Big game fishing

Central Adriatic - the best place for big game (bluefin tuna) fishing in Croatia

Adriatic sea is a beautiful European destination only a few hours drive from a number of European cities an easily accessible by airplane with nearby airports of Split or Zadar. In addition to its beauty and purity, the Adriatic Sea is also known for bluefin tuna. CABO BGF team hold a professional licence (one of only 12 in the whole of Croatia) and we specialise in catching bluefin tuna. Our boat is equipped with the latest equipment for deep sea fishing but should you wish to use your own equipment on our boat then please consult the captain before doing so.

When is the best time for big game fishing in Croatia?

Bluefin tuna is constantly present and is continually moving through the Adriatic and tuna season in Croatia extends from mid-February until end of December. With this in mind, the captain decides the best target destination, depending on the time of the year. Generally, the tuna can be found in masses in central Adriatic during the period of July and August with April and May also being good months for catching bluefin in central Adriatic. The months of September, October and November these masses of bluefin move up the coast to Istria (Pula) although it is still partially present and can therefore be caught in central Adriatic. It should be noted that the tuna migrates during its spawning period in June and there is therefore approximately 30% chance of catching it during this period.

Fishing techniques

Apart from our extensive crew experience, in order to maximise our chances of catching bluefin tuna, we use the latest and highest quality fishing equipment which is able to withstand the size of fish that you can expect to catch. The most common technique used is DRIFTING, ie, angling from a floating boat. The size of fish you can expect to catch on these shores can vary between 40 kg and 300 kg. In addition to the DRIFTING, we practice VERTICAL JIGGING to catch dentex, bonito, amberjack and other well-known species available in the Adriatic.