Belly Boat Catfishing Vipava River

The name of the Northern Pike, or Pike for short, derives from the old English word for a pole-weapon, as it resembles a Pike in shape. It’s a predator fish with large, sharp teeth. This olive greenish creature can grow up to 130 cm in length and can weigh more than 20 kg, with the minimum size set at 70 cm. Calm, peaceful waters are its preferences, like lakes, ponds and middle to lower sections of rivers. The Pike season runs from the beginning of May to the end of January.

Season: May 1st – January 31st
Slovenian record: 137 cm, 24 kg (53 lbs)

The Catfish is the largest freshwater fish in Slovenia. Its home is in calm, deep waters, and prefers a slightly more contaminated environment. It can grow up to 3 m in length and weigh over a staggering 100 kg. The average length of Catfish caught in Slovenian waters is around 1 m. A 95 kg (209 lbs), 255 cm long trophy-size Catfish was caught in Lake Slivnica, while the most common Catfish areas are in the lower Sava River, Lake Bled and other slower flowing rivers. Fishermen use techniques of spinning, fishing with float and ground fishing.

Season: July 1st – April 30th
Slovenian record: 266cm, 99kg (218lbs) and 237 cm, 115kg (253 lbs)

Sharing many of Slovenia’s waters with the Brown Trout is the gorgeous Rainbow Trout. It’s an incredibly adaptable fish and can be found in both manmade and natural habitats – flowing or standing. Thanks to its Rainbow-coloured flank and tiny black dots, this Trout is easily distinguishable from other fish. It can reach a size of 90 cm and weigh up to 10 kg, with the average fishing size between 26 (min. size) and 50 cm. The Rainbow Trout is much braver and more aggressive than its Marble and brown counterparts, which makes its powerful flight tough but very enjoyable. You can catch this creature from the end of March until the end of October.

Season: March 1st – November 30th (Soča river April 1st – November 30th)