Northland Fishing Tackle

What Northland Fishing Tackle does

Northland Fishing Tackle is a US-based fishing tackle manufacturer founded in 1975 by John Peterson in northern Minnesota, producing premium jigs, spoons, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and accessories for anglers targeting walleye, bass, perch, panfish, trout, northern pike, and muskie. The company operates as a brand under Good Sportsman Marketing, LLC (GSM Outdoors), with corporate headquarters at 5250 Frye Road in Irving, Texas, and a heritage rooted in Minnesota's fishing waters. It is one of the country's leading producers of ice fishing tackle, with more than 45 years of specialization in that category, and is known for signature products such as the Gum-Ball Jig, Smeltinator, Tungsten Nedster, and Bro Bug Spoon.

The product portfolio is organized across Elite Bass Lures (developed in partnership with BASS Elite Series Pro Jeff 'Gussy' Gustafson and featuring Gamakatsu hooks), Open Water tackle (jigs, spinner rigs, crankbaits, Rumble series, Deep-Vee jig, Mimic Minnow, Eye-Candy soft plastics, bobbers, weights, accessories), Ice Fishing tackle (Bro Bug and Buck-Shot spoons, tungsten jigs, ice rigs, hardbaits, soft plastics, ice kits), and Apparel including a Heated Apparel line, sweatshirts, and hats. Underlying product technology centers on tungsten jig construction, modern lure shapes, premium hook components, and proprietary soft plastic formulations under the IMPULSE brand. The design pipeline is informed by a Pro Staff of professional anglers, including Brian 'Bro' Brosdahl, Jason Mitchell, Brad Hawthorne, Joel Nelson, and Nick Lindner, who collectively spend hundreds of days on the water annually providing product feedback and validation.

Northland sells through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store at shop.northlandtackle.com offering free shipping on orders over $50, and through retail sporting goods and fishing tackle stores across the continental US, Alaska, and Hawaii. Revenue is generated through one-time purchases of branded fishing tackle at standard unit pricing, with no subscription or tiered pricing publicly disclosed. Marketing is content-driven, relying on YouTube how-to videos, the Fisherman's Favorite podcast, a Dock Talk blog, and social media channels that collectively reach millions of users. In 2020 the company expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of Bagley Bait Company, and it maintains sub-brands including Elite Bass Series, Smeltinator, and IMPULSE. Leadership is headed by CEO Gregg Wollner, who also oversees Bagley Baits within the GSM Outdoors portfolio.

Name

Northland Fishing Tackle

Legal name

Good Sportsman Marketing, LLC

Website

https://northlandtackle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Northland Fishing Tackle is a US fishing tackle manufacturer founded in 1975, producing premium jigs, spoons, crankbaits, and soft plastics for walleye, bass, panfish, and ice anglers. It sells direct-to-consumer and through US retail under parent GSM Outdoors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fishing Tackle Manufacturing

akta.pro primary industry

Fishing & Tackle Retail (CRAMABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Fishing Tackle & Bait Retail (CRAMALAA), Freshwater Fishing Specialty Retail (CRAMALAB), Lures, Flies & Terminal Tackle Specialty Retail (CRAMALAJ), Boat Fishing Accessories & Rigging Retail (Downriggers, Trolling, Rod Holders) (CRAMALAM)

Keywords

• Fishing tackle manufacturing
• Ice fishing jigs
• Bass fishing lures
• Walleye fishing tackle
• Premium fishing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bemidji

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fishing Tackle Products: One-time purchase model for fishing tackle including jigs, spoons, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, rigs, and accessories sold directly to anglers through e-commerce and retail channels

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Northland Fishing Tackle manufactures and sells premium fishing tackle across three primary fishing categories: open water, ice fishing, and bass fishing. Its product portfolio includes tungsten jigs, live bait rigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, spoons, soft plastics, spinner rigs, blades and spinners, weights, and bobbers, alongside branded apparel. Founded in 1975 by fishing guide John Peterson in northern Minnesota, the company sells directly to anglers through shop.northlandtackle.com and through retail sporting goods and tackle stores across the United States.

