$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Stuart Smith from Amherstburg, ON, pitched The Rod Caddy in Season 17, Episode 3, asking the Dragons for $80K for 30% of the company.
- Asked for$80K for 30%
- Valuation$267Kimplied by the ask
- OutcomeNo deal
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manjit Minhas | Founder needs an employee not an investor, no offer | Out |
| Wes Hall | Founder not doing this full time, no offer | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | Distribution and marketing challenges too large, no offer | Out |
| Arlene Dickinson | Respects the effort but not a fit, no offer | Out |
| Robert Herjavec | Market data shows it is not working, no offer | Out |
Stu Smith, of Amherstburg, Ontario, pitched Rod Caddy, a device that protects broken-down two-piece fishing rod tips and allows hands-free carrying, asking for $80,000 for 30%. The product, invented by his father, costs $2.79 U.S. to make and had been sold through a major fishing rod manufacturer and retailers including Cabela's, generating about $160,000 in revenue from 12,500 units sold over two and a half years, sold on cardboard packaging next to golf towels with no marketing support before the distributor discontinued it.
All five Dragons declined to invest. Manjit Minhas and Wes Hall said the business needed a full-time employee rather than an investor, since the founder works as a full-time teacher. Vincenzo Guzzo and Arlene Dickinson cited the difficulty of the distribution and marketing challenges, and Robert Herjavec said the market data showed the product was not selling well enough. No deal was made.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
The Rod Caddy today
- StatusStatus unknownLast checked September 2026
We haven’t confirmed whether The Rod Caddy is still operating.