Pfeiffer: I go fishing as often as humanly possible.  My schedule is far from normal so my days on the water vary a lot.  Sometimes I will get quite a few days in and during other stretches my gills dry out on land. 

When I do go these days, you can count on me putting in a lot of hours. 

It is a tough call on my favorite type of fishing.  Anytime I have to put my boat or my lure in exactly the right position at the right time to get a bite, I really get into it.  That can be bass fishing, tuna fishing, marlin fishing – it really doesn’t matter so much.  I just like the challenge of figuring out patterns and bringing multiple factors together to get bites.   

As for “best in the field” that is an easy question if you give me enough space to answer. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to fish with or talk with some of the greatest anglers in the world. Some are well known and some are not. I couldn’t begin to list them all out but I will say that I have learned something from all of them and I’m still learning. 

Zander: Thank you again for your valuable time and candor in this interview. We wish you continued success in your new role, and in closing is there anything at all that you would like to say directly to TackleTour readers?

The only thing that Dave enjoys more than a day in the office, is a day on the water field testing tackle and catching the big ones

Pfeiffer: Most certainly to thank them for all of their support of Shimano over the years. TackleTour reaches a lot of very serious and demanding anglers. They are the ones that make us better as a company and I hope they will keep pushing us to make better and better products. 

Zander: It was really a pleasure talking to you about both where Shimano has been, and where the company is heading.

Pfeiffer: And, thank you to TackleTour for giving Shimano so much of your time.

Conclusion: It is always exciting to meet the people that make all the tackle that we are so fixated upon, and to meet the new captain at the helm of Shimano really helped shed further light about the ins and outs of the tackle giant. One of the things that really struck me from my time spent with Dave was that he was ripe with "passion." A passion for not only his important personal role at Shimano, but also for the sport of fishing itself. Shimano is about more than just reels, rods, and accessories... Team Shimano drives to be pioneers in an ever-changing industry and sport. When I asked Dave what he was personally most proud of I was expecting the obvious answer.....a top selling reel. Instead Dave remarked.... the Butterfly Jigging "system." The company forever changed the sport as we know it with the mass introduction of not only an exciting method to catch fish, but every element of the tackle necessary to enjoy the stirring new technique. Though it was a decade and a half ago it seems like just yesterday we were admiring that first Calcutta reel, and we are looking forward to the next 15 years of exciting Shimano product and solution introductions.