In the early spring, my top bass patterns are all black leeches with with or without a red bead head. Super easy to tie and really effective.

Hook: size 2-6 2X streamer hook
Tail: Black artic fox
Body: Black seal fur twisted into a dubbing brush

You can also use black mohair yarn for the body, but it is not nearly as full and is not as effective in stained or muddy water.

As the water warms up a bit and post spawn, I switch to a polar fiber minnow tied in chartruese over white on size 2-8 hooks. No extra weight and stripped very quickly along the bank or by cover with 5 second pauses between strips.

In the evenings, I may switch to an all black Gurgler for topwater action.

Good luck.

Jim Smith