Will it be from 13 Fishing? Don’t bet against it…

13 Fishing doesn‘t like to be second best, but when it comes to spinning reels, even third place will do just nicely. There might be too much ground to make up on Daiwa and Shimano, but being the best of the rest? That‘s not only achievable for a company with relentless energy, but for its aggressively ambitious CEO, it’s highly desirable. You might know the brand right now for its rods and casting reels, but your next spinning reel really could be from 13 Fishing.

You may not know the name Jim Coble, but he’s the founder and driving force behind the meteoric rise of 13 Fishing. At trade shows he is a ball of energy, whipping his young team into a frenzy of sales speak, and in the boardroom, well… three years ago he sold a 49% stake in 13 Fishing to tackle giant Rapala while retaining the freedom to make tackle how he likes it. And that’s what he’s doing right now.

Here’s what Coble has to say about the spinning market – and why you should pay attention. “We greatly respect Daiwa and Shimano. They have been the Mercedes and BMW of our industry for generations, but it’s time someone stepped into the role of Audi.

“Daiwa and Shimano have been wearing the yellow jersey for quite some time, but look back and they’ll see a rider is closing the gap. And we have Rapala at our side. Leading this peloton to the front as we work off one of the most respected and successful brands in our industry – well, that doesn’t hurt.”

Sounds like fighting talk to us. And what 13 Fishing wants, 13 Fishing usually gets. Even though Coble admits there has been a false start in spinning reels – but that just makes him and his team want to bounce back stronger.

Says Coble: “We knew from day one how important the spinning category is worldwide. We had seen immediate traction and success in our casting reel programme and arrogantly we felt we could have the same immediate impact in spinning. As it turned out, spinning was a whole different animal.

“Certainly we’ve had unexpected setbacks that were out of our control and also some clear misses when products didn’t achieve the level of quality we desired. We’ve thrown away hundreds of thousands in tooling when projects have fallen short.

“But now we are ready to forge our own identity in the spinning reel market and be ourselves. We’ve spent the time and resources, we’ve put down the blueprint over many painful years. It’s time to execute the launch and let the next phases begin, to keep pushing the technology and manufacturing side, to keep elevating where we can and will go in this spinning reel category.

“I’m sure someone in the finance department will kill me for this – but we aren’t making this decision from a purely monetary standpoint. We rarely do. Our financial success will follow the success of our brand. And what this brand needs more than anything are kick-ass spinning reels.”

You heard it here – 13 Fishing is determined to bring ‘kick-ass’ spinning reels to the global market. Question is, when they come, will you be ready?

Lure news direct to your inbox

Tacklestream showcases the best fishing tackle from around the world, sourced by the editorial team from Angling International – the No.1 news platform for the angling trade for more than 15 years. The editors of Angling International have the inside track on the new gear being developed and tested by your favourite tackle brands, long before it hits the shops. Our Tacklestream subscribers receive the hottest information on the fishing tackle of the future. And as part of your subscription you will also be auto-enrolled into our monthly tackle giveaway competitions – no extra sign-ups, no extra payments, no catches, just your chance to win free tackle EVERY MONTH.

Subscribe now for free

For weekly emails & monthly prizes

Name(Required)