Hi Kimo, can you introduce yourself to Fishing.news readers?
My name is Kimo Barthoux (fishing_addict_france_), I'm 14 years old. I'm in ninth grade and I'm part of Team Need2Fish.
I live in Grenoble in the heart of the Alps, a place that makes trout fishermen's eyes light up. Strangely enough, I'm not a big fan of trout fishing, but my favorite kind of fishing is for predators on lures. I mainly fish for black bass (my favorite fish), perch, pike, catfish, chub and trout, but very few pike-perch. I fish with all types of lures.
Grenoble is situated between mountains, which reduces the number of lakes in favor of torrents. There are a lot of fishermen here for very few bodies of water, which makes fishing complicated. I also fish in the large lakes of the Landes, in the Massif Central and also in the Var.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
The fishing bug was passed on to me by my dad. At the age of 6, he started showing me basic fishing techniques: fishing with maggots (perch and roach), but also sea fishing in the harbours with escavens, mussels and anything else you could find on the water's edge. I particularly enjoyed the sea fishing.
Then, when I was about 10-11, I started lure fishing as soon as I got my first cast. I caught my first black bass 3 years ago and it made me so happy! The following week, on the same spot with a small grub, I felt my first monster at the end of the line. It gave me a huge bite! The fish was very heavy and kept to the bottom. The fight lasted 15 minutes on a 10-30 gram rod. I really couldn't get it off the bottom and finally it came off... It must have been a catfish of at least 1m50.
Since then, I've become completely addicted to lure fishing. I do it whenever I have free time.
When, how and why did you agree to become a Pro-Staff?
In September 2022, I contacted the Need2Fish brand, attracted by the lures they were making. Denis and I made immediate contact and agreed that I would become a brand ambassador. I chose this brand because it really suits my style of lure fishing.
Need2Fish produces chatterbaits, soft lures, swimbaits and jerk minnows, as well as accessories and braids. The particularity of this brand is to design and manufacture innovative and effective lures. Coming soon: biodegradable lures, the best way to preserve the natural environment. I have no intention of leaving the team!
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
Being a Need2Fish ambassador means being part of the team and :
- Giving ideas
- Helping to develop new products
- Participate in the testing of developed products
- Introduce other anglers to the brand in a variety of ways
What's your fondest memory or anecdote from your time as a Pro-Staff?
I've only been with the team a few months, so I don't have any anecdotes to share yet. So I'm looking forward to this fishing season. I do, however, have some very fond memories of the CNPL. Although Need2Fish is still a relatively unknown brand, it had its place among the most important players in the fishing world. The show was a real success, and the many customers even sold out of certain lure models during the show.
What do you think of fishing in France?
I can't take a general view of fishing in France, because every region and AAPPMA is different. There are regions with AAPPMAs that favor no-kill, which for me should be mandatory everywhere. I also think that some regions are on the right track, making enormous efforts to improve the quality of their waterways.
In fact, I haven't visited many regions, so it's rather complicated for a 14-year-old to give a general opinion.
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
My advice for being a pro-staff? Be friendly and kind, but also very serious. Be known by as many anglers as possible, and have a large number of followers on social networks. Be a good fisherman, and know your way around all the brands in the fishing world.
