cooler for supper.
Hunter, Daniel V, Daniel B, and Matthew were ready to go after having caught 14 fish. They came alongside my boat to throw their left-over bait to us and both crews high fived each other as they pulled away.
By 4:30, everyone had had their fill of fishing, and we decided to get back to camp. We designated a fire pit and the scouts scattered to collect driftwood while Douglas and I anchored the boats a distance off the beach. We used two anchors off the bow and stern in order to prevent the boats from getting beached at low tide.
The fire wood was collected, but we had all forgotten a lighter and matches. Douglas had a flint stone but there were no leaves to help in starting the fire. There was no way to eat without a fire, so I took a flare from the boat and struck the wood. The fire was a blaze in no time, and we started cooking.
I took the whiting from the cooler into the surf and proceeded to gut/scale each fish. The fish were seasoned and placed over the fire with the fins, head, and all.
Since the Bulls had only eaten mullet all day, we had plenty of crabs leftover, and we placed a boiling pot on the fire to cook them. The crabs were added when the water was boiling, and we waited until they were floating before removing them from the pot. Douglas took a crab and passed one to each scout around the fire, before showing step by step of how to find the meat.
The whiting were cooked by this time and we placed them on a tray by some cocktail sauce, and the scouts gathered around to eat until the bones were picked clean.
After eating, we started to pile the wood onto the fire so we could warm up. I looked around and could not see lights in any direction. The moon was just a crescent, and the sky looked like a sheet of black velvet, sprinkled with diamonds. We talked by the fire for a while before dispersing into the tents.
One great thing about camping on the beach is that you get a good mattress with the sand. Before setting my tent, I dug sand out for my hip and shoulder, and moved it to where my head would be. None of us used a rain fly over the tents because we wanted to see the stars.
I woke up Sunday morning before the sunrise and could see the river flowing by. Flocks of white pelicans were flying in formation from the ocean, and Douglas kindling a fire using embers from the night before. We all slipped out of our tents and huddled around the fire to warm up. As soon as the fire was burning, we placed a grate over it so Douglas could make coffee and sausage rolls. Ryan was geared up and ready to fish saying, “Come on guys, this is the best time to be out there! Were missing the sunrise!” But everyone was contempt to sit and eat for a relaxing Sunday morning. Douglas took the percolator pot off the fire and poured coffee for us.
As the troop finished breakfast, we had a sunrise devotion, and then pushed the boats back out to catch a few more fish. My boat landed two bull reds along with a manta ray. I usually hate to hook up with a shark or ray, but manta rays being so uncommon made that an interesting experience. They fight more like a fish, jumping and pulling line, than a normal ray which latches to the ocean floor.
It was almost noon when Keegan pulled the anchor up, and we drove towards Douglas’ boat. William and Douglas both had fish on the lines and Ryan was leaned over the side trying to pick one up. They had their hands full but eventually landed both fish. I kept my boat at a distance from Douglas’s boat to be sure not to cross paths with his fish, and Josh took some pictures of Douglas’s boat. Once the Reds were released, Douglas lifted the anchor, and both boats motored up the river. A successful end to a great camp out!
Being observant can lead to finding all kinds of unexpected treasures. One natural treasure from this trip was a slab of obsidian that Keegan found while pitching searching for driftwood. Obsidian is formed by lighting striking the sand and melting it into glass. It is very brittle and the Native Americans used this for arrowheads. The scouts broke pieces to keep, but the largest piece was returned to the scout hut. Our obsidian rock could be the first of a great collection of unexpected treasures. We just need to keep our eyes open and flip every rock.