Paris , France . – There are only so many chances to be the first thing to accomplish something in life. While 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese has certainly spent his career as a trendsetter, he recently became the first American Professional Angler to attend France 's largest Freshwater Fishing Exposition on behalf of Lowrance Electronics.

The two day show featured freshwater fishing of all types, including bass fishing equipment, and Reese was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. “I expected the show to have some saltwater presence, but it was all freshwater,” Reese said. “They had about 25,000 people come through the show in the two days, and it had an exciting feel to it.”

It was the first time that the Paris , France organizers had been able to arrange for an American professional angler. Reese's appearance was organized through Greg Konig, Vice President of Lowrance's New Product Division in Tulsa , and Jim Deheer, their Marketing Director for Europe .

“It was an honor to be the first one to come to attend that show,” said Reese. “It was a testament to the popularity of bass fishing to me, as well confirmation for the bass fishing community there of their growth; I was proud to be there.”

Parts of Reese's responsibilities during the show were to hand out the awards for the anglers who performed well during their season. “Just like any awards show, I would get to present the trophies and prizes to those who had earned them,” he said. “It was a lot of fun to be a part of that as well.”

Being an inquisitive person, Reese learned how tournaments are conducted in the area, and they are different than those here. “Their bass populations are not high enough to sustain full tournaments that focus entirely on bass fishing, so they incorporate other species,” he said. “They give prizes for overall weight, and for trout, pike, walleye and other divisions; along with bass, so they do a little bit of everything over there.”

Reese reported seeing much of the high end gear that American competitors use every day, as well as things he hadn't seen before. “I couldn't believe the price of some of the carp fishing tackle over there,” he said with a smile. “They take their trash fishing seriously over there.”

One other thing that he gleaned from the show was that until five years ago, sonar units were prohibited on their waters. “They've only just begun to realize the benefits that Lowrance units afford them,” Reese said. “Until recently, they viewed the use of depth finders as cheating, I'm glad to see they've adapted to that.

Reese was able to give seminars while at the show, one of which focused on ways to improve fish habitat to better aid in increasing bass populations. However speaking through an interpreter is not always an easy task. “We had to try and get into a grove, and it took a while, but I think we got our points across.”

Reese also sampled many of the wines and cheeses that make France 's cuisine famous. “Their wine and cheese are excellent, but I still prefer our California wines, but what do you expect from a California Boy,” he said. “One thing that was kind of funny was that we went to Chinese food – in Paris – oh well; it was good too.”