Troop 277 Boy Scout scalloping & fishing campout: Steinhatch

[Big Bend Brian]

This is a photo summary of this my son's past weekend’s Troop 277 campout.
Ya gotta love an organization like Scouting for today’s youth to try new adventures, push boundaries beyond their comfort zone, learn how to lead others, be able to make mistakes in a safe forgiving environment & overall just having fun being a kid!!

Here we go…….
28 Boy Scouts and 12 Geezers (fathers) from Troop 277 in Ponte Vedra Beach headed off for a Steinhatchee Scallop N’ Fishing campout.
Twenty three of these scouts had never scalloped before so this was going to be really cool to introduce to them a truly unique Florida activity (9 of the 12 dads had not scalloped before either).

A week prior to this campout a Snorkel Training Workshop was conducted with some of the scouts who wanted to earn their BSA Snorkel Badge and improve their snorkeling skills.


BSA Snorkel badge


Scout scallywags

Friday night : Leaving after school we arrived after dark at Manatee Springs and the scouts set up their tents.

Saturday morning was a quick cold breakfast and we hit the road for Sea Hag Marina. We had rented five of their 24 foot Carolina Skiffs and after our Captain safety briefing our Scout Chaplain led us in prayer for a safe & fun filled adventure.


Scout prayer


Heading out (2 of the 5 boats)



Since the Steinhatchee area water clarity and u/w visibility was poor (dark) due to the heavily tannin stained water we headed 17 miles to the north to the Keaton Beach area. Interestingly we saw no scallopers until we hit Keaton. Once there, there was a small scallop flotilla of approximately 30 boats.
Now putting 40 people “ON THE SCALLOPS” was going to be a daunting challenge but we were extremely lucky as the first spot we stopped at the scallops were abundant and we did not have to move the entire day (that prayer really worked)!


Scouts poised to hit the water


Assigned buddy pairs


Scallops all over






Blue eyed beauty’s!!


Joshua’s FIRST scallop ever!




David chasing one down




David’s FIRST scallop ever!


Ben n’ Adam


Will with his scallop loot


Taking a break




Urchin


Very cool!







Joshua and his catch









A number of scouts caught these starfish


A tired camper


Vis is improving


Gray with a growing bag (he later counted all 205 of his scallops………….)


Chilling


After some cleaning instructions……..


focused……..


on the half shell




Abductor muscle

Once the scallops were clean there wasn’t a lot of time left for fishing but nevertheless fishing operations commenced. We didn’t have time to move so we used small hooks to catch pinfish and similar fish.


Dominick and a small black seabass


Joshua’s first EVER fish (he would go on to catch many more-much larger)


Will & his black seabass


Andrew and his pigfish

On a larger Team rod we put out a large dead bait in the hopes of catching a shark and ended up with this guy…….


Team caught gafftopsail catfish


Gorgeous day

After a few fish were caught (sharks, catfish, pinfish, spottail pinfish, pigfish, black seabass, & puffers) it was time to return the rental boats to Sea Hag.


Running back to Steinhatchee

Some of the boys got to run a boat for the first time ……..


Running the boat…………..


The smiles made the day all worth it!






Back in the channel


More to clean at the Tiki Hut station…………


Between the 5 boats we caught & cleaned just shy of 35 gallons of scallops


Selfie of Assistant Scoutmasters Rich & Hugh. Rich is one of the two T277 Camping Directors and he was responsible for putting this campout together.
Well done Rich!

Saturday night at camp:
Back at camp the scouts had enough time to cook their patrol dinners before it got dark.




Saturday night’s campfire program run & organized by the scouts:
skits, songs, and ending with a solemn Flag Retirement ceremony (by burning)
The scouts did a great job!



Sunday morning Patrol breakfasts


Made to order omelets!


Looking good!


Bacon, eggs & pancakes


Panfried scallops

About to depart for home the scouts do Roses & Thorns (each scout states his highlight and low side of the campout).
Roses were mostly scalloping and the Thorns were the heat at night & no Dairy Queen stop after scalloping.

