Tying the Sponge Bob

I’ve had a few requests on how to tie the Sponge Bob, so here goes.

Sliders have been around for a while and the Sponge Bob was merely my interpretation of classic sliders. I fish it on an intermediate (estuaries) or sinking lines (surf). The Sponge Bob is retrieved with a quick, sharp  strips and then left for a few seconds. This makes the fly dive on the pull, and then swim straight up on the pause. Check it out in a pool to see the awesome action. This is my favourite pattern with kob, and I fish it with lots of confidence.

Start the tie by tying 2 to 3 hackles on either side of the hook. Colour is not that important, but I like to keep it natural. Olive is my favourite. As far as hooks go,  I like using a Gamagatsu SL 12 in size 4/0. Secure with superglue. Dress with flash material (optional)

Next tie in a shoulder of Bucktail like you would do with a deceiver.

bucktail shoulder

Next up is a Synthetic collar. I use SF blend and would cut a tuft into thirds to spin a dubbing brush. You can opt for ready made dubbing brushes if you are lazy.

spinning dubbing brush

I like the combination of olive with Bronze Back SF Blend. Bring the brush forward and allow for enough shank space to accommodate the foam head. Comb out with velcro brush.

Bronze Back SF Blend

For the slider heads I use bass popper heads. Make a hole with a heated needle and slide over the hook shank reversed backwards.

bass popper heads

Cover the shank with superglue before you slide the foam head on. Stick on eyes with superglue.

Sponge Bob

Kob loves mullet and Sponge Bobs!