The Original Culprit Worm was first produced in the garage of avid angler and inventor Rodney B. Dann. When he introduced it in 1977 it was the first ever mass-production, soft-plastic “ribbon tail” worm that featured one color on the top of the bait and a different color on the bottom. The two-color process is now what the fishing industry refers to as a “laminate” color. Rodney was well known in the Central Florida area for his fishing expertise and his unique Culprit worm was immediately accepted by other anglers.
It’s been many decades since those days in Rodney’s garage and Classic Fishing Products, Inc., makers of the Culprit branded products, resides in a 34,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Clermont, Florida. The company services the wholesaler, mom & pop retailer, mass-merchant and most importantly, the end user – the angler. Along with the fact that 100% of the soft-plastic lures are made in the facility, the company continues to stimulate the local economy and employ members of the community and its surrounding cities.
In 1995, the company diversified the product line by adding the “RipTide” brand of soft-plastics, designed specifically for fishing the in-shore species of saltwater gamefish.
For more than 40 years, the Culprit/RipTide brands have been known for their premium quality and functionality. We take great pride in making our soft-plastics here in the USA, and we craft our lures with the professional in mind so all anglers can enjoy the best day of fishing . . . confidence with every cast!