# Palm Coast on the Grass Slipper



## DSampiero

After a huge cup of Starbucks I met up with Brett and we ventured out on the Grass Slipper. Tide was right, wind was light but the water temps just wouldn't get up quick enough. I had a dozen shots at reds with the fly and they barely looked at it, switched to a different pattern, same results. Tried a Gulp on a jig head, nothing enticed them to bite...They were just sitting on the flats soaking up the sun... :-[

What was wonderful: The super clear water, someone who knows the area showing me around and a boat that poled in less water than my canoe!(Really changed the way I look at skiffs, for what Brett does, this boat is perfect, and for what I do up here it is also perfect...no(or very very few) production boats can do it as simply and effectively as the Slipper). Another huge thank you to Brett, I look forward to our next outing.

For all of you guys trolling for boat porn, here are a few shots of the Slipper when we stopped for a break.


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## phishphood

I've caught a few fish off that boat before. Very nice ride.
Brett-He's just OK. ;D


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## Brett

When water temperatures are the same as the overnight low (45° F)
there's not a whole lot going to happen in the backwater creeks.
I dangled my bare feet over the side at 9:30 am,
and after a half minute was actually feeling pain from the cold.
When it's too cold to wade, it's too cold.
The freeze killed mullet covering the ramp and lining the ICW
might have been a fairly good hint of what was going to happen today.
Sheepshead appeared to be doing alright, plenty of slow moving reds to see,
but the ladyfish, mullet and stingrays laying upside down on the bottom
told how cold it was last week. Places that normally have a thriving
population of mud minnows were deserted. Crystal clear water
allowed excellent visibility, but when you can put a fly in front of a red
and all it does is ease past it, there's nothing to be done.
Still, was a good day on the water, explored another few miles of the marshes.
Danny, it was fun, but next time I think I'll be going for a sunrise jack attack in Salt Run.

                                      ;D

It's a shame I'm such a lousy photographer, and don't have a polarized filter for my camera.
We got awful close to an awful lot of slow moving reds today.


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## B.Lee

...


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## DSampiero

B. Lee- 
What was remarkable about the water temps was where the water would pool, it warmed significantly, even had some minnows dashing around. the water around the boat in the above picture was painful to stand in, while 6 feet away the water was much, much warmer and felt pleasant.


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## Canoeman

It's really strange that fishing the northeast side of Jacksonville I have seen any evidence of a fish kill. I guess that the fish here are smart enough to get to deep water. I hope that doesn't mean they are getting smart and therefore harder to catch. 

They were more difficult to catch yesterday. I caught a few trout on the falling and that's about it.


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## HaMm3r

The boat looks great, Brett!


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## Brett

Brian, if you don't get your feet wet,
how can you tell if you had a good time?
Besides, the big toe is always used to verify all water temps.

                                             ;D

Although it doesnt show in the pictures, the Slipper is beached on a sand spit.
The spit at that point is about 8 feet wide.
On the west side, water temps were about 50° F
on the east side temps were about 65°.
The temp difference was caused by the sun warming shallow wind protected water.
The few mud minnows we saw were in that warmer water.

HaMm3r, one of these days I'll give you the nickel tour.  


Woody, I'm going to guess that being at the Georgia border
with deep river/tidal flows the fish have somewhere to go.
But there just isn't that much water change
in the zone between Matanzas inlet and Ponce inlet.
That cold water just keeps shifting up into the shallow marsh getting colder, then back into the ICW.


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## HaMm3r

> HaMm3r, one of these days I'll give you the nickel tour.


Ridiculous, isn't it? We fish the same waters, yet have never seen each other actually on them.


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