Hello Sébastien, can you introduce yourself to the readers of Fishing.news?
Sébastien Mongruel -I am 39 years old and I fish a lot in the sea (sea bass, pollock, tuna) on Oléron and Ré Island mainly. My favorite fishing for sea bass is fishing with a shad. For tuna, I'm a popper fanatic for the attacks, the water sprays that put in fusion the ocean. This technique gathers a lot of things that reflect my passion for fishing (offshore fishing, exotic equipment, surface fishing, fighting power, beautiful fish and sharing fishing!)
I also fish for carnivores on the lakes of the Landes and in Spain for black bass, pike and perch. For black-bass I practice a lot the stick, worms and creatures.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
Sébastien Mongruel -It's a family affair between Africa and Normandy, nature, fishing, I knew that very early being born in Ivory Coast. My father took me fishing on weekends, from the age of two or three.
We fished in lake the captain, the tilapia. I returned to France in the 90s. The fish change, but the passion remains. In 2002, I started to fish in the sea in search of bass with surface lures and I loved it. In 2009, I bought my first RIB of 6 meters 10 with a Suzuki 140 horsepower engine. I then had the opportunity to do coastal fishing, but also tuna fishing or deep sea fishing.
Since 2009, I participate in competitions at sea. I started the competition with my friends. It's fun, you quickly get into the game. It also allows you to develop your techniques, not to rest on your laurels and to always try to perform.
When, how and why did you agree to be a Pro-Staff?
Sébastien Mongruel -I work daily in the shellfish nursery area and this allows me to have feedback from professionals on the different brands, they are the ones who recommended Suzuki.
I met the teams of the brand on the Grand Pavois 2018 that I won that year with a Suzuki brand engine. So I am one of the first members of the Suzuki Fishing Team and I am very proud of it.
Suzuki really reflects my mindset in fishing. That is, performance, sobriety, and minimizing emissions to the environment. It's a logical extension of my passion for confidence and my philosophy of fishing and boating. Today, I appreciate both the reliability, the torque, but also the low noise and reduced consumption of my engine. My Suzuki DF 175 APX is perfectly adapted to my semi-rigid Zeppelin.
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
Sébastien Mongruel -For me, being an ambassador means showing love for the brand and transmitting it to users through our different uses. It also means being present and available to the general public to meet their expectations.
What is your best memory, or anecdote, as a Pro-Staff to share with our readers?
Sébastien Mongruel -My best memory is of course my victory at the Grand Pavois Fishing in 2018 which will remain engraved for a long time. Winning this title is a great reward considering the level of the competitors, a beautiful competition of international fame. To celebrate this victory with all the Suzuki teams, remains an unforgettable moment. The brand was able to put its name on the trophy for the first time! And I am very happy about that.
How do you see the fishing industry in France?
Sébastien Mongruel -There are many things to do!!! At sea, the protection of spawning grounds, the establishment of closing periods, review the sizes of capture ... In freshwater, there are aappma (volunteers) who do a really good job for our passion and I say bravo to them! However, it is not simple and less and less easy to implement...
Beautiful things are done and the result is amazing (artificial spawning grounds, reserves, heritage management, no kill courses...). A very good point also for the fishing schools which train our future fishermen, young enthusiasts who will be sensitive to the environment.
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
Sébastien Mongruel -Do not hesitate to discuss and testify about our passion, and it will come naturally.
