Discover the secrets behind successful fishing product development. Join us for an interview with Fred Goh, Director of Product Development for Rapala’s APAC Region, as he shares his journey and how his passion and experience shape Rapala’s innovative products.
What does a Director of Product Development – APAC Region do?
My job is to work with the APAC units to study the latest trends and find opportunities for creating the best products in the market. It is also important to innovate and develop APAC specified products that have global reach which is beneficial for our entire group.
Can you describe the process of developing a new fishing product, from concept to launch?
When a concept is formed, we work with our PD engineers and look at the various options of developing a product that not only checks all the boxes but is also feasible to produce. There are long processes for testing the samples – when the product is approved, I will collaborate with other departments to ensure that we are able to launch the product on time and that all the marketing material is ready to reach out to the end users.
Has your personal background in sports fishing helped you in product development?
Definitely! My personal background in sports fishing has helped me tremendously in the product development. As a passionate angler, I want our products to be able to catch fish even in the most difficult fishing conditions. Knowing the challenges in fishing has pushed me to innovate and improve our products so that we can increase our catch rate while having fun using Rapala products.
Can you talk about any particularly successful or innovative products that Rapala has developed?
The CountDown Elite is the first lure under the Elite series. It has revolutionized our wooden lures and become a springboard for the development of other Elite series products. Developing the classic CountDown into more durable and longer casting lure with modern finishes has presented anglers a brand new Rapala fishing experience.
If you were a Rapala lure, which one would you be?
This is a tough question as I love all the Rapala lures. If I need to choose only one, then it would be the CountDown. It is one of the very first Rapala lures that I owned and caught a fish with. CountDown is a classic and the reference that evolved to be the first lure under our Elite series. I consider myself a bit of a countdown: I have fished with Rapala for more than 25 years, now I am starting to evolve, pushing myself to the next level of developing more innovative products.
