30.10.2019

Deceptively realistic to pike!

Tostedt. Quantum test angler Gunther Schülzle delivers his exuberant report on the new Quantum Hybrid Tench and Swimbait Tench open-water lures: “When I fish large, clear lakes in the Alpine foothills for open water pike, my favorite baitfish is still the cisco, also known as whitefish (Coregonus). For years, I tried to create the perfect imitation of this baitfish with all different types of lure. Then, one day, I was taught a vital lesson. I made an exciting discovery that was so far-reaching it resulted in the creation of an innovative open-water lure for the Quantum brand.

This is how it all unfolded. When I looked in the fishermen’s boats on Lake Constance, I often noticed they had a remarkable amount of big tench in their nets. These didn’t interest me as baitfish, however, since I was stalking open-water predators and these would scarcely recognise the golden green beauties that supposedly only live in weedy, muddy areas near the banks. Whenever I fished a night session for carp, I'd also really hope to hook a tench at some point. As on this occasion, I’d had little luck in the past. So I spoke to the fishermen and discovered they caught the tench in their nets almost exclusively in open water, meaning “tinca” would also be among the favorite prey of pike and zander alongside cisco. Having spent my entire youth fishing for tench on small, muddy lakes, this was counter-intuitive but very revealing!

All things begin with the spark of an idea. And now we had it. The next challenge was to develop an innovative trolling lure for Quantum. Now it was clear it had to be a tench! I’ve been making many of my own lures with my brother Torsten for over ten years so the first test samples were ready in no time and Quantum product guru Dietmar Isaiasch worked his magic with these to ultimately create a fantastic tench imitation. Since varying the trolling speed can often make the difference between success and failure, we decided to create two lures that should look deceptively realistic as though the angler was using a livebait.

The Hybrid Tench works optimally at speeds of 2.2 to 3 kilometres per hour and can be used at depths of up to six metres without weighting. The slow action of the lure not only makes it appealing to pike and zander but also, as a ‘sideline’, tempts a remarkable number of catfish. The Swimbait Tench comes into its own at somewhat brisker speeds of 2.7 to 3.8 kilometres per hour. The lure’s inconspicuously smooth action makes it particularly attractive to large, older pike. Thanks to its weighting, it can usually reach the bottom with no additional weight. The use of side planers is recommended when trolling in shallow water. The lure is also ideal for casting into open water to depths of up to eight metres.

When it comes to attractive colours, we've succeeded in preparing anglers perfectly for all light conditions and water colourations with just five designs. My personal favorite is the Firetiger, which has a more discreet design than many lures on the market. The new Quantum product line is being marketed with the slogan “Freak of Nature”. The deceptively realistic silhouettes leave predators with no option but to attack. These lifelike imitations are practically indistinguishable from the real thing, as pike will soon discover. I hope you’ll enjoy using them!

Best wishes,
Yours,
Gunther Schülzle, Quantum Team

The Quantum Hybrid Tench and Quantum Swimbait Tench will be delivered to retailers at the start of November.