Those We Honor

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.

Northland Fishing Tackle, Inc.

Northland Fishing Tackle, Inc.

Inducted 2015

Bemidji-based Northland Fishing Tackle ranks with Minnesota’s all-time legendary producers of high-quality progressive terminal tackle for successful angling in all seasons.

Founded in 1975 by John Peterson, a young and energetic angler and guide with big dreams, Northland Fishing Tackle now reaches a giant sport-fishing market across the United States, Canada, and beyond. Northland Fishing Tackle and its 200-strong Team Northland pro staff have contributed greatly to angler success and to the sport’s growth and popularity.

Northland Fishing Tackle and Team Northland live the words “cutting edge” and “innovation.” The company’s product lines target fish of all sizes across the species spectrum, from bluegills to muskies. Whatever the presentation—with live bait, artificials, and combinations—Northland offers unparalleled choice for anglers of all skill levels. From jigs and spinnerbaits to spoons and crankbaits, from hooks and lines to plastics and spinners, Northland features an amazing array of outfront styles, sizes, and colors.

Within each tackle category, many of Northland’s progressive offerings are household words among anglers. Take jig names like Fire-Ball Jigs, Eye-Ball Jigs, Gum-Ball Jigs, Super-Glo Jigs, Rock-It Jigs, Weed-Weasels, Whistler Jigs, Maribou Jigs, Bionic Bucktail Jigs, High-Ball Floaters, and many others—a huge diverse jig family featuring unique designs, with heads and hooks compatible with about every live bait and plastic presentation a creative open-water angler might try.

Northland’s unique ice jigs and spoons enjoy stardom status among modern hard-water anglers. Forage Minnow jigs and spoons, Wobblin’ and Fluttering Eye-Dropper jigs and spoons, Buck-Shot Spoons, Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons, Buck-Shot Glider Spoons, Macho Minnows, Mimic Minnows, Puppet Minnows, and other Northland `spoons feature lifelike body shapes, hook options, varied actions, and Northland’s trademark hot color choices. Winter jigs include the legendary Bro series of Bugs, Bloodworms and Flies; Forage minnows; a Tungsten assortment, and other favorites.

From its start in the 1970s, Northland has led the industry with spinners for presenting nightcrawlers, minnows, other live baits, and plastics. Back when most packaged spinners were bulky three-hook “harnesses” on cable-like heavy line, Northland introduced refinements used by only a few sharpies—like two hooks, lighter line, and longer leaders. Over the years, Northland’s understanding of how bead, blade, hook, and other component choices maximize success has led to unmatched innovation and cutting-edge choice. Blade names like Willowleaf, Live-Forage, and Bait-Fish Image; and bead labels like Salmon, Super-Glo, and Pearl; and hook options like Super-Glo Attractor Hooks and Roach Hooks capture Northland’s unmistakable emphasis on fish-attraction via the smartest components.

Smart anglers understand how the right attractive colors and color combinations can up the catch. Northland Fishing Tackle is an industry leader with color and advanced color technology. Northland’s crankbaits, innovative plastics, and diverse spinnerbaits—like Northland’s jigs, spoons, blades, hooks, beads, and floats— embody industry-leading color breakthroughs. Baitfish-Image, Live-Forage, holographic, hi-def, maximum flash, and lifelike reflection typify Northland’s advanced color vocabulary. Every year brings more product innovation and choice.

Tackle retailers know how quality fish-catching products and practical accessories fill the tills. Big stores like Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Canadian Tire, Capra Outdoors, Gander Mountain, Mills Fleet Farm, Reed’s Sporting Goods, Scheel’s Sporting Goods, and Wal-Mart display attractively packaged Northland tackle. Mom-‘n-pop bait stores stock Northland products relevant to fishing in their respective areas.

Team Northland’s many pros include tournament winners and angling personalities who understand fish, fishing, and how to show off good tackle midst fish-catching action. Minnesota anglers know the likes of Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, Butch Furtman, Scott and Marty Glorvigan, Jeff Gustafson, Gary Roach, and Tony Roach. Southern anglers recognize bass pros like Dean Rojas from Havasu City, Ariz.

Northland products gain widespread well-timed promotion via advertising and fishing features in print, radio, television, and social media. Followers of fishing-in-media see Northland tackle hooking fish on water and on ice via Fishing the Midwest, In-Fisherman, Outdoor News, Outdoors with Tony Dean and Jason Mitchell, Ron Schara’s Minnesota Bound, and more.

Northland Fishing Tackle is long-established and a truly legendary player in Minnesota fishing history. At the same time, as company leaders point out, Northland tackle today is in hotter-than-ever demand. “Our products are designed by excellent fishermen for quality-conscious anglers of the new millennium.”