Pee Dee restaurateur makes fish his business

The catfish, black bass, bream, flounder perch and spots are all jumping for the palate at Bay Island Seafood because “fish is our business” at the unique restaurant.

But don’t go baiting a hook there if you’re on a diet, because all these fish and more hop onto your plate fried, along with French fires and homemade hush puppies and slaw.

Willie Pearson, a retired educator, is the owner of Bay Island at 1316 S. Main St. Pearson taught agriculture and was transportation supervisor for Darlington and Mayo high schools for 36 years. But he always dabbled in cooking. Before taking over Bay Island about 15 years ago, he specialized in barbecue. His barbecue served as fertilizer to help his youngest son, Nygel, grow.

Nygel is a 6-foot-6-inch, 315-pound graduate of S.C. State University. He teaches elementary school in Winnsboro and has no trouble with discipline.

And Pearson’s oldest son, Nicholas, lives in Columbia, teaches at a middle school in Pageland and is working on a master’s degree, as is Nygel.

“I’ve always liked sales and dealing with the public,” Pearson said. “This kind of business kind of fits me. It fits me even better in retirement.”

He’s been at the South Main Street location for 10 years. He bought the business from Annette Thomas, a member of Darlington City Council. Bay Island was at the corner of D Avenue and South Main Street when she owned it.

“Our most popular fish is croaker, with whiting being next,” Pearson said. “We also sell our fair share of bass, catfish, flounder and perch.”

Whiting and flounder are the only boneless fish Bay Island serves, although they can fillet just about anything a customer wants.

A traditional dinner is $5.99, but goes up depending on the number of pieces of fish ordered. Bay Island is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Our best days are Fridays and Saturdays,” Pearson said.

Pearson does whatever needs to be done at the restaurant.

“I might not be here all the time, but I’m close by,” he said. “It’s a good retirement job. I get up when I want to because I’ve got good help, which allows me do do other things during the day. But good help is the key.”

One of the main ingredients of the “good help” is Pearson’s niece, Frances Hannibal-Dials.

“She runs the place,” Pearson said.

Hannibal-Dials runs a shipshape operation. Pearson even takes orders from her when she’s on a roll.

“I cook the fish and clean the fish,” Hannibal-Dials said. “I can do anything with a fish you want me to do. I also do a good job of eating bream because that’s my favorite fish.”

Pearson said the secret to frying good fish is having the right cooks, patience and special seasoning.

“There’s an art to knowing when the fish is done just right,” he said. “We do our own seasoning mix, which is a secret.”

Meanwhile, Pearson still cooks barbecue and fries turkeys during the holidays. He said this is “kind of a side job.”

And he expects to be answering to his wife, Bettie, before too much longer. She may retire at some point. After all, she’s been in education for 41 years and is an assistant principal at Lee Central High School in Bishopville. The Pearsons are pillars in St. James United Methodist Church in Darlington.

— Staff writer Dwight Dana can be reached at (843) 317-7259.