My Adriatic Adventure — Saltwater Fishing in Croatia (Pag)

Streams, rivers, and lakes are great, but there is something special about the sea too. So, why limit myself to freshwater fishing only! Let's go to Pag island in Croatia!

Streams, rivers, and lakes are great, but there is something special about the sea too. So, why limit myself to freshwater fishing only!

Croatian part of Adriatic Sea is close by, so my fishing buddies and I have a tradition. Every summer we spend our vacation sea fishing on some of the islands!

This has been going on for years, and the more time goes by, the more I enjoy it! Now is the time to share my 2023 experience with you!

Where Did We Go?

Those who know me and have been following my fishing career on my fishing blog know that I will often advise young anglers to get the know the place where they are fishing at!

And I have to be honest here. Year before, in 2022, we went to Krk island. It was a fun time but without fishing success. I don’t know the place and it seems I didn’t do my research well.

But luckily this year made it up! Our destination was Pag island, which is a great place to visit, I know it well, and you can find a lot of fish in the area.

The proven recipe for fishing in the middle of the tourist season when shores are full of people is to get your hands on a boat! Buy it, rent it, borrow it… Whatever you can.

While I have been fishing with rods for the past 30 years, since I started as a young kid with my father, my friends prefer spearfishing on the sea.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like spearfishing too and I have done it many times in the past, however angling is my top choice.

What Equipment Did I Use for Saltwater?

I have learned from the disastrous experience in 2022 that ultralight setup is a mistake, and I switched to bolentino. If you are not familiar with this, don’t worry, it is simple and I would recommend it to beginners.

It is a fishing technique done from and anchored boat and you need a rod about 2 meters long (unless you have a big boat where you can manouver longer ones).

You need reels that can hold a lot of line so that you can drop lures and baits on the bottom and still have enough to fight a fish.

I used a Shimano Alivio Boat AX 210 rod and a Shimano Cazna 4000 FA reel. My main line was 0.25 to 0.30 mm diameter with fluor leader. Lead 20–30 grams in the current, and 20 without.

Breams, salpas, boops, sea bass, and mullets, can all be caught and I did caught a lot! There is nothing better than a tasty, fresh, Adriatic fish for lunch!

I was actually so successful that when my spearfishing friend dived out, he decided to stay on a boat with me and use “kančanica” for handlining.

It is a basic tool of line with a hook attached wrapped around the rectangular cork. You can see kids using it or boaters having it for fun.

Fish were so aggressive those days that even with that you could catch a lot of boops! We were literally landing one after another!

Guys who were spearfishing had an incredible time too!

What Else Do You Need?

As I spend every summer in the Adriatic, what I have seen over the years in my long angling carer is that the fish numbers are slowly declining in some areas.

I know that this subject is very broad, but I like to do my part in keeping it healthy, so no matter where I go I always buy a valid fishing licence and obey the limits.

In Croatia, there are 2 different licences and if you plan to go spearfishing, make sure to choose the one labelled as “sports”, not recreational. Even with the license, you have to be minimum 16 years of age for using a speargun, so be careful if you want to take your kids with you.

Besides a license, make sure to bring some other essentials like sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, plenty of water and food.

Summers can be really hot. We had a good supply of beer on board, so now when I think about it, maybe that was the reason my friend decided to stay on a boat!.

Would I Recommend Pag Fishing?

What I love about the island is that it has everything. From isolated beaches accessible only by a long hike, to busy small towns and beaches packed with tourists. From wild parties to calm family areas. No matter your vacation preference, you will find it on the island Pag.

Fishing on Pag is great for everyone, I can assure you! We had a great time, and I am sure that even a complete beginner could have a great vacation in such fish abundance! It is a great learning place too.

When days are not good for fishing, island has many other things you can do and have a good time. I recommend you try out “Paški” cheese and enjoy some local wines with it too.

I can’t wait to go back!

And before the end, here are a few tips for those considering Pag as the next fishing adventure:

TIP #1: Sea is very clear so fluoro leaders are irreplaceable.

TIP #2: If you are spearfishing mark your place with a buoy as sea is full of “weekend boaters” who are not very careful.

TIP #3: Book accommodation early on to save money (we stayed in my friend’s house, but I know this fact from all other fishing vacations in Croatia).

TIP #4: I have to say this again, do not forget to buy a license.

TIP #5: Don’t underestimate weather and keep and eye on a forecast. Jugo wind (South-east or South wind) wind can bring rain and big waves, while Bura wind (North-east and North winds) is extremely strong and gusts are insane. If one of those is forecasted, it is time to do something else.

Final words

Boat fishing has numerous advantages and if you have the opportunity to participate, take it without thinking twice!

Find a small “kančanica” and have it with you for unexpected situations. Trust me, it is both fun and usable.

And lastly, learn from mistakes as I did from the inglorious season of 2022!