The Crease Fly, created by Captain Joe Blados, bridges the gap between a fly and a hard-bodied plug. Built from a folded sheet of foam trimmed into a baitfish shape and finished with flash and often a lifelike photo-finish, it has a firm body that pops, spits and darts like a small popper while still carrying a baitfish profile. Everything from schoolie bass to tuna will eat it.
What it imitates
The Crease Fly is a baitfish with attitude, its shape and finish match a small baitfish, but the foam body lets it chug and spit water, so it reads as a fleeing, panicked bait on the surface. That combination of look and commotion is deadly on surface-feeding fish.
How to fish it
Fish it on a floating or intermediate line with a pop-and-pause or a sharp, darting strip. It shines when fish are feeding on top, blitzing albies, blues or bass, and its firm body casts and holds up better than a soft popper. As with all topwater, wait for the weight before you set.
Tip Vary the noise. A hard pop calls fish in chop or a competitive feed; a subtle twitch-and-glide can be the ticket for wary fish on calm water. Let the fish tell you how loud they want it.
Sizes and colors
Baitfish finishes, silver, olive/white, peanut bunker and anchovy patterns, in sizes from small (for albies and anchovy-feeders) up to large (for bass, blues and tuna on bigger bait).