Bradenton, Florida

Fishing & Travel Destination

Located just south of Tampa and north of Sarasota on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast, Bradenton is a charming city that has much to offer for a fishing vacation. Bradenton has a thriving artist community with galleries and museums galore at the Village of the Arts. Bradenton also boasts a vibrant antiques district with numerous antique stores and sandwich shops. Rossi Waterfront Park has a beautiful walking path along the banks of the Manatee River. The South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium, and Parker Manatee Aquarium is an all in one attraction in downtown Bradenton which features Florida history exhibits, laser light shows, and live manatee tanks.

Golf is a very popular pastime in Bradenton with over 20 golf courses in Bradenton and many more nearby. Across the Intracoastal Waterway is Longboat Key and Anna Maria Key which offer beautiful beaches for water sports, swimming and great shell hunting. Popular water sports include scuba, windsurfing, parasailing, jet skiing, and wave running. Sailing and dolphin watching cruises are also popular. The Sunshine Skyway is a soaring 4 mile long bridge connecting Bradenton with St. Petersburg across Tampa Bay. The remains of the old bridge are now a popular fishing pier. Bradenton and the barrier island of Longboat and Anna Maria offer some of the best dining Florida has to offer with fabulous waterfront views. Longboat has many upscale fine dining establishments, Anna Maria is known for its casual beach front dining, and downtown Bradenton offers upscale and casual dining with a beautiful riverfront view. The barrier islands also offer upscale pampering at an affordable price at their many salons and day spas.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota is the closest airport with flights available from many major airlines including: Air Canada, Air France, American Eagle, Alitalia, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, and US Airways.

Bradenton Game Fish
Backcountry fishing in Bradenton offers chances to catch redfish, snook, trout, and flounder. Inshore fishing in the Tampa Bay waters is also great for huge tarpon. Wrecks and reefs in both the bay and the Gulf of Mexico offer fantastic opportunities to fish for king mackerel, grouper, cobia, amberjack, barracuda, jack Crevalle, shark, snapper, permit, and more. Deep water fishing far offshore is good for dolphin (mahi-mahi), wahoo, tuna, and the occasional sailfish.

Charter Fishing Bradenton
Bradenton has a beautiful tropical climate that boasts over 360 days of sunshine per year. High temperatures range from the low to mid 70’s in winter to the high 80’s to low 90’s in summer. Rainfall is heaviest from June to September. There are many charter fishing captains in the Bradenton area, some specializing in backcountry fishing, other in offshore fishing, and some that do both. The captains and guides are generally very helpful and full of local knowledge to help you find what is biting and where to fish any time of year.

Choose Bradenton
Bradenton is a charming riverfront community with thriving artists’ community, local theater, shopping, and world-class dining. Bradenton is generally a more affordable option than its larger neighbors of Sarasota and Tampa, but near enough to enjoy all of the attractions these larger cities have to offer. Bradenton has fantastic year round fishing in its backwaters, inshore, and offshore for many different species. With sunny skies, a peaceful and friendly community, great golf and water sports, fine beaches and shopping, Bradenton has a lot to offer and is a fantastic choice for your next charter fishing vacation.