You’ll find more than just fishing celebrities in this list. One can make a significant impact
on the lives of many without ever being well known. It is important to honor all of
those who had a great influence on the great sport of fishing, whether famous or not.
Corporate advances tend to be much more visible to us. For it’s their products that
shape the evolution of the sport of fishing.

The Lindy Tackle Company was created in 1968 by members of the Nisswa Guides’ League in the heart of Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes Area. Their goal was to market a revolutionary new walleye fishing product called the Lindy Rig.

Lindy staffers revolutionized the walleye scene in the 1960s by barnstorming upper Midwest walleye fisheries with demonstrations and seminars while selling thousands of Lindy Rigs. The now-legendary rig was soon joined by the Dingo Jig and the Spin Rig.

When Lindy outgrew the ability of the founders to finance its growth, the company was sold to Ray-O-Vac in 1973. Also that year, Ray-O-Vac acquired Mille Lacs Mfg. and merged it with Lindy to form their Fishing Tackle Division. Mille Lacs Mfg. was originally founded by Joe Fladebo and had been operating out of Isle, Minnesota, since the late 1930s. The company owned the Little Joe fishing tackle brand and quickly became famous for its Red Devil, Little Joe, and Mity Grip Spinners; Canadian Jig Fly, Lazy Dazy Lures, True-Spin Spinners, and a wide assortment of other lures and accessories.

Lindy-Little Joe Inc. was incorporated in November 1978 to acquire and operate the business of the Fishing Tackle Division of Ray-O-Vac. The company purchased specific assets including but not limited to the Lindy and Little Joe brand names, inventory, tools and dies, and manufacturing and office equipment.

In 1979, with new direction and a streamlined product line, Lindy-Little Joe began niche marketing to the walleye market. The company is credited with identifying walleye fishing as a market and with developing many of the walleye fishing methods and products which dominate the arena today.

In late 1992, Thill Fishing Tackle was acquired by the company. Thill premium floats incorporate European technology into products designed to specifically address North America’s unique fish and water conditions. In April 1997, Lindy-Little Joe acquired System Tackle Manufacturing of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. This acquisition brought forth an exceptional series of ice fishing jigs to complement our product line. This acquisition has resulted in a partnership with Dave Genz, “Mr. Ice Fishing”, who helped develop many of Lindy’s panfish ice products.

2004 brought about the acquisition of another tackle company, Muskie Greats Tackle or M/G. The flagship product of the M/G product line was the M/G Muskie Tandem bucktail spinnerbait. M/G lures have been ranked 15th overall for catching fish over 50 inches by members of Muskie’s Inc. M/G products, notably the Big-Fin Spinnerbait, Muskie Tandem and Buck-A-Boo Muskie Spinner, have been incorporated into the Lindy line. The following year, Beckman Nets, Drift Control Drift Socks, and Tamer Fishing Products were rolled into Lindy’s operations.

In the decades since its creation, the company has earned the reputation of “Legendary Fishing Tackle” through continual commitment to innovation in several key fishing tackle categories. The first product to achieve legendary status was, naturally, the Original Lindy Rig, which has found its way into 40 million tackle boxes since its introduction. The Fuzz-E Grub is another landmark product for Lindy and is the standard of jig fishing in parts of the Upper Midwest. Close behind are the various spinner rigs, floating rigs and X-Treme rigs, any of which can be used with the No-Snagg sinker—the latest stage in the evolution of slip sinkers.

A snapshot of Lindy today reveals not only an assortment of variations on the still-deadly Lindy Rig, but also innovations such as the X-Change Jig System – a jig-fishing revolution that allows anglers to change jighead size and color without retying. Available in four sizes and 20 colors, the X-Change Jig System employs the popular Max-Gap hook to increase hook-up percentage on all species. Coupled with a Fuzz-E Grub, this system is deadly on walleye, crappie and smallmouth bass.

If panfish are the quarry of choice, Lindy delivers with a full line of panfish jigs. The Little Nipper is always a good choice; the density of the round jighead allows the jig to sink at a rate usually observed in much heavier baits. This translates to more time in the strike zone. The Quiver Jig’s ultra-fine denier nylon tail is hyper-active with the slightest movement and premium components like the Jig Spinners can be used with any jig when fish are in feeding mode.

Lindy features an impressive array of accessories to increase enjoyment and productivity on the water. The Lindy Fish Handling glove protects hands from cuts and scratches by sharp teeth, gill plates, fins and fillet knives. Tournament Series Marker Buoys deploy quickly and provide a focal point for rigging, jigging and trolling applications. The Bait Tamer and Leech Tamer products keep bait fresh and lively, increasing its effectiveness and appeal.

Beyond cutting-edge products, the real strength of Lindy can be found in the faces behind the brand. From its humble beginnings to modern times, the crew at Lindy has been composed of fine men and women who love to fish and to help others be more successful. Supplement that with a great pro-staff made up of some of the best anglers in the country and Lindy has found the winning combination.