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The
Crucial rods really elevated the Shimano rod profile in the US
market. Clever enthusiast features, quality construction, and a
industry leading over the counter Lifetime Warranty makes this still
one of the best values on the market today
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Pfeiffer: Over the years it seems
like on one hand I’m always surprised when we are successful with new
products and on the other hand I’m not at all surprised.
The surprise comes from
knowing how hard it is to take an idea through all the stages of development,
manufacturing, sales and distribution and then have people find it and like it
enough to buy it. That’s a tough process with a lot of opportunities for the
product or the product message to lose something and become mediocre.
When you
get really demanding about developing a product, involve the right people in the
process and then guide it all the way to the dealer’s shelf – then it seems very
natural that other people will like it too.
Zander:
When
it comes to the actual reels and rods are you directly involved with the
product development, and if yes, to what extent?
Pfeiffer:
Yes, I am directly
involved in the product development because I still love it.
To what extent varies
these days based on the complexity of the project and the experience our
group has in dealing with it. In some cases I get very hands on and in
others I let the guys live, learn and grow.
Zander:
Is
there any one new Shimano tackle product in particular that you are most
proud of?
Pfeiffer:
There are so many to be proud of but certainly none of them can be credited
just to me. We have a very deep and good team of development people that
make everything happen and without all of us working together none of the
products would make it to market. If I had to pick out one though, it would
have to be the Butterfly Jigging system. We really took our time on the
development of this project and truly built it up by convincing people one
at a time around the country what it can do.
It
is by far the most versatile and interesting fishing techniques and systems
I ever have used. If you get well versed with this tackle and technique I
am convinced the possibilities are endless and you will learn more about
fish and fish behavior than with any other single technique.
To see people pick up
something so new, learn about it, apply it and have success has been really
rewarding. It’s just so much fun to do.
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These
Butterfly Jigs (long style) are just one part of a complete system
that completely changed the very way in which anglers approach
jigging |
Zander:
The
Shimano Calais 4 x 8 DC just became the only domestic reel in our 6 year
history to ever win our “Ultimate Enthusiast” Award. How important do you
think advanced technology like the DC circuit will play into future reel
design?
Pfeiffer:
As with anything, there
will be a balance. Advanced technology only is going to be good if it can
be applied to the right situations or techniques in the right
way. Otherwise, it’s just technology.
Shimano always is
going to try to build new technologies but we never will introduce them if
they can’t enhance an angler’s ability, improve on what exists or create new
techniques.
Zander:
How important is
service after the sale when it comes to reels and rods?
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Dave
field tests the Butterfly Jigging system armed with a complete
Shimano setup from the reel, to the rod, to the lure itself |
Pfeiffer: It is one of the most important things we do. Short answer
really. If people trust you as a company enough to spend their money with
you they deserve good service.
Zander: Do
you feel like the internet has changed the tackle industry? If yes, in what
way?
Pfeiffer:
It has changed the industry in a lot of ways. There is more real time
information available now about weather, water temps, fishing conditions,
fish reports, etc than ever before.
There also are more vehicles for anglers all across the country to share
their opinions and experiences about tackle, techniques and fishing trips
than you can get to in a day.
It used to be that fishing knowledge was very localized and only was shared
in magazine articles. By the time the article was written though, new
techniques already were in the works. That
certainly is not the case now.
Next Section: So when
does Dave get to go fishing?
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