Predators flies

Freshwater (warm) predators as bass, bowfin, catfish, etc.etc.
What are the top (three) flies for you, guys?
I mean, surface and subsurface. (picts?)
Cheers,
RF

I fish for smallmouth bass in some rivers in Montana and Washington. I use streamers that are bait fish imitations.

Larry ---sagefisher---

Wooly buggers are good black, brown or olive; rubber legged dragons are a prime fly there in north central Georgia. I don't target bass or catfish but have caught a good many on the above and on a bream killer. I fish all of these under a top water. A friend who has been invited to fish for smallmouth in Kentucky ask me what I would recommend, I tied him some frog topwater patterns, clousers and muddler minnows.

A really good pattern for sub-surface that will catch just about anything that swims is the Chicago Leech and it is an easy tie. I have caught many fish on it and would highly recommend it. Here is a link to it: http://www.creeksideanglers.org/item2.htm

For surface flies, I really like the Blockhead Poppers and here is a link to a Video on tying them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mztxc6WjOys

Warren, you're experiences match my experiences. :)
I started using Blockhead-style poppers this year, and caught a lot of nice Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass on them.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psodj25uoh.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps7tmkyj8c.jpg

I've also done well using Mohair Leeches and SimiSeal Leeches, which are very similar to the Chicago Leech you posted.

For Catfish...I've caught them on a variety of flies, from bass poppers to Woolly Worms/Woolly Buggers and Boa Yarn Leeches, and even microjigs. I've caught some nice ones on baitfish imitations, including 3 cats over 23" in about an hour, just casting from shore in a local reservoir.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps99628b4e.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...pshgg2bife.jpg

Do you guys purchase or make your own blockhead poppers?

ducksterman,

I purchase the blockhead foam bodies from: http://www.flybass.com/categories/Popper-Bodies/ and tie up my own. I tie the Chicago Leeches up using Angora Goat dubbing.