Entertainment

A Fishy Business Is Up Next On 'Shark Tank'

by Laura Rosenfeld

Look out — we've got a live one. The fishing company World Record Striper Company will appear on Shark Tank during Friday night's episode. I hope you like fish puns, because that is all you're going to be hearing from here on out.

Though it may seem like World Record Striper Company is your typical tackle shop, it comes with a big twist, which I'll get to later. You know, I've got to put a little bait out so you're eager to see how amazing this company and its backstory are before I reel you in completely.

As for the Sharks, I have a feeling they're going to be circling the entrepreneur behind World Record Striper Company before they decide if it will sink or swim. However, what Greg Myerson, the founder of World Record Striper Company, told the Meriden Record Journal about his time on Shark Tank doesn't instill much confidence in his ability to snag a deal.

“My company was just an idea. I really didn’t have much sales,” he told the Connecticut newspaper. “I started with nothing and I couldn’t value it with a huge price because they’d throw me out of there.”

Yikes. Many companies that appear on Shark Tank fail because their valuation is out of whack, so things don't look great for Myerson so far. He better hope that his product and his pitch are enough to sell one of more of the Sharks on his business.

Lucky for him, Myerson seems to have quite an interesting set of products on his hands. Here are seven reasons why Shark Tank deal or not, the World Record Striper Company could still be a great catch.

1. It's A Fishy Business

If you don't fish, the name World Record Striper Company probably doesn't mean much to you. However, one look at the company's website and striped bass logo, and it's clear that this is a fishy business. World Record Striper Company makes and sells all of the sinkers, lures, and floats you need in your life. And if you fish, all of that actually means something to you.

2. There Isn't Plenty Of Other Fish Gear In The Sea Like It

You won't find the fishing gear World Record Striper Company makes and sells in just any old shop by the sea. What makes this company's gear unlike anything else out there is that it uses Rattle technology. You know how babies sometimes playfully shake rattles in their hands? Or the sound rattlesnakes can make? Well, World Record Striper Company's sinkers, lures, floats, and other fishing tackle make a similar noise patented by Myerson to better attract fish to your bait. If only humans could use a weird noise to attract someone, we wouldn't need to endure the horrors of dating.

3. The Rattlers Sound Like An Updated Version Of "Rock Lobster"

OK, not really, but Myerson did record the sounds of a whole bunch of lobsters in a tank filled with 200 gallons of water in order to make his unique rattler sound, according to the Meriden Record Journal. The rattles themselves are actually made from a small glass tube with three or four metal ball bearings inside, and they're placed inside each piece of fishing gear. If only the rattler sounded like this. If only.

4. Surf The Net To Buy This Fishing Gear

There's no need to head to your local tackle shop to find World Record Striper Company's products. You can get your hands on them from anywhere just by shopping on the company's official online store. There you'll find a ton of different sinkers, lures, and floats with the Myerson's Rattle technology so you can go fishing ASAP. All of the fishing tackle comes in a variety of options for size and color, which also means there's a wide price range for these products. World Record Striper Company also just opened up a store in Westbrook, Conn., if you ever happen to be there. Obviously, you'll want to pick up one of the company's angler shirts while you're there. It probably won't improve your fishing, but you'll at least look the part.

5. It's Not Called World Record Striper Company For Nothing

Not only is Myerson the founder of World Record Striper Company and the inventor of the company's Rattle technology, but he is also an accomplished fisherman. Myerson currently holds the world record for catching the biggest striped bass, weighing 81.8 pounds. Yeah, this thing was a beast. Myerson, who is an electrician for Connecticut's Department of Transportation on land, holds three other world records and has won a bunch of fishing competitions, according to the Meriden Record Journal. He's become so big in the fishing world that he apparently has his own following. It looks like he knows how to lure people in too.

6. The Company Almost Didn't Appear On Shark Tank

Myerson applied to be on Shark Tank four years ago and didn't hear back from the ABC reality show until February 2014, according to the Meriden Record Journal. While he was auditioning for Shark Tank, another production company approached him about his own eight-episode reality series for another network. However, Myerson had to choose one gig or the other, and though he almost went with his own reality series, he eventually decided to dive in to the Shark Tank. We'll have to wait and see if he made the right move.

7. Myerson Will Show You How To Be As Great As He Is

OK, so you've got all of your fishing doodads. Now what? We can't all get a private lesson from Myerson to show us how to top his world record catch. Luckily, Myerson breaks down his RattleSinker fishing technique in the above video.

Here's hoping it'll help you catch a fish as big as a Shark.

Images: Michael Desmond/ABC; Giphy; Gifbay; realitytvgifs/Tumblr