Predators flies

[Rocketfish]

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

[sagefisher]

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

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Uncle Jesse]

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.

[WarrenP]

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

[FishnDave]

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.




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.

[ducksterman]

Do you guys purchase or make your own blockhead poppers?

[WarrenP]

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.