great lakes planners

What great lakes planners does

Great Lakes Planers LLC is a private, founder-owned manufacturer of fishing and trolling hardware for boats, headquartered in Three Mile Bay, New York, and founded in 2004 by Tony Salerno after his retirement from the US Army. The company designs and builds modular rod holder systems, planer masts, rocket launchers and related aluminum accessories under product families branded Charter Captain Deluxe, Charter Captain Special, Rocket Launcher Plus, Rocket Launcher and Rocket Rigger, with the underlying architecture protected by a US Patent on the bracketing and modular design. The core technology is a marine-grade aluminum bracketing system in which a horizontal support bar is cut to boat width, paired with quick-release mounting hardware and adjustable rod holders that can be repositioned on flat or vertical surfaces. In 2017 the company acquired the remaining inventory and parts of Big Water Fish Company, adding aluminum planer reels, rod holders and downrigger components to its catalog and announcing plans to produce manual and eventually electric downriggers. The company serves recreational anglers, charter captains and multi-species boat owners primarily on Lake Ontario and the surrounding Great Lakes region, with additional shipping into Canada and internationally on a quote basis. Distribution has historically combined a build-to-order direct sales model via phone, email and a small e-commerce storefront with community-driven marketing through fishing forums and customer testimonials; the company is currently in transition, no longer building new systems and winding down its shopping cart to focus on replacement parts for its installed base.

Name

great lakes planners

Legal name

Great Lakes Planers LLC

Website

https://greatlakesplaners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Great Lakes Planers LLC is a founder-owned New York manufacturer of patented modular aluminum rod holder, planer mast and rocket launcher systems for fishing boats, serving recreational anglers and charter captains primarily on Lake Ontario. The company is winding down new system builds and supplying replacement parts to its installed base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fishing Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Life-Saving Appliances & Safety Equipment (Davit Systems, Lifeboats, Firefighting) (IMAJAIAG)

Keywords

• Fishing rod holders
• Trolling equipment
• Planer board fishing
• Rocket launcher systems
• Marine fishing gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Three Mile Bay

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, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fishing Equipment Sales: One-time sale of fishing rod holders, planer systems, rocket launchers, and related accessories. Systems are built to order as orders are received. Includes Charter Captain Deluxe, Charter Captain Special, Rocket Launcher Plus, Rocket Launcher, and Rocket Rigger systems.
2. Replacement Parts: Sale of replacement parts for existing customers. The company has acquired Big Water Fish product inventory and parts, offering limited repair parts for current customers. Customers must call or email for parts since shopping cart is being deactivated.
3. Custom System Orders: Builds systems as orders are received with 14 calendar day shipping timeframe. Orders ship within 14 days from date placed.
4. Acquired Product Lines: Acquired remaining Big Water Fish product inventory including rod holders, planer masts, downriggers, and aluminum planer reels. Plans to continue production of manual downriggers and eventually electric versions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Planers designs and manufactures modular aluminum fishing rod holder systems, planer mast systems, and rocket launchers for boat owners and charter captains, with US Patented bracketing that allows the horizontal support bar to be cut to fit each boat. Products include the Charter Captain Deluxe, Charter Captain Special, Rocket Launcher Plus, Rocket Launcher, Rocket Rigger, planer masts, bird tree and vertical stack rod holders, aluminum planer reels (acquired from Big Water Fish), and Hardtop Rocket Launcher mounting systems. Systems are built to order, ship within approximately 14 calendar days, and are offered with free shipping to the contiguous US and Canadian provinces, while the company now focuses on replacement parts for its installed customer base.

