THIS IS THE BIG OM WE’VE DREAMED OF FOR 18 YEARS

In 2023, 200 anglers on 36 boats competed in the Kvarner Bay offshore waters. A total of 68 bites were registered, with 1,038.17 kilograms of fish caught.

“This is exactly what we’ve been dreaming of for 18 years – united in our wish to create something big!” said Tomo Sparožić, president of KSRM BIG OM and the original founder of the event.
“It’s hard to believe that in the beginning, we only had three boats, and there were no bites at all. Over the years, we invested in quality, educated our club members, learned, and improved. Today, BIG OM is a prestigious tournament, drawing by far the largest number of participants with the most experienced crews from the region, and a place where the biggest Adriatic tuna are caught.
As such, BIG OM has a strong economic impact, and Omišalj has long been recognized as a world-renowned big game fishing destination.”
He also thanked everyone who helped build this meaningful and soulful fishing story in Omišalj over the years.

BGFC MASS Loses Boat, Catches Trophy Tuna, and Wins the 18th BIG OM

The “coming of age” edition was won by BGFC MASS, scoring 3,579.97 points. Led by captain Sašo Apostolovski, with team members Bojštan Leben, Roman Uršič, and Mladen Čeru, their achievement has already become one of the legendary fishing stories.
Over three days, the crew had eleven bites, catching a swordfish and two tuna. The standout catch – a massive 164 kg tuna, one of the largest ever caught at an Adriatic tournament – earned them the prize for biggest fish of the competition.

“We caught the big tuna on the final day. On the way back to Omišalj, the boat broke down and caught fire. Flames spread quickly, we jumped into the sea, and managed to save only the tuna, which was tied to the stern. Other BIG OM teams came to help immediately when they saw the smoke, and luckily everything ended well,” recounted captain Apostolovski, giving special thanks to team Sharky, who were the first to reach them.
BGFC MASS is a seasoned and well-coordinated crew that has been competing in global tournaments for 15 years. This year, they took second place at the World Championship in Costa Rica, and at BIG OM they had competed eight times with their boat Lolita, always ranking high – but this was their first win, and one to remember.

Second place went to the experienced Dalmatian crew Corto, led by captain Bepo Svalina, with Borislav Taraš, Marijo Živković, and Vinko Marušić. The team from Kaštela and Trogir earned 1,926.43 points and brought in a tuna weighing 69.49 kg.
They noted that this was their first time at BIG OM, but definitely not the last – thanks to the abundance of fish, positive energy, and great atmosphere.

Third place was awarded to team Marko, long-time BIG OM participants. Led by Dražen Horvat, and joined by Martin Peruško, Nedžad Žiško, and Demirel Pirić, they scored 872.8 points. On the second day, they caught a 90 kg tuna.

EVEN IVAN DEČAK DANCED WITH A TUNA

Frontman of the band Vatra, Ivan Dečak, participated in BIG OM for the first time as part of the local team Thunnus – and was lucky right from the start.

“It was a real pleasure to compete in such an event with an amazing crew who helped me experience the thrill of tuna fishing. It was anything but boring – I even helped prepare the bait. We caught a tuna on the first day and earned second place for the day,” said Dečak, announcing his return next year with the hope that Vatra will perform at the opening of the 19th BIG OM.

THE YOUNGEST SHOWED OFF THEIR FISHING SKILLS TOO

As tradition, a children’s angling competition was held as part of BIG OM, under the watchful eye of Mare Magdić from fishing club ŠRD Zubatac.
Held on the Omišalj waterfront, the competition attracted 28 young participants who caught 44 fish in total.

First place went to passionate young angler Niko Brozić, followed by Antonijo Jakominić and Vita Bečić in the overall ranking.