Nick Creme is to fishing what Alexander Graham Bell is to talking—they may not have invented it but they sure made it better. In 1949, Nick cooked up the perfect combination of vinyl, oil, and pigments to create a moulded worm that looked and felt like the real thing and stayed that way over time. The evolution of that worm over the past 65 years has made it one of the most important innovations in the history of fishing tackle. And the revolution isn’t over yet.

That original creme worm was the catalyst for the soft plastic baits that are such an integral part of the fish-catching formula today. Grubs, tubes, frogs, lizards, crayfish, baitfish, leeches and, of course, the ever-popular worm—which, of course, come in thousands of styles, sizes, and colours—all own their existence to Nick Creme.

Here are some of the reasons why today’s plastic baits are so successful:

• They’re incredibly soft so they feel real in a fish’s mouth which means they’ll hang onto them a little longer, giving the angler more time to set the hook.
• They can be rigged to be completely weedless.
• Their natural movement in the water is enticing to fish.
• They can be fished in countless different ways to suit whatever the presentation calls for.
• Most are scent impregnated which further enhances their ability to attract fish.
• Soft plastic baits have essentially become the ‘go-to’ baits for virtually any species, under any water condition, and for any kind of structure or cover.

Nick Creme would be proud!