Big Jon Sports

What Big Jon Sports does

Big Jon Sports is a privately held American manufacturer of precision-machined recreational fishing equipment, founded in 1968 by Big Jon Emery in Interlochen, Michigan. The company claims to have invented the downrigger and today produces a focused portfolio of electric and manual downriggers, electric and manual planer riggers, rod holders, in-line planer boards (Otter, Mini-Otter, Side-Liner), and a modular mounting ecosystem (Swivel, Quik-Slide, Clamp-On, Silver Track System, stanchions). All hardware is machined from aircraft-grade aluminum with protective anodized or hard-coat finishes, and components share a cross-compatible 4x4 base architecture that allows customers to mix and match across the product line. The flagship Captain's Pak and Legacy electric downriggers use 12-volt sealed high-torque motors with adjustable disc clutches and stainless steel cables, while manual models feature a proprietary One-Hand-Crank clutch system for single-hand operation.

The company operates with a small team (1-10 employees) out of a single headquarters and manufacturing facility in Interlochen, Michigan, and distributes through two channels: a direct-to-consumer BigCommerce e-commerce storefront (shipping domestically and internationally via a country selector) and an authorized dealer network with a public dealer locator and 'Become a Dealer' wholesale program. Product pricing is one-time/perpetual with no subscription component, spanning $9.99 apparel and accessories to $1,279.99 premium electric planer rigs. Primary customer segments are Great Lakes charter fishing operators and recreational anglers, with secondary reach into small-boat fishermen via entry-level products like the Gadabout manual downrigger. The company markets through organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and product reviews on its e-commerce site, and has built a 55+ year reputation evidenced by multi-decade customer loyalty, eight registered trademarks, and ongoing service of 40-year-old units.

Revenue, headcount trends, and capital structure are not publicly disclosed; the firm shows no evidence of institutional investment, acquisition activity, or external funding rounds.

Name

Big Jon Sports

Legal name

Big Jon Sports

Website

https://bigjon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Jon Sports is a privately held, American-made manufacturer of precision-machined aircraft-grade aluminum fishing equipment — primarily downriggers, planer riggers, rod holders, and modular mounting systems — founded in 1968 in Interlochen, Michigan, serving Great Lakes charter captains and recreational anglers via direct e-commerce and a dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fishing Equipment / Marine Trolling Accessories

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Boat Fishing Accessories & Rigging Retail (Downriggers, Trolling, Rod Holders) (CRAMALAM)

Keywords

• Downriggers
• Planer riggers
• Rod holders
• Fishing equipment
• Mounting bases

Headquarters

HQ city

Interlochen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Primary revenue from selling fishing equipment including downriggers, planer riggers, rod holders, mounting bases, and accessories. Products are sold at various price points from entry-level ($9.99) to premium ($1,279.99)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Big Jon Sports designs, manufactures, and sells precision-machined aircraft-grade aluminum fishing equipment for the recreational and charter trolling market. The product portfolio centers on downriggers (electric and manual), planer riggers and reels (electric and manual), rod holders in multiple configurations, planer boards, and a modular mounting base and track system. All products share a common 4x4 mounting footprint, anodized corrosion-resistant finishes, and proprietary mechanical features such as the One-Hand-Crank clutch, High-Torque sealed motors, SMT2 swivel base, and Quik-Slide quick-removal base.

Product overview

Big Jon Sports offers a comprehensive portfolio of recreational fishing equipment, primarily serving the Great Lakes charter fishing market. The core product lines center on downriggers (electric and manual), planer riggers (electric and manual), rod holders, planer boards, and mounting systems. Products are precision machined from aircraft-grade aluminum and share a modular ecosystem where mounting bases, tracks, and rod holders can be mixed and matched across the lineup. Key product lines include: The Captain's Pak and Legacy electric downriggers featuring High-Torque 12V motors; The Gadabout and One-Hand-Crank manual downriggers; Dual and Single planer riggers and reels (both electric with remote switches and manual clamp-on configurations); Multi-Set, Multi-Axis, and Ratcheting rod holder series offering one-hand adjustment in various configurations (single through quad); Otter Boat and in-line planer boards (Otter, Mini-Otter, Side-Liner); and a complete mounting accessories ecosystem including Swivel, Quick Slide, Clamp-On, Track System (6-60 inch lengths), and Track Stanchions. The company also sells apparel/gear branded merchandise. All products share consistent aircraft-grade aluminum construction with anodized finishes, and many components are cross-compatible within the Big Jon ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Captain's Pak Electric Downrigger

Quantifiable outcome

• After 30 years there are more original Big Jon Captain's Pak electric downriggers still in use than any other downrigger on the market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cannon Downriggers: Cannon, owned by Johnson Outdoors, is the most direct competitor in electric downriggers and trolling accessories for sportfishing, serving the same Great Lakes charter and recreational fishing segments as Big Jon.
• Scotty Fishing: Scotty manufactures aluminum downriggers, rod holders, and mounting accessories for sportfishing with similar materials and a comparable modular product ecosystem to Big Jon.
• Church Tackle: Church Tackle produces aluminum downriggers and planer riggers specifically targeting Great Lakes trolling and charter fishing, directly overlapping Big Jon's primary customer segment.
• Offshore Tackle: Offshore Tackle makes aluminum outrigger, downrigger, and trolling accessories for sportfishing boats, competing in the same durable aluminum accessory category as Big Jon.
• Scotty Downriggers (sub-brand under Scotty Fishing): Scotty's downrigger lineup is the closest mechanical counterpart to Big Jon's Captain's Pak and Legacy electric downriggers and serves the same trolling charter fleet.

Emerging players

• YakAttack: YakAttack has built a leading modular rod holder and accessory system, originally for kayak fishing and now expanding into boat fishing - directly competing with Big Jon's Multi-Set, Quik-Slide, and SMT2 systems.

Broad incumbents

• Minn Kota: Minn Kota (Johnson Outdoors) is a dominant trolling motor brand whose mounting systems and boat-electronics ecosystem sit adjacent to and increasingly compete with Big Jon's Trolling Motor Mount XHD and accessory rails.
• Plano: Plano (Plano Synergy) is a long-established tackle storage, rod storage, and marine accessory brand distributed in big-box sporting goods, competing for shelf space and angler wallet share with Big Jon.
• Shimano: Shimano is a global fishing tackle giant whose trolling rods, reels, and electronics-driven approach influences what Great Lakes anglers expect from their rigging setup.
• Daiwa: Daiwa is a major fishing tackle and rod holder manufacturer with broader distribution and product breadth than Big Jon, serving overlapping recreational fishing customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzThUwdNUcRYSCh3W_3eyxg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BigJonSports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-jon-sports-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialbigjonsports
• Xx.com/BigJonSports_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Jon Sports