Worming his way into the Hall of Fame

Today, we salute you Nick Crème.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame -- temporarily housed in Hot Springs, Ark., until they get the new facility up and running -- inducts Mr. Crème into its eternal shrine this afternoon nearly 50 years after he created what could be the most ingenious piece of equipment in angling history.

The rubber worm.

In 1949, Mr. Crème grilled up a rubber worm on his kitchen stove. It revolutionzed bass fishing almost as much as when Bill Bowerman cooked up the first Nike shoe on his wife's waffle iron.
The first marketed worm was the Crème Wiggle Worm. It was sold by mail in 1951 under the name "Whacky Worm" at a cost of $1.00 for a pack of 5.

The rest is rubber worm history. Today, they go in a 12-pack for $3.36 online. You'll probably get charged more for shipping and handling of the worms.

The Crème Scoundrels and Shimmy Gals were in high demand by pro anglers on the BASS circuit. Mr. Crème started his own company, Crème Lures, which is still flourishing, even though Mr. Crème passed into the great reservoir beyond in 1984 and turned the company over to his three kids.

They, in turn, have kept the business going with innovations such as the Crème Scoundrel worm, as well as Lit'l Fishie, Mad Dad, Shrimp Tease and Devil's Tongue.

Kinda makes your longjohns sweaty just thinkin' about 'em.

Along with Crème, the Hall will acknowledge the accomplishments today of Charlie Campbell, who invented spinner bait (that crazy metal blade the spun around to attract the fish); Buck Perry, who pioneered "structure fishing" (doing it where trees fell in the water); and Virgil Ward, who had one of the most popular syndicated TV shows on bass fishing techniques.

All great men. But, truth be told, we're a Crème worm guy. In fact, if people ask me if I take my coffee black, I say, no, sugar and a Crème rubber worm. Along with a Krispy Kreme glazed, please.

The ceremonies will be held tonight in Greenville, N.C., the night before the $1.2 million Bassmaster Classic begins on Lake Hartwell. Wish we could be there. Instead, we'll raise a rubber worm to the heavens in his honor.

Why, oh why, did it take nearly 50 years to finally acknowledge the Crème of the crop?