Our Mankato headquarters are right down from Fargo, North Dakota, where O.G. Schmidt invented the first gear-driven electric trolling motor in 1934. The idea took off with anglers looking for more boat control, and Schmidt named his growing company for the land he called home. In the heart of fishing country, on the MINNesota North DaKOTA border, Minn Kota was born. See how we've changed fishing for more than 85 years.