Fishing report: Šolta - Where the War Wrote History

It was a fight between a mouse and a lion!

Here I am not talking about me and my fishing on Šolta Island in Croatia. I’m talking about the war events that took place in 1991. And now you are wondering why am I mentioning this here where I should be talking about fishing?

While exploring the hidden corners of Šolta Island in Croatia, I came across a story that left me speechless - a story where history was written!

Interested in learning more about it? I will tell you the details below. Among that and other things, I will tell you all about how caught sea bass and greater amberjack fish!

Šolta, same as many Adriatic islands, is a wonderful place not only for fishing, but for exploring nature, sightseeing, and enjoying as much as possible.

This was a truly memorable fishing trip, so I have a lot to write about!

Šolta - a Paradise Island, Full of Peace and Pristine Nature

For those of you who don't know - Šolta is a relatively small island in Dalmatia, which is one of the Croatian coastal regions.

With its small and hidden beaches, traditional culture, and local food specialties, it attracts all those who are tired of mass tourism!

Adventure spirit within you will find peace among old olive trees and fig trees. Pristine nature, which is a rare occurrence nowadays will amaze you.

Small fishing towns, such as Maslinica and Stomorska, will surely leave you speechless. Friendly locals and old fisherman among them will show you that there are still corners of this planet where people live like they used to. Seeing them going out every morning on the sea with their nets really makes you feel incredible, and you can completely relax and forget about your everyday modern life.

All of this and more is why I have chosen Šolta for my vacation destination ...

Exploration and Desire to Fish Can Lead You to History Lessons

So why did I mention the war at the beginning?

Because completely unknowingly, while exploring the island and looking for good fishing locations, I came across history. Of course, on my first day there I had no idea about the events that happened in the past.

With a map in my hand, I turned right from the main road and followed a long dusty path next to olive trees and fig trees on my way to the shore.

After about 10 minutes of driving the road comes to dead end. There are ruins on my right, little bit further away are more ruins, and in front of me is a way to the sea across sharp rocks covered with barbed wire!

My girlfriend and I thought that this wire was probably there to prevent people from going on the rocks, but in the evening, we found out that this was not the case!

We continued our exploration and came across the first bunker. Shortly after the second one followed, and then two more!

At first sight it wasn’t clear to us what all this is supposed to be and what was it used for, but we had a bit of courage to come closer to see. In one of those bunkers, we saw pictures of soldiers in year 1991. Then we realized all of that was connected to Croatian War of Independence.

When we came back to our accommodation later that day, we asked the owner about it and he confirmed what we thought. And then the story began…

In 1991, a fight between a mouse and a lion took place in this area!

The lion was a battleship named "Split", and the little mice were soldiers in these bunkers. We were explained that the cannons stood in places we have seen earlier, and that under those bunkers many tunnels existed, that lead to weapon storages.

With these cannons, which were once standing here, in 1991, the soldiers fired at a warship, which at that time had the name "Split". The saddest and most intriguing part of the story was that this warship, that had the name “Split”, was actually attacking the city whose name it had – the city of Split!

Apparently, the ship was about 140m long and could carry a crew of as many as 120 members. This warship was once the pride of the Yugoslavian navy. It was attacked from various locations, including from the cannons on Šolta Island locations where I was standing earlier that day.

Locals proudly say that they were the ones who successfully hit this ship three times. But let`s get back to our fishing on that day.

Historical Places Can Be Excellent for Fishing

In addition to historical meaning, that place was also a great location for fishing on Šolta.

Next to all these bunkers, one small path leads to the other side of a small hill, and we came across a location that looked really great for sea fishing from the shore!

It was some kind of small pier, abandoned and old, with quite a lot of nylon old hooks laying around. Also, there was some food and again signs of war...

Given that the location is so hidden and yet full of old fishing gear, I suspected that this could be a great location for fishing on Šolta.

I went back to the car, took my new ultralight rod and the rest of the gear I bought before going on vacation this year, and went back to the beach.

We arrived at the location in the middle of the day, when the sun was at its highest point, and according to all fishing rules, this is not exactly the best time for sea fishing!

A brief look into the water with polarized sunglasses gave me some hope. I was able to see quite a few small fish, and an occasional bigger one.

From Yo-zuri Pins Minnow to Berkley Gulp!

Despite high temperature and bright light, my enthusiasm kept me going and I switched between lures I had with me:

• Yo-zuri Pins Minnow
• Gulp! Sandworm and PowerBait from Berkley
• Savage Gear 3D Manic Shrimp

For about an hour I searched a good place while jumping across the rocks, casting near and far, and finally then some activity happened.

At a distance of about 15m from the shore, the sea was dropping steeply, and just from that depth, something huge bumped into my lure.

I saw a fish, about 40-50 cm long, silver, shades of yellow on the body, big tail! I know I know, now you think that it is a classic “you should have seen the one that got away” story but it’s not!

It grabbed the Power bait lure, the rod almost went off my hands, the reel started playing, the fish pulled out a meter or two of my line, and then everything broke! :(

I yelled, "Noooooooo!". I was overwhelmed and literally got goose bumps from this. I have never experienced anything like that before... I have never felt sorry for anything like I felt sorry for loosing that fish.

Despite that, I continued fishing, but my concentration was gone - I kept thinking about that missed opportunity.

Fish activity was on and off after that point, bait got checked and nudged, but I didn’t catch a fish.

Despite the fact that my bait got hit here and there later, I didn't catch a fish...

