# The Slipper got HaMm3red



## phishphood

You guys sure had a beautiful day to be out there. I got to see the sun at lunch time. 
Nice fish and excuses guys.

Pssst-north or south? That's all I need to know.


----------



## Big_Fish

That's funny I don't care who you are!   ;D


----------



## edholzer

Nice! The boat looks pretty sweet. What kind of boat is it? Looks custom.


----------



## Canoeman

WTG guys. A day like today was too good to be spent making money. ;D


----------



## mark_gardner

do you have a hat like haMm3r wears? personally i think its the hat that brings him all that good luck   ;D seriously, you didnt catch a thing? :-?


----------



## Brett

Well...I did catch a tan... ;D

Seriously though, not a single fish...or crab....or branch....or oyster.
I didn't even snag bottom once in 4 hours on the water.

I think my sore shoulder is affecting the action of the lures.
Maybe I was casting too far...or maybe not far enough.

All I know is HaMm3r had the mojo today.


----------



## HaMm3r

I had a fantastic time today, courtesy of Brett and the amazingly shallow Grass Slipper (no insult intended ;D).  But, don't let Brett fool you. He spends his time casting hookless lures and then laments not catching anything.  ;D Not only that, but he is incredibly unselfish and refuses to let you take a turn on the push pole/paddle. 

I'll do a more thorough write-up here soon, (with some exceedingly rare photos of Brett in action) but until then, thanks for ride buddy! [smiley=supercool.gif]


----------



## TomFL

I've got an idea:

Brett you can give HaMm3r some tips on building boats and HaMm3r you can give Brett some tips on catching fish!

  

You both excel in your own specialty, make a cast outside the box for a change...   

-T


----------



## FSUfisher

> Nice! The boat looks pretty sweet. What kind of boat is it? Looks custom.


Brett made this awesome boat himself about a year ago. Here's the build thread:
http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1216352720/0#0


----------



## phishphood

> But, don't let Brett fool you. He spends his time casting hookless lures and then laments not catching anything.   ;D Not only that, but he is incredibly unselfish and refuses to let you take a turn on the push pole/paddle.   [smiley=supercool.gif]


I told you Brett was going to make you do most of the fishing. ;D That's my kind of fishing partner.


----------



## Brett

> Do you have a hat like HaMm3r wears?


I prefer the old straw lifeguard hats.
Not only for sun protection, but when fly casting
the large brim intercepts any unintended piercings.
And being straw, it's easy to remove the fly from the hat.

Happens more than I like to admit... :-[ ;D


----------



## HaMm3r

Forum member Brett and I have been talking about fishing together for quite awhile now, since we both share a particular affinity for backwater tidal creeks and often fish the same waters, only not concurrently. : However, each time we’d attempted to coordinate a trip in the past, there were always conflicts on one side or the other…that is until today. [smiley=thumbsupsmileyanim.gif] So after a few IM’s and obtaining a pass from my better half , Brett and I agreed to meet in Tomoka around mid-morning, see what there was to be seen and catch what there was to be caught. Well, that was the plan anyway… 


The next morning I arrived at the ramp about twenty minutes early and spent the extra time walking along the docks, watching a few sheepshead get hauled in by the locals, before I noticed the Grass Slipper rolling across the dirt and gravel lot toward the ramp. Then after getting a lesson on how to launch a boat without even getting the trailer wet [smiley=yeah.gif], we set out toward our intended fishing grounds and I soon discovered exactly how shallow the Slipper could really get.









Yes, Brett does have a hat like mine… ;D










The first couple of skinny spots were enough to keep all vessels other than kayaks, canoes, Gheenoes and a few microskiffs at bay, and the Slipper handled those with ease.  However, as we neared our destination using Brett’s paddle-pole mode of propulsion, the bottom kept rising and rising and rising , yet we were still floating. At one point I put my hand over the side and touched the bottom with just the tip of my middle finger and saw that my second knuckle wasn’t even wet. That my friends, is less than two inches of water and we were fully loaded and still afloat! [smiley=woot.gif] But, all good things must end eventually, and although there was a moment when I thought we’d make it [smiley=luck.gif], we finally reached a spot that the Slipper just couldn’t get over… [smiley=rollinglaugh.gif] 










Seriously though, we stretched our legs a bit on that sandbar, made a few casts, took a few pictures and just enjoyed the scenery.  Plus, I found a brand-spanking new Mirrodine XL just lying on the ground, and in my favorite color too! 









A proud owner…









I think the highlight of the trip for Brett came late in the day, after we’d been chasing scores of slot and under-slot reds around the flats for a few hours, with only a half-dozen landings to show for it. [smiley=shucks.gif] We had shifted gears and moved back into some narrow, protected waterways to escape the wind, when we rounded a bend and came upon a large flock of resting waterfowl that included roseate spoonbills, ibis, wood storks, blue herons and a few other species I can’t name. They let us get quite close without spooking and we left them undisturbed, after a few photos. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

















Some unanticipated excitement occurred on the way back to the ramp, when an abandoned crab trap wreaked a little havoc with the propeller [smiley=cussing.gif], but we were soon underway again with no apparent damage done…whew! [smiley=smilie-applause.gif]

We ended the day agreeing to do it again soon, and I made it home in time for supper, which is a real rarity if I’m out fishing. ;D But the one thing has me concerned is that after riding in that beautifully crafted, well-engineered, shallow drafting creation of Brett’s, my highsider is going to seem wholly inadequate every time I have to get out and push. :-[ :


----------



## DSampiero

HaMm3r, you leaked a bunch of privileged info ;D...But nice fish! And I can't say enough how perfect the Slipper is for Skinny protected waters...Wish I could start a count down to building my own, but it's not in the cards at this time.


----------



## tom_in_orl

Looks like you had a better day than I did ;D


----------



## Brett

I didn't get a chance to show off my sandbar trick.  

Remember skimboarding? 
The Slipper is a completely flat bottom skiff.
When I'm by myself, I can actually get behind the hull
in the ankle deep water and with a bit of a running start,
shove the Slipper up and over an exposed bar.
She slides across on the water trapped between the hull and the mud.
Makes it easy to get into creeks that others can't.

                                  

That trick doesn't work as well on the oyster bars.  :-[


----------



## B.Lee

> Not only that, but he is incredibly unselfish and refuses to let you take a turn on the push pole/paddle. [smiley=supercool.gif]


Ain't that the truth! I once had to steal his kayak paddle when he laid it down just to see how good it worked!

Brett's a good dude, and an excellent fishing partner! ;D


----------



## FSUfisher

> Then after getting a lesson on how to launch a boat without even getting the trailer wet [smiley=yeah.gif] ...


Elaborate please!


----------



## Brett

The trailer is set up for an easy launch.
A walkboard and self lubricating bunks.











Canning wax from the grocery store...











Was rubbed into the carpet on the bunks











Which means I don't launch the trailer and float the Slipper off.
I simply back down the ramp until the water level just touches the rims.
Brake and block my front tire, then release the bow chain and slide her off.
Very simple one handed launch. Almost effortless.


----------



## Green_Hornet

Looks like a great day for the both of you. Remember Brett..a good guide does not catch more fish than the guest! Great job putting hammer on the fish!


----------

