Tuna mania on top water off Slovenia

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Mentioning the words tuna mania and popping normally stirs up images from Pedasi (tuna) coast in Panama or Cape Cod of the eastern seabord of the US. I don’t think anybody would ever associate Slovenia with tuna and popping! Slovenia is a beautiful little country Mentioning the words tuna mania and popping normally stirs up images from Pedasi (tuna) coast in Panama or Cape Cod of the eastern seabord of the US. I don’t think anybody would ever associate Slovenia with tuna and popping! Slovenia is a beautiful little country amongst fishermen will known for its gin clear mountain lakes and streams, and for the elusive Marmara trout.

Well times have changed! Large schools of hungry bluefin tunas are again invading the waters of the northernmost Adriatic, and feeding frenzys are ocuring on a daily basis only a few miles offshore.

Making a day trip for tuna popping is now a feasible alternative for many Austrians and Germans: The port of Koper can be reached in only 45 minutes by car from the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana!

On my last two outings in May I caught seven tunas all together, released five and kept two! Most fishes are in the 50-60 kg class. However larger specimen can be seen frequently. I just havent hooked larger ones yet in Slovenia.

I was fishing exclusively with popping equipment. Namely the new Temple Reef “Black Dog” tuna rods paired to a Saltiga Dogfight and a Stella 10.000 XG with a nature Boys RPS 16.000 spool.

On the dogfight I am using Sunline “Monster Battle” PE8, and on the Stella YKG “Ultra Castman” PE6. – For leader material 70-80 lb YKG “Ultra Castman Absorber”

The most effective lures were the Smith “Baby Runboh” and the tackle House “Shibuki”. On a very calm day I also caught a fish on the Yozuri “Sashimi Popper”. Huge schools of small mackerel are abundant and thus making the afore mentioned lures the ideal choice.

In previous years we also encountered tunas, but they were feeding on tiny little baitfish, making it almost impossible to “match the hatch”, because very small lures don’t work well with large hooks, that are strong enough to hold a tuna, and are also very difficult to cast on appropriate equipment.

If you like any further informations on tuna fishing in Slovenia you can contact me: info (ad) maguro-fishing.com