My motivation was already at its lowest point, and I almost gave up, but my girlfriend caught a fish right next to the shoreline with only a simple setup with a hook and sinker! Awesome!

I then returned to this location two more times, in the feeding frenzy hours of the morning, but with no success. I realized that it won’t work, I felt bad, and then asked for help!

Special Thanks to Bojan and the Others ...

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who answered my call for help!

Among the best ones was a guy named Bojan, but unfortunately I could not test his theory as I didn't have the appropriate equipment with me. However, I plan to test everything he said next time.

I quote, Bojan J.:

“I have one simple fishing phylosophy: when I fish, I catch fish that are dominant in the area and which I can easily catch.

When I look at this coast, I immediately recognize that it is a float fishing paradise. Floats and various baits to change as necessary, are the key here.

What do you need?

Good and durable bolognese (5m) rod, float (pear 3 to 4g), leader 0.16 - 0.18mm (main line 0.20mm), figure eight hook with a long neck, 3-4kg two-day-old bread and a bucket for soggy bread.

Throwing stick for throwing soaked bread into the water during intensive feeding, although this can be done by hand.

Dough made from the core of an old bread as bait, and all that presented in about 1.5 meters below surface regardless of the water depth. Bread will do its thing to attract fish.

This approach can land you sea bass, bream, mullet, salpas, boops, and many others.

There is nothing more or nothing less, we just have to adapt to the fish, because if it goes the other way around, it takes too long.”

My Ultra-Light Rock Fishing on Šolta Island Required Changes!

So, as Bojan said, it will be necessary to adapt to the fish, they certainly won't adapt to us!

And that's why I told myself that something needs to change...

Every day, when I walked along the small marina near our apartment, I observed many fish in the water, and as if they knew, they came to keep me company while I was drinking coffee right next to the water.

I decided to move from the rocks to the pier, a little closer to the boats and the village. I also changed the time of the day and went fishing at night instead of early in the morning. It was good even with the full Moon, which was slowly saying goodbye...

This combination turned out to be excellent!

The depth right next to the pier varied somewhere between 5m and all the way up to 14m, as stated by a young local angler with whom we were hanging out on the pier.

He also confirmed to me that this pier in Maslinica (one of the small fishing villages on Šolta Island) is probably one of the best locations for fishing from the shore on Šolta. Sea bass can already be found along the coast. Larger ones arrive in the end of september, but there are many other interesting species in these depths!

So, let’s see what I caught!

Fishing on Šolta Resulted With Sea Bass and Greater Amberjack Caught

I used Berkley PowerBait and the action was great! After just a few casts, results were there!

Since I had to lift them up from the water with nylon only, I played the fish first through the sea, so that it looses some strength. After that, they calmed a little, and I could get them out!

The first fish caught was a small sea bass!

Quickly after the fish checked out and stole my bait (Berkley PowerBait) from the hook, so I set up a Sandworm and that's when the real fun began!

Again, I caught a small sea bass, but that was only the beginning.

I was walking along the pier and spotted a small school of fish. The lights on the pier helped me a lot to locate them.

I drag the Sandworm past them a few times and they started to hit the bait. Then I knew that something good will happen.

And it really was like that. One of the fish quickly grabbed it, took the bait a few meters to the side and I got it hooked.

It was a small greater amberjack. Despite the fact that it was only about 20-30 cm long, it was a real pleasure to fight it and land it!

Greater amberjack is a fish with a strong body that indicates a strong swimmer. Silver-gray or blue-silver on top, and silver flanks and belly, this fish grows up to 1.5 meters in length and can weigh up to 55kg. Mine was much smaller.

Greater amberjacks are most often found living in small schools in the open sea and along coasts with steep edges. They are predators that feeds on smaller fish and cephalopods.

Their meat is white, soft, and extremely tasty. In terms of quality, it is considered one of the best fish and is even compared to common dentex.

As delicious as this fish is, I released it back into the sea, as well as the two bass I caught!

Shortly after the first greater amberjack, I caught another one, and that one also measured about 20 cm!

Soon after that, it was already very late, and it was time for bed...

Ultra-Light Rock Fishing - I Recommend it!

Finally, what I can say here is that both me and my “better half” enjoyed every moment of this wonderful experience!

Towards the end of the day on the rocks, we went to one of the remote secluded beaches (see the first picture in this article) to watch the sunset.

Of course, I also took a rod and my bag around my waist with artificial lures for ultralight fishing.

Since this is ultralight fishing equipment (Cormoran Red Master fishing rod and Abu Garcia Cardinal S20 fishing reel) everything is extremely light and easy to carry around.

The whole set weighs just over 300g and as such is an excellent solution for all those who don't mind taking a step or two on the rocks by the sea or some other more challenging surfaces!

This was the first time ever that I saw the sunset at a beach, with a rod in my hand and a bait in the sea. Soon, we walked 1 km on a path along the rocks to get back into the village before dark.

The experience was quite painful for the legs, but I believe it will remain in my memory forever!

Regardless, I can say that it was one of the nicest holidays I've spent at sea. Many of you probably don't realize how much pristine nature can still be found around us.

Conclusion

Sometimes, the simplest places offer the best fishing opportunities. Local anglers are books of knowledge and every opportunity you have - use to learn from them.

I have met many friendly people on Šolta, and if they weren’t there, my fishing experience would be a lot worse! Besides, I got the best of both worlds: great fishing trip and a romantic holiday! I would recommend it to everyone!

No matter where you go, I wish you excellent fishing, both on the sea and inland waters! And one more thing - don't forget to check my other fishing reports from the water!