Ever Hear of the Li'l Tubby?

That's right. I'm talkin' about a fishing lure that was a smash hit when it first came on the market in the mid-1970s. As described by Glenn Titus, The Oklahoman outdoor writer in 1975, the Li'l Tubby (pictured above) was a "two-inch-long, half-ounce, wobbling crankbait, with a fish-calling rattle and a quivering, squirming, twister tail."

The headline on that '75 story read "Li'l Tubbys Come in 36 Flavors and Fish Love 'Em."

What made Li'l Tubbys unique was the assortment of tails that could be attached to the bait. The lure came in six different colors, but with the assortment of tails available, anglers could have 36 different combinations.

Storm Manufacturing Company, located near Norman, OK, where Jerry Rhoton (right), the Li'l Tubby inventor, worked for four years, made and sold the lure. (NOTE: Rhoton, 81, passed away July 8, 2020.)

According to fellow Oklahoman Jimmy Houston, who was good friends with Rhoton for more than 50 years after meeting him at a bass tournament, "Everybody called him Tubby after he built that bait. It was an incredibly great bait. We just smoked 'em on it. It was like a Wiggle Wart with a tail pretty much."

Houston went on to note that Rhoton was "a good Oklahoma bass fisherman and definitely a pioneer in the game. I would like to see us bring the lure back."

Storm later produced variations of the lure, such as Deep Diving Tubby, Tiny Tubby, and a spinnerbait manufactured under the Tubby name. Eventually, however, Storm was bought by the company that produces the Rapala brand of lures. Li'l Tubbys subsequently were discontinued, but they still are bought and sold on eBay.

I must confess that, until I followed up a tip from my wife earlier today, I knew absolutely nothing about the Li'l Tubby. She got the tip while watching a video feed from Jimmy Houston. If any readers happen to have any of these lures...and perhaps still use 'em...I would welcome any info you might like to share.