Product overview

Northland Fishing Tackle is a single-brand fishing tackle manufacturer producing premium quality fishing products, not a unified software platform. The product portfolio centers on four core categories: (1) Elite Bass Lures (jigs including Tungsten Nedster, Smeltinator, Nedster, and crankbaits including Elite Sunny B series), (2) Open Water products (jigs, spinner rigs, hardbaits, soft plastics including the Impulse and Eye-Candy series, Rumble crankbait series, Deep-Vee jig, Mimic Minnow, bobbers, weights, and accessories), (3) Ice Fishing products (jigging spoons including Bro Bug, Buck-Shot Coffin, Thumper, and tungsten spoons; tungsten and standard ice jigs; ice rigs; hardbaits including Twitchin' Puppet; soft plastics; ice fishing kits), and (4) Apparel (heated apparel, sweatshirts, hats). The company also acquired Bagley Bait Company. Products are designed with modern shapes, cutting-edge materials and colors, and sticky sharp Gamakatsu hooks, targeting panfish, perch, walleye, bass, trout, Northern Pike, and muskie. Founded in 1975, the company operates under parent company GSM Outdoors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elite Bass Series: Premium bass fishing lure line designed in partnership with BASS Elite Series Pro Jeff 'Gussy' Gustafson, featuring Gamakatsu hooks.
• Smeltinator
• IMPULSE®

