Classic Swimbait Still Catches Fish Recent years have seen an explosion in the popularity of swimbaits. Bass fishermen, in particular, have gone head-over-heels for supple soft-plastic baitfish imitations. And, although virtually every lure manufacturer has rolled out a version of a soft-plastic swimbait in recent years, one swimbait that predates them all can still hold its own with the modern lures. Creme's Lit'l Fishie has been on store shelves and in tackle boxes for the better part of two decades, making it a 'classic' among the swimbait crowd. Additional, although dozens of swimbaits are making an appearance today, most of these baits utilize the tail for their swimming motion, whereas the Lit'l Fishie uses its body. That subtle difference has helped the Lit'l Fishie contributed greatly to the lure's staying power. "We've probably had more letters about and seen more different species caught on the Lit'l Fishie than any other lure we've sold," said Wayne Kent, president of Creme Lures. "It's been a very successful lure, but I certainly can't say I saw it coming. In fact, it was kind of funny how we ended up producing that bait. "Throughout the year, I'll get an unbelievable amount of lure submissions. Of course, they all claim to catch more fish than anything else. But, after awhile, you kind of get numb looking at so many different lure designs. "That said, I'll admit I probably didn't pay as much attention to the Lit'l Fishie as I should have at first. When I first saw it, it looked interested, but kind of odd. So, I just set them on the credenza in my office. One day, a good friend a mine stopped in to see me and started playing with the Lit'l Fishies I had on the credenza. He was on his way to go fishing and asked if he could take them. "Long story short, about a week later, he was back in my office looking for some more of them. That's really what got my attention. So, I called the inventor - H.P. Firmen of Baton Rouge - and we ended up producing the bait. "Of course, now, everybody has a swimbait. But, back then, it was all new. And, even now, what sets the Lit'l Fishie apart is it swims with its body. I can remember H.P. saying if a fish swam like a crankbait, it would get a headache. He also pointed out that a fish bends its body when it swims - it doesn't just flap its tail. So, he designed a bait to mimic the true swimming motion of a fish. "Those two little notches on the body of the bait are critical. They may seem insignificant, but they are the key to the movement of the Lit'l Fishie. The body of the Lit'l Fishie is not symetrical. Those notches are actually a little offset, which allows the bait to have a natural swimming motion. "Looking back at it after all this time, I'd have to say he got it right. I believe just about every species of fish - fresh and saltwater - in the United States has been caught on a Lit'l Fishie at some point or another. It's really unbelievable how versatile this bait has proven to be. That's really a credit to the design of the lure."