Sea fishing in Montenegro: out of Budva

Off the Montenegrin coast the Adriatic is fished for mackerel, grouper, conger, moray and sea bass, and further out for tuna and amberjack. The water goes deep almost immediately, so reaching a fishing spot does not take half a day — twenty minutes from the Budva quay is enough.

This is the case where “going fishing” needs no tackle of your own, no experience and no licence. Boat, rods, bait and skipper are all ready; all you have to bring is a willingness to get up early. You hire the whole boat: from €295 for four hours, for a group of up to six or seven.

What it costs

The price is for the whole boat, not per person — it takes up to six or seven people, four being ideal:

• from €295 — four hours, half a day
• from €395 — six to eight hours, a full day

That covers the boat, fuel, cleaning, rods and all the bait: lures, prawns, sticks. It does not cover the transfer to Budva from other resorts — make your own way or order one separately.

Count it per group: four people for half a day works out at about €74 each, tackle included. The organiser quotes the exact figure for your date.

The boat and the skipper

You go out on a boat with a 250 hp engine — a working fishing boat rather than a pleasure yacht: there is a toilet, a shower and a cabin to change in.

The organiser bills the skipper as a champion of Montenegro and Europe in tuna fishing. What that means in practice: he knows where the fish are feeding today and will show you how to take them — trolling, spinning, jigging, twitching or bottom fishing.

Trips are run in Russian, English or Serbian — say which language you need when you book.

How the day goes

Meet at 08:00 at the Budva quay. The four-hour trip is back by midday, the six-hour one by 14:00. The skipper first looks at the water and the wind and decides where to go: along the coast for mackerel and grouper, or further into open sea.

On site he sets your tackle and explains the technique — briefly, because there is not much time for talking: the bites come fast. The trip is geared to smaller fish of up to two kilos; what you catch depends on the sea and the day, and nobody can promise a catch in advance.

Between casts you can swim straight off the boat: the water out there is cleaner than at the beaches, and the depth under the keel stops being frightening with a boat beside you.

The fish you catch is yours — tourists take their catch with them. Many restaurants in Budva will cook fish you bring in; just ask beforehand. What the same fish costs on a menu, and how to read a price per kilo, is in fish and seafood in Montenegro.

If some of your group do not fish

You take the whole boat, which is convenient: nobody is obliged to hold a rod. There is a cabin, a shower and a toilet on board, and between casts the boat stops in bays where you can swim and sunbathe. For anyone who has never fished, it is simply a sea trip — with fish at the end.

Children stay interested exactly until the first catch; after that they usually refuse to leave the rods. The skipper is used to it and will set up tackle to suit a child.

If nobody wants a rod at all, the group fish picnic on a boat along the coast from Budva is not running in 2026. In season the nearest group option is the Bay of Kotor by ship, from €53 per person.

What to bring

• Sun cream — you burn twice as fast on the water
• A hat and sunglasses: the glare works on your eyes all day
• Water and something to eat
• Swimwear and a towel — swimming is part of the day
• Seasickness tablets if you are prone: the open sea rolls more than the bay

When to go

The season runs from June to the end of October, departures daily. Early morning is best: the fish are more active, the sea is calmer, and by midday the maestral, the daytime breeze off the sea, picks up.

In a heavy swell the trip is postponed — that is the skipper’s call and not worth arguing with. Do not book it for the last day of your holiday, so there is room to reschedule.

If you are after big fish

Going after tuna and amberjack is a separate programme, at a different price and on a different day: further offshore, longer, and with different tackle. Ask the operator when you book if trophy fishing is what you want.

In short

From €295 for half a day on a boat with a skipper, tackle and bait. For four people that is about €74 each. Below are the free dates; booking and payment are made directly with the organiser.

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Prices checked in September 2026. The quieter alternative is fishing on Lake Skadar, from €185 per boat. Everything else — choose a category; group trips with prices by departure town are on the tours in Montenegro page.