Products and services

• Gum-Ball Jig Flagship Northland jig available with premium hooks and new colors, used by anglers for both open water and ice fishing applications targeting panfish, perch, walleye, and bass.
• Tungsten Smeltinator Elite Bass Series tungsten jig with a premium Gamakatsu hook designed for bass anglers in the United States and Canada.
• Tungsten Nedster Tungsten Elite Bass Series ned rig jig with a Gamakatsu hook, built for finesse bass fishing presentations.
• Elite Pro Sunny B Crankbait Series Professional-grade Elite Series crankbait family available in standard, shallow, and deep-diving versions for bass anglers.
• Open Water Jigs Full lineup of Northland jigs for open water fishing including round ball, deep-vee, marabou, finesse football, weedless wacky, and cabbage crusher variants targeting walleye, bass, and panfish.
• Open Water Hardbaits (Rumble Series) Hard-bodied crankbaits in the Rumble Series plus related stickbaits for open water walleye and bass fishing.
• Spinner Rigs Spinner rig systems for walleye and other game fish presentations in open water.
• Open Water Soft Plastics (IMPULSE and Eye-Candy series) Soft plastic lures for open water fishing including worms, craws, creature baits, swimbait bodies, and Eye-Candy walleye baits.
• Blades and Spinners Blade and spinner components for attracting fish through flash and vibration in open water fishing applications.
• Open Water Bobbers, Floats, Weights, and Accessories Northland Lite-Bite slip bobbers and related open water bobbers, floats, weights, and accessory components.
• Open Water Kits Curated bundles of Northland open water products such as the Fire-Ball Kit combined for specific open water presentations.
• Ice Fishing Jigging Spoons Vertical jigging spoons designed for ice fishing, including signature Bro Bug spoon and tungsten Buck-Shot, Forage Minnow, Slim, and Glo-Shot spoon variants targeting walleye and panfish.
• Tungsten Ice Jigs Tungsten ice jigs including the Gill-Getter and other tungsten constructions for vertical jigging through the ice.
• Ice Jigs Jigs specifically designed for ice fishing presentations including the Bro Bling Jig and other ice-tuned jig designs.
• Ice Rigs Pre-configured ice fishing rigs including the Quick Strike Predator Rig for predator species through the ice.
• Ice Soft Plastics and Hardbaits (Twitchin' Puppet) Ice-tuned soft plastics (Impulse Rigged Mayfly) and ice hardbaits (Puppet Minnow, Twitchin' Puppet) for crappie and panfish ice fishing.
• Ice Fishing Bobbers and Floats Bobbers, floats, and snubber stops designed for ice fishing strike detection and depth control.
• Ice Fishing Kits Curated ice fishing tackle kits bundling Northland ice-specific jigs, spoons, and accessories such as the Tungsten Ice Kit and Mille Lacs Lake Kit.
• Minnesota Mullet Glide Bait Signature Elite Series glide bait designed with modern shapes and cutting-edge materials and colors for bass fishing.
• Smeltinator Jig Signature Smeltinator jig that won the Bassmaster Classic; a versatile bass fishing lure with or without the underspin configuration.
• Heated Apparel Heated jackets and accessories sold under the Northland Fishing Tackle brand for ice fishing and cold-weather use.
• Branded Sweatshirts and Hats Northland Fishing Tackle branded sweatshirts and hats sold through shop.northlandtackle.com.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Bagley Bait CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Northland Fishing Tackle acquired Bagley Bait Company, expanding its portfolio of premium fishing tackle brands. Bagley is a legendary name in fishing lures and continues as a separate brand under the Northland/GSM Outdoors umbrella.
• BASS Elite Series Pro Jeff 'Gussy' GustafsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthland partnered with BASS Elite Series Pro Jeff 'Gussy' Gustafson to design the Elite Bass Series Jigs and Lures. The series features Gamakatsu hooks and products proven to catch bass across the United States and Canada.
• GSM OutdoorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthland Fishing Tackle is a brand under GSM Outdoors (Good Sportsman Marketing, LLC), a parent company that owns multiple outdoor and fishing brands including Bagley Bait Company, Yamamoto Baits, Big Bite Baits, Bill Lewis, and many others.
• GamakatsuflagshipTechnology or IntegrationElite Bass Series Jigs feature super sharp and strong Gamakatsu hooks. Gamakatsu is a leading manufacturer of fishing hooks known for their quality and sharpness.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 13 Fishing: Innovative fishing tackle brand offering rods, reels, and terminal tackle with a strong DTC and tournament-driven marketing model. Comparable on cutting-edge positioning and content-led brand building.
• Bagley Bait Company: Sister brand acquired by Northland in 2020 under the GSM Outdoors umbrella, producing premium fishing lures. Effectively the closest in-portfolio peer given shared distribution and parent ownership.
• Strike King Lure Company: US-based premium crankbait, jig, and soft-plastic manufacturer focused on bass and multi-species anglers. Highly comparable on product mix (jigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits) and tournament-pro staff marketing approach.
• Rapala VMC Corporation: Global premium fishing tackle manufacturer producing lures, hooks, and accessories for the same freshwater angler segments (walleye, bass, pike). Closest public-market comparison for Northland on product breadth, multi-category SKU coverage, and Pro Staff-driven marketing.
• Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits: Premium soft-plastic lure maker for bass and panfish, also part of the GSM Outdoors brand family. Direct peer in niche soft-plastic SKUs and shared distribution infrastructure.
• Z-Man Fishing Products: Premium soft-plastic and jig manufacturer (ElaZtech, ChatterBait) serving the same bass and inshore saltwater segments. Comparable on tournament-endorsed product innovation and DTC-plus-retail distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Daiwa Corporation: Japan-based global fishing tackle manufacturer with lures, rods, and reels distributed across the US. Larger incumbent competitor with deep tournament and Pro Staff sponsorship.
• Pure Fishing (Berkley, Abu Garcia, Penn): Multi-brand fishing tackle conglomerate covering lures, line, rods, reels, and accessories under Berkley, Abu Garcia, Penn, and others. Larger incumbent competing across virtually every Northland SKU category.
• Lew's Fishing: Established US fishing tackle brand producing rods, reels, and accessories across multiple species. Comparable on broad multi-species tackle offerings and retail-channel scale.
• Shimano Inc. Global fishing tackle giant with rods, reels, lures, and terminal tackle. Competes with Northland across premium freshwater categories on brand prestige, R&D depth, and global distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/northlandtackle
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NorthlandTackle
• Facebookfacebook.com/northlandfishingtackle
• Instagraminstagram.com/northlandtackle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Northland Fishing Tackle