Savage Gear History 2005–2025: 20 Years in 30 Minutes of Film with Mads Grosell

Normally, I like to tell these stories myself. behind the brand. But this time, Mads Grosell did it so well in the anniversary documentary A Savage World – 20 Years of Dedication, so all I can do is give him the space and respect he deserves. The words are almost exclusively his own, preserved as faithfully as possible, because that's how you authentically write the history of a brand that changed the rules of modern predator fishing.

Savage Gear has released this anniversary documentary that reviews the complete history of the brand, from the first Frankenstein lure tested in the bathtub to its integration into the global Pure Fishing network. The story is told by Mads Grosell, the founder of Savage Gear, exactly as it happened: with details, risks, failures, innovation and, above all, an infectious obsession with fishing. The story of a brand that completely changed the rules of the game in predator fishing should be told as it should be.

"This is the big moment."

In 1975, a six-year-old boy caught a perch that would change his life forever. Mads Grosell had only just begun to explore the world of predator fishing, but he was already starting to think about ways to modify his lures to make them more effective. It was the beginning of a journey he could never have imagined. A journey into a wild world.

"I think I was five or six years old when I became completely fascinated by the underwater world."

Mads Grosell's fascination with the underwater world started early. In his village in Denmark, there was a photography shop that also had some fishing equipment. The owner was a keen fisherman, and little Mads would go there with every penny he could spare to buy lures and fishing accessories.

"I would bike there and buy spinners, sinkers, and jerkbaits... I couldn't wait to get back to get some more fishing gear."

His adolescence was dedicated to technical fishing. At first, match fishing, competitive raft fishing. Then came the wave of carp fishing, at the end of the '80s.

"Back then, in the late '80s, carp fishing was the coolest thing possible."

Mads becomes obsessed with rigs, boilies and everything related to catching big carp. He spends 3-4 years doing nothing but following every detail that could make a difference.

Danish Delight and DD Bait: the commercial beginning

"That eventually led me to the first brand I started. It was called Danish Delight."

His first brand, Danish Delight, became DD Bait. Initially dedicated to carp, it began to include components for predator lures. It was at this time that his obsession with pike and perch fishing began to take shape.

1988: baitcasting, the discovery that changes everything

"I was on an exchange program in the US in '88. I saw a baitcaster for the first time... I was obsessed with the accuracy of the casts."

In the United States, Mads discovers baitcasting, a technique unknown in Europe at the time. The precision of the casts and the total control fascinate him. It was at this moment that he decided that his future was no longer in carp fishing and that his path would turn entirely towards predator fishing.

A double life: aeronautics by day, ghost craftsman by night

"I was working full time in the aerospace industry... and at night I was making decoys, which I would test on the weekends."

Mads worked in the aerospace industry, but every evening and weekend was dedicated to designing mock-ups, testing, and prototyping. By the early 2000s, this balance was becoming impossible to maintain.

2003–2005: The Risky Decision and the Birth of Savage Gear

"I had two small children, I had just bought a house... I had no financial support and I panicked every morning."

In 2003, he resigned and risked everything. In 2005, he officially registered the Savage Gear brand. The first major lure? RattleShack.

"The first lure I made commercially was called RattleShack. It was a Frankenstein of lures I liked, all glued together."

Orders start in Denmark, then Sweden, Norway, Finland. Next up are 4Play, Cannibal Shad, Deviator and Freestyler.

"We launched 4Play, Deviator, Freestyler... 19 cm was considered a big lure. So we made a 25. People thought it was "ridiculous. Today, it's the smallest in the box."

3D scanning and the realism revolution

"I had access to a very expensive industrial 3D scanner. It changed everything."

"I caught a duck… I photographed it, I scanned it… I captured every detail — the shape, the feathers, the movement."

"That kind of obsession with detail—we went crazy just to catch a perch and scan it perfectly. We didn't just want realism. We wanted life."

The 3D Line Thru Trout, Suicide Duck, 3D Crayfish and Line Thru Roach models raise the bar for the entire industry.

Big bait revolution

"We cast a 30cm Line Thru Roach. Everyone thought we were crazy. Then we cast a 40cm one. And guess what? The fish agreed."

Between 2014–2018, Savage Gear conquers Sweden, Norway, Germany and Poland with huge lures dedicated to top predators.

The complete Savage Gear ecosystem

"Everything is designed to work as a system: lure, rod, line, reel."

Between 2015 and 2020, they launched the SG2, SG4, SG6 and SG8 rods, each tailored to a different level of performance and budget. Dedicated reels also appeared, as well as lines, modular bags, pliers, grips, accessories and stands. The goal? A unified system, designed for every detail of modern predator fishing.

A global community

“We fish with Sam and Danny in the US, with Hugo in Sweden, with teams in Malaysia and Australia — learning about snook, tarpon, barramundi.”

“We are not a two-man band. We are a global family of anglers. That is the true strength of Savage Gear.”

Beyond the products, Savage Gear is growing a community of anglers, testers and developers from around the world. Real feedback from the field reaches the research and development team, and ideas come directly from anglers. This collaborative ecosystem becomes the engine of innovation.

2022 – Integration into Pure Fishing

“We now have global infrastructure, but the philosophy remains: to build the best lures possible.”

The acquisition by Pure Fishing opens up access to global distribution networks, but Savage Gear remains autonomous in its creation. The original spirit is preserved, resources are increased.

2025 – 20 years and the beginning of the next obsession

"Everything I've ever done has been about the last release and then 50 more. That's how it all started. That's how it continues."

"Now we're supporting the next generation through #SavageFuture. It's not about the last ghost. It's about the next obsession."

20 years after the first prototype, Savage Gear reaffirms its commitment to innovation. The #SavageFuture initiative promotes young anglers and content creators around the world.

At our place, at home

In Romania, Savage Gear is imported through Arrow International, and I, personally, have tested, used, and written with pleasure about several products from this company's portfolio, products that I have personally always categorized as offering more than what you pay for them.

I can say that I have "lived" a bit of this history through several products and equipment Savage Gear, whether they were rods or reels, ghosts for I know that or barbel, or simply rain suits, waders, shoes, threads, needles, razors and combs.

"If you really look back in history, all forms of ghosts have already been invented in one way or another. What we're doing is refining, reinterpreting, bringing them to life again."
(Mads Grosell, A Savage World – 20 Years of Dedication, 2025)

After 20 years, the Savage Gear story is still written in the water. Whether you're on your first perch or 100cm of a pike, you're bound to come across a Grosell idea. It's not just about the latest lure on the market. It's about what comes next.