FishGround
Chili Labs led the technical transformation of FishGround, a mobile app built for fishermen to log catches, analyse performance, and discover productive fishing locations.
By taking over a legacy Flutter codebase, Chili Labs team implemented clean architecture principles to stabilize the platform's foundation. This strategic intervention allowed FishGround to scale the platform from a local Baltic app to a multi-national service across 4 major EU countries.
About the company
FishGround is a local company focused on building a digital companion for recreational and professional fishermen. The app helps users track catches, analyse fishing data, explore locations, and stay informed about activity in their favourite areas.
FishGround is designed for real fishing conditions. From lakes and rivers to remote locations with limited connectivity, making reliability and performance essential.
Projects tasks
In preparation for the project, the following tasks were set:
Flutter codebase recovery
The app was built in Flutter but lacked proper architecture, reusability, and maintenance. We took ownership of the codebase to make it safe and predictable to work with.
Simultaneous feature delivery
Our engineering team maintained 100% uptime while refactoring core modules. New features were delivered without interrupting existing user sessions.
European market scalability
As the product expanded beyond the Baltics into additional European markets, the app needed to scale in terms of performance, data handling, and localisation.
Development process
How did we start?
We began by analysing the existing codebase to identify architectural issues, technical debt, and unstable areas. The lack of clear structure and reusable components made development slow and risky. This assessment helped us prioritise refactoring efforts. It also defined clear guidelines for building new features going forward.
Refactoring while the product stayed live
Instead of rewriting the app from scratch, we focused on rebuilding the most critical parts while keeping the product fully operational. New features were built using clean architecture principles, gradually improving overall code quality. This approach minimised risk. It ensured a steady flow of value to users over time.
Developing without a consistent design system
The designs were provided externally and lacked a unified design system, which led to inconsistencies across screens and components. While this added complexity during implementation, aligning on consistency at the code level helped ensure easier long-term maintenance.
Acting as a technical & product partner
Our involvement went far beyond implementing features. Chili Labs team actively supported the client in making technical and product decisions. We advised on feasibility, prioritisation, and long-term impact to ensure solutions were both technically sound and aligned with real user needs.
Features
Advanced reports & multi-selectable charts
We introduced a reports section with custom-built, multi-selectable charts for fishing forecasts, performance tracking, and trend analysis. These visuals help users better understand their results over time.
Map integration in Journal screen
Catch locations are displayed directly on an interactive map inside the journal. Marker clustering was implemented to ensure smooth performance even with a large number of saved entries.
My TOP locations
Users can save favourite fishing spots and define a radius around them. This allows them to receive updates about recent catches and activity in those areas.
Paywall & monetisation
We implemented subscription-based monetisation using RevenueCat. Beyond the paywall itself, we introduced supporting logic to manage feature access, ensuring that premium functionality is consistently gated and handled correctly across the app.
Offline mode support
The app supports offline usage, allowing fishermen to log catches without an internet connection. Data is synchronised automatically once connectivity is restored.
Personalisation of fish species & lures
Users can select preferred fish species and lures, enabling the app to prioritise relevant content and insights tailored to individual fishing habits.
More аeatures are on the цay
We’re constantly adding new capabilities to enhance the user experience.
Results
FishGround evolved into a stable and scalable product, expanding from the Baltics to Poland, Germany, and Italy while delivering improved performance and advanced features to their loyal users.
Successfully completed
FishGround - your guide to a perfect catch. Catch more by fishing smarter.
Link: FishGround