Surf Candy

Bob Popovics' Surf Candy is the benchmark saltwater baitfish imitation for sand eels, silversides, and other slim forage species. Its epoxy or UV resin body creates a clear, glass-like shell over bucktail and flash, producing an ultra-realistic translucent minnow profile. Deadly for striped bass, bluefish, and bonito in the surf. Strip it at medium speed to mimic a fleeing baitfish — the flash and clear body create the illusion of a live fish.

Type
streamer (Saltwater)
Hook sizes
#4–2/0
Target species
saltwater
Difficulty
intermediate
Best seasons
spring, summer, fall

Materials

  • hook: Saltwater streamer hook #4–2/0
  • thread: White 6/0
  • belly: White bucktail, sparse
  • flash: Pearl Flashabou or Krystal Flash
  • wing: Olive, gray, or blue-green bucktail
  • eyes: Stick-on prismatic eyes

Tying steps

  1. Mount a size 4–2/0 saltwater hook; start white thread at the bend.
  2. Tie in a sparse bunch of white bucktail at the bend, extending one hook-shank past the bend.
  3. Tie in 4–6 strands of pearl Flashabou over the bucktail.
  4. Tie in a small bunch of olive, gray, or blue-green bucktail over the flash as the back.
  5. Add stick-on eyes on each side of the hook shank behind the eye.
  6. Apply epoxy or UV resin over the head and the first 1/3 of the body, covering the eyes.
  7. Cure the UV resin; repeat for a second coat if needed for a thick glass-like finish.
  8. Trim any stray hairs; cement the thread head.