LeechSchultzy's Red Eye Leech
Schultzy's Red Eye Leech is Mike Schultz's signature pattern designed for aggressive smallmouth bass and other predatory fish. The distinctive red pseudo eyes positioned on top of the hook create a Clouser-style inverted presentation while the rabbit strip body undulates enticingly with every movement. This larger profile pattern excels when fish are keying on bigger prey items.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Advanced
Smallmouth Bass, Trout, Steelhead
Dec 2025
Overview
This Schultz Outfitters pattern by Mike "Schultzy" Schultz has become a go-to pattern for smallmouth bass anglers across the Midwest. The inverted hook design (similar to a Clouser minnow) positions the red eyes on top of the hook shank, creating a jigging action and keeping the hook point up to reduce snags. The rabbit strip tail is punctured and strapped in with repeated wraps, then wrapped forward to form the body. The mallard flank collar adds subtle movement while the dubbed rabbit head creates a finished profile.
Materials
Hook: Daiichi 2546, #4-1/0
Thread: Black, 140 denier
Eyes: Hareline Pseudo Eyes (or Spirit River Real Eyes Plus), red, 7/32" or 1/4"
Tail Flash: Flashabou Splash, copper or gold
Tail/Body: Rabbit Strip, black (approximately 2-3")
Collar: Mallard or Wood Duck Flank (or Lady Amherst in dubbing loop)
Head: Rabbit fur (trimmed from hide, spun in dubbing loop)
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Leeches swim with distinctive undulating motions creating S-curves as they pulse toward shoreline vegetation or drift in current. When detached from substrate they become vulnerable and highly visible to opportunistic predators.
Where Trout Eat It: Predatory fish intercept swimming leeches throughout the water column in rivers and lakes, with weed edges, drop-offs, and shoals concentrating migrations. Structure areas provide ambush points.
How to Fish It: Slow erratic strip retrieves activate the rabbit strip and create jigging action from weighted eyes. The diving motion on each strip imitates fleeing baitfish or swimming leeches.
Best Water: Focus on weed edges in lakes where leeches migrate, drop-offs providing depth transitions, and structure where smallmouth and large trout stage.
Strike Type: Aggressive pulls or sudden weight signals predatory strikes requiring firm strip-sets to connect.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish on 7.5-9 foot leader with 1X-3X fluorocarbon tippet for abrasion resistance. Use sink-tip or full-sinking lines for deeper presentations. The weighted eyes provide adequate sink rate for most applications.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective during , , and early when smallmouth bass and trout are actively feeding on larger prey items. Particularly effective during pre-spawn and post-spawn periods.
Pro Tips: The red pseudo eyes serve as a highly visible attractor point while providing weight for the jigging action. The copper or gold flash in the tail adds attraction while the black rabbit strip creates a distinctive silhouette.
Entomology
Leeches swim through the water column with distinctive undulating motions, their ribbon-like bodies creating S-curves as they pulse toward shoreline vegetation or drift helplessly in current. When detached from substrate, they become vulnerable and highly visible to opportunistic feeders. Predatory fish key on leeches because their slow swimming speed makes them easy targets, and their soft bodies provide a protein-rich meal without the hard exoskeletons or sharp fins that other prey possess.
- Organism Type
- leech
- Life Stage
- general