Now, many of those investors say, entrepreneurs like Ericksen need to figure out how to do a better job of selling their ideas to get the money they need. Richard Ericksen's story is an object lesson for those with a good idea but little skill in trolling the money pond for the trophy catch. He lives in Germantown. The CD-ROM product, developed with three software engineers and fishing map guidebook publisher Sportsman's Connection, of Superior, has three versions, tailored to Wisconsin and northern or southern Minnesota. Its features include color contour lake maps, road maps, fish stocking and sampling data and expert fishing advice.
Anglers can use the software to search for lakes where their favorite fish is most abundant.
And they can edit personal data into the software to keep a log of a trip or mark a spot where fishing was particularly good. Ericksen has sold about 5,000 units since November 1999 through Sportsman's Connection's direct marketing efforts and retail sales in stores like Gander Mountain and Fleet Farm. Ericksen knocked on the doors of banks and venture capital firms. The answer was no. He tried the state Department of Commerce's technology development loan program and got the same answer.