By Micah Friez
Published 4:00 pm on September 16, 2025
Every angler has their own white whale.
Jake Richmann’s was making sure everyone else could catch theirs, and that’s how the BigFin Fishing app came to be.
“I saw an opportunity to solve a problem in the fishing community,” said Richmann, a 2004 Bemidji State University graduate. “It was the ability to have data, research and analytics at their fingertips while they’re on the water. We want this app to be a companion to make their lives easier, to have more fun fishing and really enjoy the outdoors.”
The BigFin app incorporates all sorts of data — from weather forecasts and geographical pins to story logs and photo albums — all to help anglers get the most out of each fishing trip.
“The technology is really going to change the game in helping the angler have a better fishing experience with the right tools,” Richmann said. “Picture a toolbelt; when somebody’s working, they have a hammer, nails, a screwdriver. Same thing with BigFin. Now they have the weather at their fingertips and all the data and analytics they need to be effective.”
The app itself has been two years in the making. Alongside his business partner Jeff Shaw, Richmann set out to improve the resources that anglers have when casting a line. Research and development is finally at the finish line, and Richmann plans to publicly launch the app soon.
Richmann admitted that he thought the process would be a months-long — not years-long — undertaking. But the wait will be worth it, he assured.
“We don’t just want to release an app. We want it to be a good app that can be useful and that people can benefit from,” he said. “We’ve slowed down to develop a quality app with the right functionality, the right performance for anglers of all levels, and now we’re finally at the finish line to get this thing launched.”
Richmann and Shaw also took their time by talking with and listening to anglers of all kinds. They collaborated with both lake fishermen and sea fishermen, ranging from novices to experts, to identify the needs they have.
The finished product, Richmann said, serves them all.
“The BigFin app is available for all types of fishermen. That’s the beautiful thing. From novice to expert, it addresses all their concerns,” Richmann said. “The novice can download the app, know when to go and see the weather, and have a great experience. And then the expert, it’s a daily journal they can reference. It’s their guidebook and concierge for fishing as they go every single day.”
Richmann is excited to get the app in the right hands, but he’s perhaps equally excited to see its impact in northern Minnesota. He remains appreciative — almost nostalgic — of everything the North has given him.
At Bemidji State, he met his wife and gained an education. He also found people willing to invest and galvanize him. He also found inspiration on the lakes all around campus, which is where he first fell in love with fishing.
And now that the BigFin app is coming to the North Woods, Richmann hopes a student just like him will take notice.
“I just hope that this app inspires people,” he said. “Maybe they look into it, see that I went to Bemidji State (and think), ‘Hey, I want to come up with something.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
This story was included in the 2025 spring/summer edition of the BSU Magazine. To view all the stories in digital format, click here.