Roses N’ Thorns

What a weekend!!

Words to live by:

Scout Oath:
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Scout Motto: Be Prepared

Hoo Yah!!
Brian

[DixieReb]

That looks great, you have a bunch of nice young men there. I'm sure they enjoyed the whole trip, heat and all. When I was scouting, it always seemed like the bigger kids picked on the smaller kids, and it wasn't as much fun. I wish Troop 463 had been like yours. Maybe if they get to go back, the trout will be biting.

[Big Bend Brian]

When I was scouting, it always seemed like the bigger kids picked on the smaller kids, and it wasn't as much fun.

That is a BIG problem for sure. Having dealt with that back when I was a scout I look out for that. As do the other involved dads. I can tell you our Troop Discipline Committee does get a small workout but it's fair and balanced. Mistakes are great learning opportunities............
Brian

[wskybiz]

Awesome time for those boys I'm sure they'll not soon forget

[MudDucker]

Super trip! I took our Troop 403 to St. Marks this year and they had a great time. We've been going each year for about 15 years with only one missed year due to flooding. I've got a friend whose sons reached Eagle in that Ponte Vedra troop a few years back. Great program!

[CoastalPirate]

What a great way to hook kids on to fishing! I bet that trip will be among some of their finest memories that will draw them back to the sea.

[bman]

Way to go! That looks like a blast of a trip!

[Hit-n-Miss]

Awesome trip as always.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY BIG BEND, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT THING GETTING THOSE BOYS INTO THE SCOUTING ADVENTURE. I WAS SCOUT LEADER FOR TROOP 398 OVER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TROUT RIVER FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS. WE HAD 58 ACTIVE BOYS BACK THEN, WE TRIED TO TAKE AT LEAST ON CAMPING TRIP A MONTH BUT IT WAS A PROBLEM GETTING ADULT LEADERS TO GO WITH US. THE LAST TRIP WE TOOK WAS OVER ON THE SEWANNEE RIVER RAFT TRIP, HAD 38 BOYS AND ONLY 4 ADULT LEADERS, ALSO HAD 5 SENIOR TROUT LEADERS. WE CARRIED FLOATATION MATERIAL AND CUT PINE SAPLINGS TO BUILD THE RAFTS. THE WEEK-END BEFORE THE TRIP SEVERAL OF OUR LEADERS WENT DOWN THE SEWANEE AND MARKED WHERE WE WOULD CAMP OUT FOR THE NIGHT , WE HAD 7 SPOTS SELECTED AT BOILING SPRINGS. THE DAY BEFORE OUR FLOAT TRIP THEY HAD ABOUT A 6 INCH RAIN UP IN THE BIG SWAMP IN GEORGIA, NEEDLESS TO SAY OUR 7 DAY FLOAT TRIP TURNED INTO 3 DAYS, ALL THE SPOTS AND SPRINGS WE HAD TAGGED TO STOP WERE ABOUT 8 FT. UNDER WATER AND WE COULD NOT FIND THEM. IT ENDED UP I HAD TO FERRY WATER AND SUPPLIES BY BOAT TO WHERE WE TIED UP FOR THE NIGHT. I STILL GET PHONE CALLS FROM SOME OF MY SCOUTS THAT MADE THAT TRIP, THEY ARE NOW SCOUT LEADERS AND TAKING THEIR TROOPS DOWN THAT SAME TRIP WE HAD 60 YEARS AGO. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, I WISH I WERE ABLE TO DO IT AGAIN BUT AFTER YA HIT 90, CAN NOT DO IT ANYMORE.
PA
SEMPER FI

[Big Bend Brian]

Thanks a lot Futchcairo. Thanks too for sharing you river raft trip! It sounds like it was one to remember! Certainly more rustic than we do now a days (with plastic & aluminum canoes, etc).
You obviously impacted a lot of young men's lives! That makes a man feel good about the future.
Hoo Yah!
Brian