Solo Escape to the Cliffs in 40-Degree Heat: This Is What I Live For
Angler Dominik Podgajski told Novi list how he escaped into nature during a heatwave, hiked for two and a half hours with 20 kg of gear, and finally caught a dentex.
Angler Dominik Podgajski told Novi list how he escaped into nature during a heatwave, hiked for two and a half hours with 20 kg of gear, and finally caught a dentex.
While meteorologists warned of dangerous temperatures and advised avoiding sun exposure, angler Dominik Podgajski decided to do the complete opposite. In the midst of a heatwave, with temperatures nearing forty degrees, he managed to carve out two free days and head out on a solo fishing trip that lasted two days, seeking peace, silence, and the cliffs that have long been his sanctuary.
He had studied the spot he was heading to for a long time. "For years, I've been looking at maps, analyzing cliffs, depths, and currents. But there was always one obstacle-the distance from the car. I could never bring myself to go there. That distance was always on my mind," Dominik told Novi list.
This time, however, despite the heat, he decided to change his approach. He reached the spot where he left his car around noon, and from there, a grueling two-and-a-half-hour hike under the scorching sun awaited him, carrying about twenty kilograms of food, water, and fishing gear on his back. "I wouldn't recommend anyone go to the sea in such sun, but I needed an escape," he said.
Upon arrival, he quickly set up a small camp and cooled off in the sea, just enough to bring his body back to normal after the exhausting trek. In the evening, he casually cast his line, trying to catch some sand smelt that occasionally appeared near the shore. They weren't his target, so he released everything he caught back into the sea.
The second day started at 4 a.m. "The biggest mental break for me was having coffee on the cliffs, far from all problems and obligations. With the first rays of morning sun, the sea was calm, and the silence was almost surreal," Dominik recalled.
For this trip, he brought his trusted, lighter shore jigging setup: a Savage Gear SG6 (50-120 g) rod lent to him by a friend for testing, a Shimano Stradic SW 5000 HG reel, Varivas PE2 braided line, Seguar ACE 0.47 fluorocarbon, and BKK swivels and assist hooks. "It's a combination that packs a lot of power into a small, light package," he explained.
Just before six, he started serious fishing. At first, the sea was completely flat, with no wind or current, so he began with a Fiiish Black Minnow soft plastic lure. Over the next hour, he had two solid bites, both without hookups. From the bites, he knew it was a dentex.
Then the wind started picking up, and the current strengthened. It was time to change strategy. He switched to metal jigs and began working the lure as close to the cliff as possible, almost right beneath his feet. "There's a risk of losing the jig, but the dentex often takes it right there, below you," he explained.
While fishing, he chatted with a German angler who had been using this method longer than he had. They talked about colors, but in the end, he followed his own instinct. He put on a 100-gram Savage Gear Needle Jig in white Snow color, and he was right.
"It wasn't long before the dentex struck. The fight lasted longer than usual because the fish was hooked awkwardly, but it eventually ended up in the landing net," Dominik recounted. "When the king surprises you, it delights you and completes the whole trip. It's also confirmation that I'm starting to understand the technique, which was extra motivation."
In the end, as he carried his gear back to the car, feeling every step under the scorching sun, he realized why he keeps returning to such trips. "Fishing isn't just about the catch. It's the process, the journey, the tactics, changing your approach, making mistakes, and the small victories that happen when you least expect them," he said.
He wants to tell readers not to be afraid to seek out their own spot, their own cliff, and their own peace. "Study, learn, change tactics, listen to your instinct, because sometimes it's exactly that which brings you the fish that defines the whole trip," he advises.
"And when everything comes together, when the sea rewards your effort with the dentex king, you realize that every hour of walking, every drop of sweat, and every missed bite was part of a story to remember. That's why I fish, and that's why I'll always come back. It's my favorite thing in the world. Spending a few days by the sea, in peace and quiet, and then inviting friends over, hanging out over fresh fish, homemade wine, and a guitar. This is what I live for," Dominik Podgajski concluded.
