New Aqua-Vu owner Kolt Ringer talks business, underwater cameras, and the future of youth fishing

New Aqua-Vu owner Kolt Ringer and daughter Ella share a love of fishing, along with Ringer’s two sons, TJ and Jake.

Now in its fourth generation, the Ringer family business began in 1926. “My great grandfather started a modest saw sharpening business and grew it into a highly successful multifaceted company. “Over the years, I’ve pretty much worked in every capacity, from sales and customer service to employee training, marketing and the mail room,” Ringer chuckles. For the past decade, he has served on the board of directors for Foley Belsaw, based in Wayzata, MN.

Ringer cites Aqua-Vu’s recent growth in the bass fishing market and its continued leadership in ice fishing as primary reasons for the acquisition. He also notes that Aqua-Vu headquarters will remain at their present location in Crosslake, MN, with all company personal retaining their current positions. Aqua-Vu president and previous co-owner Ben Gibbs will move into a consulting role.

Aqua-Vu’s popular, handheld camera, the micro Stealth 4.3 provides endless underwater entertainment.

“Since the company’s inception over twenty years ago, Aqua-Vu has always been known for innovation— the people who invented the underwater viewing category,” Ringer said. “Aqua-Vu’s reputation stands alone as the category leader, known for engineering inventive, top-quality underwater viewing products and technologies. They’ve always excelled at standing behind their products by assuring a high-level customer experience. That certainly won’t change.

“Aqua-Vu has built its business by becoming a leader in the burgeoning ice fishing market,” adds Ringer. “But we’ve also seen major growth opportunities in the bass, saltwater and kayak arenas. Every season, we’re seeing more and more tournament bass anglers relying on Aqua-Vu cameras to find fish during prefishing. We’re exploring ways to creatively serve other outdoors adventurers, too, such as recreational boaters and gold prospectors in Alaska.”

As a former fishing guide and President of the Student Angler Tournament Trail of Minnesota, Ringer is anxious to expand on the obvious connection between young anglers and underwater viewing. “Kids today have been brought up in the ‘screen generation,’” he says. “There’s no better learning tool for a young angler than an underwater camera. A depthfinder can only show you so much, but put an Aqua-Vu in front of a kid and watch them light up. It’s pure enjoyment, but also a great way to help these future anglers learn fish behaviors and how they react to lures.”

In the coming months, Ringer says Aqua-Vu will be working to develop new programs for youth fishing. “Ultimately, we’d love to see an Aqua-Vu in the boat of every boat captain, starting right here in Minnesota. In the meantime, it’s business as usual at Aqua-Vu. It’s shaping up to be an awesome ice fishing season. People we talk to every day are excited, energized to get out there and watch what the fish do next.”

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