About us
We are anglers – just like you. We don’t just sell lures and spinning gear – fishing is apart of our everyday life. When we’re not testing new gear on the water, we’re selecting, photographing, and describing products we personally use. BESTANGLER was born from a genuine passion for sport fishing that connects us with everyone who loves spending time by the water. That’s why we only offer what we truly believe in. We’re not just a store – we’re part of your fishing journey.
BESTANGLER introduction video
Testing and Selection of Products
Thorough testing is the foundation of BESTANGLER and a key part of what we do. If a lure or product catches our attention, we get several samples and test them during both regular fishing and tournaments – in the Czech Republic and all across Europe.
We’ve been active in competitive angling since 2014 – starting with shoreline leagues and ultralight lures, later moving into major boat tournaments. Since 2021, we only take part in Europe’s most prestigious events: Predator Tour, World Predator Classic, and Lure Masters. These tournaments push even the best gear to the limit – and give us the real-world experience we use when selecting products for our shop.
We only add gear that we trust and that really catches fish. Sometimes it takes years for a product to pass testing and make it into our selection. We write our product descriptions based on actual experience on the water, including all the important details. For soft baits, we list the exact jig heads and hooks that work best for us. For hard baits, we include recommended hook sizes for easy replacement.
Our Own Real Photographs
We take all product photos ourselves, so each lure comes with our own real photographs taken in-store. If a lure is UV active or glows in the dark, it always has the appropriate labels and photos showing how it looks under UV light or in the dark.
The main product photos are usually from the manufacturer, but we also edit them to ensure all lures of the same model have the same size and positioning in the photos. If the main photos differ too much from the actual product, we create our own. Thanks to this work, you can take advantage of our unique color selection for lures on each lure's detail page.
Our Own Underwater & Instructional Videos
For most lures, you will find underwater videos showing their action and movement, helping you understand how they behave in real conditions. Many of these come from manufacturers, but we also film our own whenever needed – especially if no suitable video exists.
In addition, we now create our own general instructional videos based on our everyday experience and tournament fishing. These videos cover a wide range of topics – how to choose the right lure or rod, how to rig your gear, or how to fish effectively in different situations.
You’ll find all our original videos on our YouTube channel, where we regularly share practical tips for anglers of all levels.
How BESTANGLER Was Founded
Jan Šafránek
Owner of the Shop
When I started with angling in 2012, I only had a small box with a few lures, a cheap rod, and a reel. All my gear fit into a fishing vest. But as I acquired more lures, it soon became impossible to walk normally with the vest, so I had to get a shoulder bag. The next year, even the shoulder bag wasn’t enough, so I got a larger bag. The gear took a beating – the first reel didn’t last a year, the second about a year and a half. I wanted the third reel to be significantly lighter. Over the years, I tried out lures and gear from most of the angling brands available on the market.
After years of testing, I finally figured out which gear and lures work. In my box of soft lures, Keitech lures began to dominate. The turning point came in 2016 during a spring trip to Sweden. In a bay full of fish, we tested various lures and Keitech always worked immediately. Instead of one fish every fifteen minutes, I caught three to four. This went on all day, even a completely chewed-up Easy Shiner worked better than anything else from the seven brands I had with me. From then on, other soft lures just sat in the box. Eventually, I started fishing exclusively with Keitech lures.
Similarly, over time, I came across extremely sensitive, light, and strong rods from Hearty Rise, reels from Shimano, wobblers from DUO, Jackall, and Megabass, soft lures from O.S.P and Sawamura, hooks and accessories from DECOY, jig heads from BKK, braided lines from Varivas, Sunline and Momoi, boxes from Meiho, and other top-notch products.
Based on my experience, I decided to start this e-shop in 2018, where you will find only the highest quality angling gear and lures personally tested by me, the BESTANGLER team members, and close friends. Most of the best products come from Japanese brands with their own production in Japan, so these brands naturally became our specialty.