10.10.2016

New Yolo lure delivers a dream pike for Freddy

Tostedt. Developing a lure that appeals to big pike is no easy task. Since winter 2015, Freddy Harbort and the Quantum team have been working hard to design a special lure for this exact purpose. Freddy, who was directly involved with the development process, wanted a lure that would work solidly in as many different situations and European waters as possible and that would appeal equally to monster pike and specimen zander.
This was no mean feat but, once the first prototype of the 22 cm Quantum Yolo Pike Shad landed in his postbox by express mail, there was little time to philosophise: The only way to discover what a new lure is really capable of is to take it to the water. Almost a week later, Quantum product manager Adrian Prus received a WhatsApp message from Freddy: “New personal pike record on the Yolo Shad prototype in ‘Roach’ colours!” A short while later, the company headquarters finally received the photos of a 130 cm pike caught by Freddy during a short fishing trip to a club water in western Germany.
The lake measures just a few hectares but had previously yielded a number of specimens up to 120 cm. However, it was already apparent during the fight that this fish had to be something extraordinary. According to Freddy, the pike was noticeably taking a large amount of line and bolted near the surface into the centre of a cove, where it thrashed alongside a passing canoe, turning the water to foam. The canoeist escaped with a fright.
When it was laid out on the bank, the fish measured just over 130 cm. Both the angler and photographer admitted to being overwhelmed. The latest successful lure, the “Yolo Shad”, has a slender profile with relatively firm rubber, which makes it wobble vigorously and gives it a perfect action even on a slow retrieve. The Quantum team congratulates Freddy on his new personal pike record. The Yolo Shad will be available from retailers at the end of November.