Hello Florian, FishXplorer is an up-and-coming brand. Can you introduce the company to our readers?
Hello, I created the FishXplorer brand in 2018 to respond first and foremost to the need to solve fishing tackle problems at the water's edge. We specialize in fishing equipment and accessories, which remains an important and decisive area for a successful fishing session.
We come from a social networking background and have built our (growing) community around sharing fishing-related information, all in good fun. What's most pleasing is that we have a very mixed community of all ages.
With the brand's popularity and the wind in my sails, I immediately set up a fishing tackle distribution structure whose aim is to seek out new or trendy brands in other countries and introduce them to the French market. This enabled me to make friends and develop new relationships with other brands.
We currently have eight brands in our Vip Fishing distribution structure: Fishxplorer, Monkey Lures, Fishing Ghost, Chasebaits, Hostage Valley, Stucki Fishing, Pikecraft and Lure Junks
Fishxplorer comprises two main product lines:
On the one hand, small fishing equipment designed to improve fishing sessions and safety on the water. Our flagship products include the carnivorous glove and the rod holder, which keeps your hands free at the water's edge. We favor the design of products that are simple, yet directly effective for the angler.
On the other hand, the textile and clothing side aims to revitalize the image of fishing and enable all anglers to convey their passion at the water's edge as well as in everyday life. One of our best-sellers is the Velcro cap, which lets you change the fishing design at any time, making the cap customizable.
Our T-shirts from the Addict range convey the fish of our fishing communities in a sober, stylish way.
As a fishing enthusiast yourself, how and why did you set up FishXplorer?
Fishing was passed on to me by my grandfather from an early age. I've always been drawn to the aquatic world, which fascinates and soothes me. Like everyone else, I started with the famous cork fishing with natural baits, which is still an essential technique and so much fun to practice.
As I grew older, I opened myself up to more discoveries and adventures of exploration, favoring lure fishing. With my wanderlust, I quickly turned my attention to trout fishing, which I enjoy practicing in a sporty way by reeling in rivers and streams.
Over time, pike and other predators were added to my list for the thrill of fishing and the chance to take on bigger fish.
Fishxplorer corresponds to the identity of the modern angler, curious to discover the many facets of fishing: new techniques, exploration of new species, innovative equipment, nature and human encounters.
For me, fishing remains a passion for sharing, and it's important to be able to share it with friends or simply on the water with other anglers. Nowadays, social networks are a great way of creating new connections between anglers, who can share, support and learn from each other.
It's true that FishXplorer is increasingly present on social networks. Is this a deliberate move on your part?
Fishxplorer was born on social networks. We started out with limited resources and a desire to do things differently from the usual marketing approach. I wanted to take a different, up-to-the-minute approach when creating the brand. The advantage is that we're closer to our community, with whom we love to chat.
We're growing fast on social networks (around 15,000 followers on Instagram) and have just launched the FishXplorer You Tube channel, which will aim to bring good humor, discovery and good fishing advice to the community.
My fishing philosophy, which I try to convey through the brand, is respect and discovery. Respect for nature, for fish, for other anglers. We are the guardians of our passion, of flora and fauna. I think it's important to make all anglers aware of these values, because most anglers can relate to them too. As a producer, we are striving to reduce our carbon footprint and work in a more eco-friendly way.
Fishing is a constant process of discovery and, above all, self-discovery. It gives us the ability to try things out, to get out of our comfort zone and to be patient. The emotional side is omnipresent in fishing, which makes it a magical experience.
We currently have around 80 anglers in the FishXplorer team across 4 countries, each of whom I've recruited personally. Above all, I'm looking for passionate people like me, who like to share their fishing and make themselves available to others.
For the past 2 years, we've been an official partner of the FFPS, focusing on fishing competitions. Competitions are a good way of testing one's own fishing skills and learning to manage other types of emotions that this type of fishing brings. It was important for us to contribute in our own way to this growing discipline.
This year, we are sending several of our anglers to French and European competitions.
If you had to highlight 3 products distributed by FishXplorer, which ones and why?
"Simple and effective" is our motto. All our products have their uses depending on the type of fishing practiced. As I focus on predator fishing, and am sensitive to the safety of both fish and angler, I'd put our Brocator glove at the top of my list of must-have products.
A second very practical and innovative product we released in 2023 is the X Rod-Holder. This little object lets you wedge your rod vertically along your body, giving you much greater freedom of movement and, above all, the big advantage of having both hands free for changing lures, taking photos or other actions. A dream for all mobile anglers.
We live in a world where appearance plays an important role. For a long time, fishing was stigmatized as old-fashioned and fishermen as boring. We set out to remedy this by creating a fishing cap in tune with the times, with stylistic codes that everyone can relate to, while improving the product's technical features. Our caps are UV-resistant, water-repellent and even contain a secret compartment for storing licenses or scratches.
Our scratch caps have helped to revitalize and personalize one of the most popular fishing accessories. We're constantly developing new scratch caps with the help of community feedback, which is fun and creative.
FishXplorer is constantly evolving, so I imagine you have other projects in the pipeline?
Too many projects on the go... I love multi-tasking, so I can tell you that we'll be releasing quite a few new products over the course of the year. Soon, we'll be launching our new 3D printing products, which you can discover on our website.
FishXplorer will be present at CNPL 2024 in Clermont-Ferrand?
Positive! The CNPL was one of my greatest human experiences. To be able to experience it with your own team and have the sympathy and feedback of the community like we had in 2023 was just magical. See you in 2024 for even more Xploration!