Product overview

Great Lakes Planers manufactures a comprehensive line of fishing and trolling gear systems primarily for Great Lakes anglers. Their product portfolio centers on modular rod holder systems and planer equipment, including the Charter Captain Deluxe, Charter Captain Special, Rocket Launcher Plus, Rocket Launcher, and Rocket Rigger product lines. These systems feature aluminum vertical masts, horizontal support bars, planer reels, and stackable rod holders (up to 6 rods) that can be mounted on gunwales, rails, decks, or vertical surfaces using their bracketing system. The company also acquired the Big Water Fish product line, continuing production of aluminum planer reels and plans to introduce manual and electric downriggers. All systems are designed for easy installation and removal with quick-disconnect pins and adjustable components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charter Captain Deluxe System A comprehensive fishing rod holder and planer system with rocket launchers, planer reels, pulleys, and horizontal support bars for mounting on boat gunwales or rails; targeted at charter captains and serious recreational anglers seeking a complete trolling rig.
• Charter Captain Special System A fishing rod holder and planer system similar to the Charter Captain Deluxe but configured with different accessory combinations for varied fishing needs; targeted at charter captains and boat owners who want a customized accessory mix.
• Rocket Launcher Plus Stackable rod holder system designed for rocket launchers with adjustable angles, compatible with various mounting configurations; for boat owners who want to organize multiple rods while trolling.
• Rocket Launcher Single or stacked rod holder tubes for holding fishing rods at various angles during trolling; for anglers needing a simple, rugged rod rack.
• Rocket Rigger Rod holder system with rocket launcher functionality for securing and organizing fishing rods on boats; for boat owners needing a versatile rod management solution.
• Planer Mast Systems Single and dual vertical masts for mounting planer reels and managing tow lines for planer board fishing; for planer board anglers who need overhead line management.
• Bird Tree Rod Holders Specialized rod holders designed for bird tree mounting configurations on fishing vessels; for anglers using bird tree rigs or mast-style rod arrays.
• Vertical Stack Rod Holders Rod holders that hold up to 6 rods and are adjustable vertically or 360 degrees laterally; for anglers who want to stack multiple rods in a compact footprint.
• Aluminum Planer Reels Rugged aluminum planer reels acquired from Big Water Fish Company, noted for Great Lakes-tough durability; for planer board anglers needing a heavy-duty reel for managing tow lines.
• Modular Bracketing System Adjustable mounting brackets including offset brackets (up to 18 inches of positioning), vertical mounting bases, and support plates for custom fit on various boats; for boat owners needing to mount Great Lakes Planers systems on non-standard or specialized surfaces.
• Hardtop Rocket Launcher System Mounting system for installing rocket launchers on hardtop surfaces such as cabin tops, with gaskets available for sealing; for boat owners who want a rocket launcher mounted to a hardtop or cabin top rather than gunwales.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Scotty Fishing: Scotty manufactures downriggers, rod holders, and other sport fishing accessories for boats. Directly comparable product category, distribution channel (sport fishing retail), and target buyer (recreational anglers and charter captains).
• Big Jon Sports: Big Jon Sports makes planer boards, mast systems, and trolling accessories used by Great Lakes and freshwater anglers. Highly comparable in both product line and target customer base.
• Church Tackle: Church Tackle designs and manufactures planer boards, mast systems, and trolling gear for sport fishing. Overlaps directly with Great Lakes Planers' planer mast and reel product lines.
• Traxstech: Traxstech builds aluminum rod holders, downrigger mounts, and fishing accessories for trolling boats. Comparable in materials (marine aluminum), customer segment, and customizable mounting approach.
• Pro-Troll: Pro-Troll designs trolling accessories and planer systems for freshwater anglers, with strong presence in Great Lakes and salmon fishing communities. Directly comparable target market and use case.
• TACO Marine: TACO Marine produces a broad line of rod holders, outriggers, and helm seats for sport fishing and recreational boats. Overlaps directly on rod holder and outrigger product categories, though at larger scale.
• Lee's Tackle: Lee's Tackle manufactures downriggers, planer boards, and trolling accessories aimed at the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest fishing markets. Comparable product mix and customer base.
• Okeeffe's Marine Accessories: Okeeffe's makes rod holders, nets, and other marine accessories for trolling anglers. Comparable small-business profile and product focus on rod management systems.
• Cannon Downriggers: Cannon is a well-established manufacturer of downriggers for sport fishing. Great Lakes Planers has explicitly stated plans to enter the manual/electric downrigger category where Cannon competes.

Broad incumbents

• RAM Mounts: RAM Mounts is a much larger manufacturer of universal mounting systems used across marine, automotive, and industrial applications. Comparable in modular mounting philosophy and marine customer overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/greatlakesplane?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/Great-Lakes-Planers-430148373727500
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-lakes-planers

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 great lakes planners