THE LIP RIPPERZ STORY -January 31, 2007

Lip RipperZ founded and run by 22-year-old

By Cyndi Gollaz / Jim Mathews Outdoor News Service

When you have one of the most successful freshwater fishing tackle companies in Southern California, everyone seems to give you respect, even if you're only 22 years old.

Bryan Friedman, 22, is the young man behind Lip RipperZ, which is currently the number one line of trout lures in Southern California. The Walnut resident's products are small, finesse lures -- jigs, plastics and spoons -- designed to catch trout, crappie, other panfish and bass.

As with most fishing lures, Friedman's creations began as experiments in a garage -- his parent's garage. That's where the first product in the line was born, the plastic trout worms he later would call the Lip RipperZ Trout WormZ.

"I began after reading an article in a well-known fishing magazine that taught you how to make your own plastic lures. We started making them and fishing them for fun, and next thing you know everyone on the lake wanted to know what they were called and where they could buy them." said Friedman.

I really thought nothing of it at the time, but as I entered college I realized, not only did I have a passion for fishing, but I had an even bigger passion for business. I took a risk and incorporated both passions together and next thing you know, I'm into my first store. That was in 2003 when Friedman was just 19.

Eight months later, the Trout WormZ had already become one of the most popular plastics sold in Southern California for trout and panfish. Today, it's hard to find an angler who hasn't heard of Lip RipperZ and they are used where ever trout and panfish are caught. The three-inch worms now come in 13 different colors so anglers can match a color to a water condition, imitate a natural food item, or simply cater to a fishes' (or angler's) preference.

Friedman remembers the first time his products were used at one of the local lakes.

"About 40 fish were caught on our products at Glen Helen Lake in San Bernardino when we first launched," said Friedman. "That was the first time people expressed interest in the products and wanted to know where they could find them and buy them. This was when I realized I could turn them into something big."

Friedman's lure line is growing, with the introduction of three new products in the past year and a half -- Mini RipperZ, followed by Lit'l RipperZ, and most recently the newest, 'Z' spoons,

"The new lures are really working. [They] are some of the better products I've seen around. Their colors and the way they move in the water make them work. I have quite a few people catch fish on Lip RipperZ everyday," said Mike Hubbard, Santa Ana River Lakes, assistant general manager.

The newest lure is the 'Z' spoon, which is available in six different colors and can be used by trollers or anglers casting from shore. Each spoon has six holes, which causes it to have a lazy swimming action in the water, and ultimately a more fish-like swimming appearance. The spoons have worked best for trout and crappie.

Mini RipperZ are a version of the original lure. It is a small plastic bait with a skinny, worm-like tail with a ball on the end. This gives the bait a lot of action in the water every time the rod tip is moved.

Lit'l RipperZ trout jigs expanded Friedman's product line out of just small plastic worms. The jigs come in two different sizes, 1/32-ounce and the 1/16-ounce. Each is available in six different colors. Each jig has a skinny tail, similar to Mini RipperZ, but also wears a durable skirt that can help attract fish in moving waters. The jig's blood-red hook also helps attract the trout, crappie, and other panfish that are the main quarry for Friedman's whole lure line.

There have already been quite a few large fish caught on Friedman s products since he first brought them to market. On any given week, his trout worms and jigs are listed throughout fishing reports, with literally hundreds of the rainbows caught at local lakes landed on his bait, including a disproportionate number of the biggest fish. And now the newest bait is also starting to take off. In December, Matt Thomas of Riverside caught a 19-pound rainbow trout on the new 'Z' spoon at Santa Ana River Lakes.

"Every time I use a Lip RipperZ product, I seem to catch bigger and more fish. I've caught at least 10 fish over 10 pounds", said Thomas.

Friedman's lures are currently sold in over 115 different tackle shops in the West, including Turner's Outdoorsman and a host of smaller tackle shops in Southern California. Most local marina shops on lakes in this region also carry Friedman's lures. And Friedman hopes to take his business beyond the West Coast market this year. He s teamed up with well-known manufacturer s representative, Denny Vopat, who has been in the fishing industry 30 years. This partnership will bring Friedman's lures into Wal-Mart, Big 5, and Sport Chalet stores.

"If everything goes as planned, were going to jump from a local West Coast manufacturer to a dominate force all across the U.S. in 2008," said Friedman, with youthful confidence.

Friedman attributes the success of his business at such a young age to the connections he made fishing as a youngster, a pesty kid who talked with everyone when he was fishing. Without even realizing it, he was networking for a future business.

"I knew my business would be a success. I made the right connections in the industry as a young child while enjoying my passion for fishing," said Friedman.