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Hello Eric, can you introduce your crew to Fishing.news readers?
Eric Guerineau, 55, I divide my time between the Paris region, where I work, and Périgord. I'm a member of Bass Team Perigord, a leading club in FFPS carnivorous boating competitions. I compete in carnassial boat fishing, always with my cousin Thierry Cheramy as my partner, to form the "cousins" team!
To help me in this sport, I'm fortunate to benefit from the trust and support of my loyal partners Fox Rage and Navicom and, very soon, the invaluable support of Mercury Marine France, which will power my future new boat, but we'll talk about that later...
I mainly fish for predators on lures from boats, depending on the season: pike, black-bass, pike-perch and perch. I fish in France, but also occasionally abroad, in Spain, Portugal, Sweden...
My favourite techniques are large shads for pike, and jerkbaits and surface lures for bass and perch.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
Like many people, I discovered fishing at the age of 6/7 with my uncle, who first introduced me to spearfishing and carp fishing. Around 10/11, I went with him to fish for perch and pike in small streams and ponds, first with a spoon, then with the first soft lures on the market, Twist and others. Then my young cousin Thierry joined us in our frantic pursuit of pike and other predators.
When, how and why did you decide to take up competitive fishing?
After fishing for quite some time with my cousin Thierry in a rustic rotomolded boat with a small electric motor, I took the plunge and invested in my first real boat (Smartliner 450 with 40 hp, front electric motor, depth sounder...) which enabled us to practice more efficiently and, above all, to discover more distant and vast waters. The idea of boat racing then came from my cousin, who had, for his part, practiced his first FFPS competitions in a float-tube. So in 2015, we decided to go for it, took out our licenses and took part in our first FFPS competitions.
We'd got the hang of it! From then on, we took part in all the French FFPS boat championships, climbed our first podiums, changed boats with the purchase of a superb Ranger VS1682 powered by Mercury 115 PRO XS, and criss-crossed France at the French Pro-Elite championships, some years spread over 4 to 6 dates.
What do you think of competition in general?
Competing clearly allows you to improve your knowledge and level of practice, thanks to the sharing of experience and exchanges between competitors.
Contrary to what one might sometimes imagine, the atmosphere within teams during competitions is convivial and friendly! We often all meet up at the table in the evening to discuss fishing, technique, boats, navigation... It's all about fishing!
What did taking part in the first Mercury Fishing Cup mean to you?
Mercury's partnership with the FFPS to create a new-style French championship was, in my eyes, a real opportunity to give a new light and a new dynamic to competitive fishing in France! So it seemed obvious to me to take part!
What do you think of this first edition?
The first edition of the Mercury Fishing Cup was a challenge, in the sense that the title of French champion would be decided not over a season, but over a single date.
A painful look back at the first edition of 2023, where our results didn't live up to our expectations at all!... The water level and the very strong current had totally thwarted our plans. Our fishing spots and techniques were totally ineffective, and the penalty was severe! That's what a competition is all about - getting your feet back on the ground... Fortunately, the friendly atmosphere and the many friends we met over the weekend lifted our spirits a little!
Will you be attending the second edition on Lac de Vassivière?
Yes, of course, we'll be there for this second edition, which is already shaping up to be a key event in the world of carnivorous boat fishing competitions in France. What's more, after last year's poor results, we'll be out for revenge!
We're going to prepare as well as we can, but we're going to have to be pugnacious and never give up, because the competition will be very strong and very serious. And that's the beauty of a great competition.
It's always tricky to talk about ambitions: do we announce too much or too little? That said, we won't be coming to string pearls, but rather fish in a net, so yes, we'll be aiming for a podium finish and, at the very least, a top 10.
Any advice for anglers hoping to take part in the Mercury Fishing Cup one day?
Above all, don't be afraid to take the plunge!
