Sea Fishing in Croatia

Sea fishing in Croatia: I don't want to dwell on its history or its borders but, just so you know, Croatia became an independent state in 1991 and borders Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. What matters most to us anglers, though, is its coast! Not counting the islands there are well over 1,750 km of coastline; if we count them too, we reach more than 5,800 km!

For the most part we face steep cliffs, but there is no shortage of pebble beaches and easily accessible stretches of rocky shore; sand on the mainland is rare. In such a setting it is clear that, whether you fish from the shore or from a boat, there are really many spots to cast our baits.

Obviously not every place is good, and it is just as obvious that finding the best ones is the fruit of a lifetime of hard work… But with a few simple tips it is possible to spot those with potential. Let's see how (I speak from personal experience, of course!).

In my opinion it is very important to find the patches of sand/posidonia (easily recognised by their lighter colour) and to place the bait in those areas; the piers that protect the harbours are fine too, and often easy to reach. Make sure, with a few test casts, that the bottom is not completely rocky; this will not affect the bites, but it will affect landing the fish!

For sea fishing in Croatia, find the channels by paying attention to the colours of the sea: the deeper ones often give nice fish in the cold seasons. Today the web helps a lot: besides Google Earth there are other very useful tools, for example the Navionics Webapp: http://webapp.navionics.com/ a website that is simply essential for working out where to fish.

Something should also be “stolen” from the locals… watch where they position themselves, see whether there are boats fishing close to the shore in the evening or early in the morning, and watch out for nets, which are often set close to shore… If the bites are scarce, try shortening the leader, and try smaller hooks and/or different casting distances.

Very often, early in the morning, fresh baits can be found in the local fish markets; cuttlefish, squid and murex are excellent, and if you are lucky enough to find a tackle shop, you can order and buy Rimini worms or bibi worms.

You can also go looking for crabs, which are very good for gilthead bream, or for shrimps among the algae on the piers, deadly for sea bass and white seabream; for all this, of course, let's use a landing net..! Above all, respect the sea and the environment around us, but let's not forget the people nearby either, especially in summer; swimmers don't always like having an angler next to them…

In the evening and early in the morning it is easier to find a place on the rocks and beaches and, proverbial as it may be, it is also better for fishing!

Below I have summarised the techniques, times, baits and seasons for the most common fish found in Croatian waters. Not all of them, of course: I left out scorpionfish, groupers, hake, smooth-hounds, rays, small-spotted catsharks, dolphinfish, bluefish, mackerel, tuna and many others, but these are more occasional catches or sometimes require more complicated techniques and more specific equipment.