Outdoor Sarasota

Sarasota Highlights

For pier fishing, try City Pier on Anna Maria Island in the bay or the Venice Pier at Brohard Beach on the gulf. The Tony Saprito Pier offers good fishing, but the traffic noise makes this pier my least favorite in the area.
Siesta Key is home to the best surf fishing in the Sarasota area. Buy some bait (sand fleas work best), head out to Point of Rocks, Sunset or Turtle beaches, and prepare to pull in some pompano.
If you'll be fishing with a licensed charter captain, you don't need a saltwater fishing license. Otherwise, non-Florida residents ages 16 and up must carry a license with them, or risk a fine. Licenses run $17 for three days, $30 for a week, and $47 for a year. If you're after snook and crawfish, you'll need to request the appropriate stamps, which run an extra two dollars each.
Boat rentals are available at a number of spots in greater Sarasota—one of the biggest is the straightforwardly named Sarasota Boat Rental. They rent boats for the gulf, the ICW, and the bays, and can provide a professional guide, if needed.
Though some fishing—black drum and snook, for instance—is seasonal, barracuda, flounder, grouper, mangrove snapper, redfish, sheepshead, and Spanish mackerel can be hooked year-round.

By Travel Expert: Mike Sigalas

Sarasota Travel Q&A
What's your favorite hike? Where's the best campsite? Join the conversation! Ask Your Question