The careers of 10 people pivotal in the growth of bass fishing in Ohio and the nation were celebrated Friday night during their induction into the Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.

The Ohio Bass Fishing Hall of Fame seeks to preserve the legacy of bass fishing in the Buckeye State and honor the accomplishments of champion anglers and innovators.

The first class of inductees includes Steve Clapper, of Port Clinton; George Polosky, of Alliance; Frank Scalish, of Cleveland Heights; Joe Thomas, of Cincinnati; Larry Wiliams, of Columbus; and Ron Yurko, of Tallahassee, Fla. Inducted posthumously were Fred Arbogast, Homer Circle, Nick Creme and Glen Lau.

Inductees were honored Friday night at the dinner for the 25th Muransky Companies Bass Classic in Boardman. Each inductee received a Hall of Fame plaque and a proclamation from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. In addition, each inductee will be featured on the Hall of Fame wall at Fisherman’s Central in New Franklin.

Arbogast, of Akron, was born in 1894. He was a fisherman, conservationist, tackle industry leader and a tournament casting champion, breaking several world records. He was the founder of Arbogast Lure Co. and designed classic bass lures, including Jitterbug, River Runt, Hula Dancer, Hula Popper, Hawaiian Wiggler, Tin Liz and other notables.

Circle, born in Springfield in 1914, was the fishing writer for the Springfield newspaper in 1940 and continued 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).

has competed for more than 50 years, from club events to Redman, BFL, Bassmaster Opens and Major League Fishing. He won majors including the FLW Tour Open and Canadian Open, both on the Detroit River. Clapper is acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time Lake Erie smallmouth bass anglers.

Creme, born in 1910, invented and marketed the first modern soft plastic worm, a lure that changed bass fishing forever. Demand for the Creme Wiggle Worm grew swiftly and he built a manufacturing plant in Akron, later expanding in Texas.

Lau, born in Toledo in 1933, was an angler and filmmaker who gained fame as a fishing guide for bass, walleyes and other Lake Erie fish. He won 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,” followed by “Bigmouth Forever.”

Polosky is acknowledged for his many years of accomplishments, including his four Ohio Bass Federation and Ohio Bass Tournament Circuit points championships. He won 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’s bass career includes numerous fishing and artistic accomplishments. He was a two-time qualifier for the Bassmaster Classic, the 2001-02 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 is recognized for 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 started fishing Indian Lake and nearby lakes, and eventually qualified 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, won the 1989 Red Man Ohio points title, and was 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, formerly of Conneaut, 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 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 Hall of Fame board includes fishing columnist and author Jack Wollitz, of Youngstown; Rich Carter, retired Ohio Division of Wildlife executive and tournament angler, of Columbus; D’Arcy Egan, retired Cleveland Plain Dealer outdoor editor, of Marblehead; Mark Hicks, outdoor writer and bass tournament veteran, of Athens; tournament angler Bill Byers, of Columbus; tournament angler Ray Halter, of Strongsville; and Doug Clifford, veteran Ohio outdoor writer, of Crooksville.

Jack Wollitz’s column has featured fishing stories about bass, walleye, steelhead, crappie and more, as well as the anglers who pursue them. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com.