Sarasota, Florida

Fishing & Travel Destination

Sarasota is located just south of Bradenton on Florida’s central Gulf Coast.    Sarasota is known as a center for arts and culture, a premier resort community,
a sunny beach community, and a fantastic place for a charter fishing vacation. 
Sarasota’s beaches are considered to be some of the best in the world with sparkling white sand, turquoise waters and spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.  Dolphin and manatee sightings are common off of Sarasota’s beaches.  Popular water sports enjoyed in Sarasota include windsurfing, kite surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, sailing, scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, and awesome inshore and offshore charter fishing.  Sarasota is also home to more than 30 fantastic public and private golf courses.

Sarasota also has a reputation as a fine arts and cultural center and boasts many fine museums, galleries, theater companies, and an opera company.The Sarasota Metropolitan area is home to many fine upscale shopping centers.  The island of St. Armand’s Key offers a European style open air shopping center featuring upscale shops and boutiques, elegant gourmet dining, and a charming and sophisticated atmosphere. The Artisan’s World Marketplace is a treasure trove of handcrafted gift items, and the Westfield Shopping Town is the largest mall within 40 miles and features more than 140 specialty shops, 4 department stores, casual food court and movie theater.

Sarasota is the original home of the Ringling Brothers’ Circus and Mabel and John Ringling’s estate now houses a world class art museum as well as The Circus Museum and learning center that showcase all things circus to delight the child in all of us.  The Sarasota Garden Club has tropical gardens including a charming butterfly garden.  Other wildlife encounters in Sarasota include the Sarasota Jungle Gardens with 70 species of animals, birds and reptiles.  The Mote Aquarium houses manatees, sharks, sea turtles and other marine life. Dining choices in Sarasota are diverse and plentiful.  Sarasota and the barrier islands is rich with five star gourmet dining and casual beachfront bistros.  Whatever your tastes, Sarasota has some of the best restaurants in Florida.  Nightlife in Sarasota is vibrant as well.  Jazz clubs, dance clubs, beachside bars and more keep Sarasota nights alive.  Sarasota also host many festivals and events year round including a jazz festival, music festival, food festival, blues festival, film festival, and more.

Sarasota is serviced by the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport as well as the nearby Tampa International airport and between the two has flights from most major airlines.  Sarasota’s proximity to other popular vacation spots such as Tampa, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Venice make renting a car a good choice.

Sarasota Game Fish  
Sarasota has great offshore and reef fishing for many species including dolphin (mahi-mahi), blackfin tuna, cobia, king mackerel, bonita, amberjack, gag grouper, red grouper, little tunney, barracuda, blacktip shark, Spanish mackerel and more.  Inshore backwater and flats species caught in Sarasota waters include: yellowtail, lane snapper, mangrove snapper, cobia, tarpon, redfish, snook, permit, flounder, sea trout, Spanish mackerel, and pompano.

Charter fishing Sarasota
Sarasota has a beautiful tropical climate with sunshine year round.  High temperatures range from the low to mid 70’s in winter to high 80’s to 90 degrees in the summer months.  Rainfall is heaviest in the summer months from June to September.  Sarasota offer numerous charter fishing opportunities from 2-4 man skiffs for inshore flats and backcountry fishing, to large luxury yachts, and regular party cruises for offshore fishing.  Inshore fishing for redfish, snook, trout, and snapper is great all year long.  Tarpon season runs from May to July.  Spanish mackerel runs from March to June and again in September through November.  Offshore fishing for grouper and amberjack is fantastic year round in Sarasota, with cobia running March to May and again in September, October and November.  Kingfish is more common in the cooler months from October through April.  All these species may be caught at any time of year.  Charter fishing captains and guides are knowledgeable of local species and seasons and can point any angler towards a great catch.

Choose Sarasota for your next fishing adventure
Sarasota offers so many great attractions for a memorable charter fishing vacation.  World class shopping and dining, a vibrant nightlife, top rated white sand beaches, awesome water sports, arts, museums, culture, year round festivals, and world-class fishing make Sarasota a great choice for your next charter fishing vacation destination.