New Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inducts 10

By Ohio Bass Fishing HOF

Youngstown, Ohio — The Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame recently announced 10 anglers, innovators, and influencers have been selected for its inaugural class of inductees.

This year’s inductees are Fred Arbogast, Homer Circle, Steve Clapper, Nick Creme, Glen Lau, George Polosky, Frank Scalish Sr., Joe Thomas, Larry Williams and Ron Yurko. Arbogast, Circle, Creme and Lau are posthumous inductees.

The Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame was created to preserve the legacy of bass fishing in the Buckeye State, honor the performance of champion anglers, and celebrate the contributions of the people pivotal in the growth of the sport. The first class of inductees were honored May 30 at a pre-tournament dinner of the Muransky Companies Bass Classic, benefitting the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

Plaques recognizing the 10 inductees will be on display at Fisherman’s Central in New Franklin near Portage Lakes.

“On behalf of the entire board of directors of the Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, I congratulate the first class of inductees,” said Jack Wollitz, chair of the nominating board. “They all played significant roles in the development of bass fishing not only in Ohio, but throughout the world, and represent the Buckeye State well in our long history in the sport.”

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Following in alphabetical order are the inductees and brief descriptions of their careers:

Arbogast, of Akron, was a fisherman, conservationist, and tackle industry leader. He was a tournament casting champion, breaking several world records, and succeeded as a bass angler and founder of Arbogast Lure Co. He designed the classic bass lures including the Jitterbug, River Runt, Hula Dancer, Hula Popper, Hawaiian Wiggler, Tin Liz, and other notable bass lures.

Circle, born in Springfield, Ohio, was inducted in recognition of his media accomplishments, starting as the fishing writer for the Springfield newspaper in 1940 and continuing with Heddon Lures and president of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. He authored countless features for fishing magazines and the “Ask Uncle Homer” page in Bassmaster Magazine. He starred in Glen Lau’s landmark films “Bigmouth” (1973) and “Bigmouth Forever” (1996).

Clapper, of Port Clinton and formerly Lima, Ohio, was inducted for his bass fishing accomplishments, including 50 years as a competitor from club events to Redman, BFL, Bassmaster Opens, and Major League Fishing, with victories in major tournaments, the FLW Tour Open and Canadian Open, both on the Detroit River. Clapper is acknowledged as one of the greatest Lake Erie anglers.

Creme, of Akron, was most known for inventing and marketing the first modern soft plastic worm, a lure that changed bass fishing forever. He overcame the problems associated with molding a soft, lifelike worm that remained pliable after long exposure to the air and marketed his revolutionary product as the Creme Wiggle Worm, subsequently building a manufacturing plant in Akron, later expanding in Texas.

Lau, born in Toledo, was an acclaimed angler and filmmaker who gained initial fame as a fishing guide for bass, walleyes, and other Lake Erie fish. He was a winner of the King of Ohio Fishing Tournament in 1958 with nearly 3,000 pounds of game fish that year. A gifted cinematographer, he learned to film underwater to chronicle the lifecycle of bass, culminating in his full-length movie “Bigmouth,” with Homer Circle and narration by the Twilight Zone’s Rod Serling, followed by the sequel “Bigmouth Forever.” He also shot cover photos for magazines and produced and directed television shows and commercials.

Polosky, of Alliance, Ohio, is acknowledged for his many years of bass fishing accomplishments, including his four Ohio Bass Federation and Ohio Bass Tournament Circuit points championships. He was the winner of an OBTC season championship tournament, and scored numerous victories in Salmoides Lake Erie Division, Mid-American Bass Fishermen Association, Midtown Tournament of Champions, and Red Man Operation Bass Ohio Division. As a teammate, Polosky also claimed victories in many open tournaments across Ohio.

Scalish, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is inducted in recognition of his numerous bass fishing accomplishments. He was a two-time qualifier for the Bassmaster Classic, the 2001-2002 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year, and 2009 Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year. He notched eight top-10 Bassmaster tournament finishes. He also is an acclaimed lure and color designer, a marketing and content creator for PRADCO Outdoor Brands, and has been a wildlife illustrator for Bassmaster Magazine and other publications.

Thomas, of Cincinnati, enters the Hall of Fame in recognition of his bass fishing and media accomplishments. He won a major championship, the 1990 BFL All-American in Buffalo, N.Y., and competed for 25 seasons on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. Thomas qualified for multiple Bassmaster Classics, and is the author of Diary of a Bass Pro. He also is the host and producer of Outdoor Channel TV shows “Angler on Tour,” “Ultimate Match Fishing” and “Reel in the Outdoors.”

Williams, of Dublin and formerly Lakeview, Ohio, was voted into the Hall of Fame after a career that included qualifying for numerous Bassmaster Classics and two Red Man All-Americans. He competed in 100 Bassmaster events, scoring 17 top 10 Bassmaster finishes and six Red Man wins in Ohio and Michigan. He was the midseason points leader in the 1985 Bassmaster Angler of the Year race over Roland Martin, Rick Clunn, and Larry Nixon. Williams was the 1989 Red Man Ohio points leader, and Ohio American Bass Fisherman Angler of the Year in 1978. He holds the distinction of having the heaviest individual weight in B.A.S.S. team competition after four days at the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River. He also won back-to-back MDA tournaments and is remembered for his great success in Lake Erie tournaments.

Yurko, of Tallahassee, Fla., and formerly Conneaut, Ohio, enters the Hall of Fame while still active in bass tournaments after a lifetime of fishing accomplishments. He qualified for four Red Man All-Americans, won five bass boats and a Chevrolet truck, and was the CITGO National Points Champion. He also won a BFL Regional and numerous Red Man and Ohio Bass Tournament Circuit events. Yurko was a two-time overall points champion for the Ohio Bass Tournament Circuit and tallied many open and buddy-style tournament victories. He is the author of Fish Different! Ron Yurko’s Secrets of Bass Fishing.

The Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame board includes fishing columnist and author Jack Wollitz of Youngstown, retired Ohio Division of Wildlife executive and tournament angler Rich Carter of Columbus, retired Cleveland Plain Dealer outdoor editor D’Arcy Egan of Marblehead, outdoor writer and bass tournament veteran Mark Hicks of Athens, champion tournament anglers Bill Byers of Columbus and Ray Halter of Strongsville, and veteran Ohio outdoor writer Doug Clifford of Crooksville.