About Us

About us – How fishing reel tuning came about

Fishing reel tuning didn’t come from a business plan.
It came from thoughts you can’t get rid of.

The first idea came in 2020, right in the middle of the Corona period.
At that time, I worked at Germany’s largest fishing online shop, Hecht & Barsch, as a shop manager. A really good job, exciting products, deep insights into the industry. I saw how the market works, how brands think, and how customers tick.

And that’s exactly where it started.

When adding new products, I stumbled upon a crank for a Lew’s reel.
Actually just a single part. Nothing special.
But in my head, it started.

I thought: How cool would it be if you could customize and modify fishing reels like cars? New crank, different knobs, different look. Like rims, spoilers, or suspensions.
Is there something like this for fishing reels too?

From that moment, my enthusiasm was sparked.

I started researching and quickly realized:
Yes, this market exists. But not here. At least not the way I imagined it.

In Germany, there were only small mini-shops selling a few parts here and there. Everything ran completely under the radar. No clear concept, no visibility, no passion you could really feel.

In Asia, the complete opposite was visible.
Japan, China, Thailand. Absolute tuning freaks. Hardly any reel was still original there. Everything was modified, optimized, refined.
I was completely hooked and just thought: How awesome is this, please?

At the same time, there was Corona. Lockdowns, standstill, and lots of time to think.
And honestly, my motivation to keep busting my ass for others while I was stuck in place kept decreasing.

At some point, this thought came:
If it doesn’t exist like this, why doesn’t anyone do it right?
Why not me?

I had no plan.
But I knew I had to try.

The start without a plan, but with gut feeling

In January 2021, I secured the domain and started working on a website. As a trained IT systems salesman, it was easy for me. And surprisingly, it was actually a lot of fun.

I put together my first shop.
Looking at it today, I have to smile.
Back then, I was proud.

Then came the big question: How do I get products?

So I went door to door.
I contacted everyone, called, explained, convinced. Shared my vision.
And quickly realized: Nobody gives a fuck ;)

Rejection after rejection.
Some didn’t even respond.

I was about to think: Maybe this is all nonsense.

And then, rather by chance, I came across Gomexus.

A guy named Jonaz wrote back to me and said:
“Danny, you are the perfect fit for us.”

I couldn't believe it.
Finally someone who understands what I intend.

Over time, Jonaz became not only a close partner but a good friend. Gomexus is still one of our most important suppliers, and this connection was a real turning point.

The first order went out.
I had no money. So I took out a small loan.
There was no bearing either.

Our rented apartment with 50 square meters, two cats, and my wife Jule offered no space. So I simply repurposed the basement. (probably not legal, but whatever)

Four square meters. Wall shelves, shipping label printer, PC.
That was my first operations base.

The day that changed everything

The goods arrived.

At the same time, I had already built contacts in Japan and found other tuning shops willing to supply me.

I hacked every product into the system myself and took product pictures; that hasn't changed to this day, but back then with a cheap smartphone and a small photo box. My standards were high, the means limited. Today I laugh at how the pictures looked.

On 12.04.2021 the shop went online.

 

And then nothing at first.
Silence.

I sat in front of the computer watching Google Analytics. Back then, you could see live when someone was on the site and which area they were looking at. I followed every move.

And then came that one visitor.

Shopping cart.
Checkout.
Ordered.

I completely freaked out.
I shouted at Jule, the cats ran around the apartment in panic, and I ran like crazy to the basement (of course, I lived at the top) to pack the first package and immediately take it to the parcel station.

When I came back, ten more orders were waiting.

I almost fell off my chair.
My forecast for the first month was ten orders. Not on the first day.

The first months continued just like that.
Jule and I ran to the parcel station every time, singing as we went:
“Packages, packages, packages.”

Today

What started as a basement project has become a world-renowned tuning shop.
We have already supplied every continent, refined countless reels, and built a community that is just as passionate about the topic as we are.

There was also a lot of crap, doubt, and setbacks.
But that's exactly what helped me grow.

And when I look back today, I know one thing for sure:
I don't regret a single minute.

Fishing reel tuning was born out of genuine enthusiasm.
And exactly this enthusiasm is still in every single package today.