For summer SMBs I like a variety of flies that are basically variations of three major categories:
1) MACROS (nymphs, hellgrammites, crayfish): This can include some trout style nymphs such as a HE or PT in slightly larger sizes (#10 is good) as well as the Clouser Crayfish, Holshag Hackle Fly and the Wooly Bugger.
2) BAITFISH: This includes the Clouser Minnow as well as a variety of surface divers and baitfish flies that I've designed.
3) POPPERS: I like cup faced poppers, particularly the long, slender, "pencil" style. You can't go wrong with yellow but chartreuse and "fire-tiger" color patterns also work well. Smaller poppers hook better but, in my experience, tend to hook too many bass deep (I have no idea why this is) so I have moved toward bigger poppers in recent years. Bigger ones tend to have a lower hooking percentage, esp on smaller bass but this is a good trade off in my view. I'd rather miss a bunch of 10" fish than deep hook one 15" fish.
One thing to keep in mind, when tying nymphs and streamers for bass, it's almost impossible to make them too big. Bass like a big meal (this is esp true in the autumn months). Take a look at the lures that gear guys are throwing for river bass - many of these soft plastics, Senkos, and minnow plugs are in the 4-6" length range. To a trout guy, flies this size seem enormous, but they're the right size for bass most of the time. Also, I like stinger hooks in trout streamers but I usually don't bother with them in bass flies. Bass hit the front of the fly so you can have a very long streamer with a hook at the front and you should hook most fish.
