Bass pro Matt Arey tested six prototypes in an eight-month period to develop the Lunkerhunt Fetch, a swimbait introduced at the July 2017 ICAST show.
Arey, a self-described perfectionist, said he rejected five of his own prototypes while attempting to give the bait a consistent action regardless of the rate of retrieve. He also considered size, weight, tail action, cadence, water impact, colors, overall design and fish-catching ability before molds were cast for the final product.
“I didn’t want to launch a bait unless I felt it was 110-percent perfect,” Arey said. “Making a swimbait is a fickle deal involving a lot of testing and trial-and-error and working with product engineers. I fished multiple prototypes to find out which one would trigger strikes. Last spring, I tested the Fetch at Lake Wylie with great success.”
The Fetch was based on a homemade swimbait from Texas that had a large following.
“We greatly modified the bait by making it with less plastic, thus reducing the bulk of the bait and improving its hookset capabilities,” Arey said. “Despite the reduction in plastic, it can be cast long distances and maintains a steady action with a fast or slow retrieve.”
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