What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Sarasota, Florida for the first time?
Answers by verified FishingBooker anglers who went fishing in Sarasota
Showing:
1 - 30 of 139 answers
1 - 30 of 139 answers

Katie McCourt
Captain Andy taught us Dramamine should be taken night before and hour before trip. Although inland we didn’t need it. But great tip I never knew! Bring cooler with snacks and drinks. Captain has cold water. Sunblock sunblock for kids. Don’t forget camera! Great experience. Be early by 15 minutes! There is a safety review and if you’re too late your canceled. We made it by 4min.

Joseph Shalack
Booked a certain day from a specific location. After deposit, they said they couldn’t do that day. Picked different day and then they switched pickup location to double the distance we initially had. It was a long ride. Initial captain who promised extra time did not come but replacement captain was very nice. Boat was plain. Locations were odd. Mostly at other people’s private docks. Lots of travel time to get there. Would rather of just spent 3 hours by the pickup dock then half time traveling to boring locations. Caught 3 fish in 3 hours. Price with tip was over $500. Was promised extra time and to be taken care of because of scheduling changes. Got a little extra time but it was spent under a drawbridge by drop off location while bridge was opening g and closing with boat traffic. Weird. Wish we kept the money and did more jet skiing. Was not what I had in mind for a private charter in scenic Sarasota.

Steve Carney
Definitely get a local guide to put you on to some fish. It may seem expensive. However, once you factor in fuel, wear and tear on the boat, live bait, the Captains experience/knowledge, etc. it is well worth it. Even those that did not care about fishing still enjoyed the trip.

Mandy Corrigan
This was very fun, but it is advertised like you will catch alot of fish. Nothing is specified on tge website about better times of day to catch. But that being said, we had a wonderful time and caught 2 fish

Vince Zurzolo
Book a great boat like I did. Reel Tight made a great day out of a tough one. Fish we wanted weren’t biting so we switched plans and had an exciting day catching jack Cavale. Dress warm if it’s chilly, or switch to an afternoon trip. We did have a lot of fun.

Jeff Diss
Book as early as possible. These trips book fast. Four hour trips are perfect in July. They start at 8am and end at noon right when it starts to get really hot, then the cool breeze of the trip back is very refreshing!
Although there no guarantees you’ll catch fish, these Captains will go over and above to make your fishing experience as best as possible so tip them generously. We look forward to fishing here again next year.

Stephanie Zerrillo-Greco
Make sure you hydrate before and during your fishing trip. Wear appropriate clothing for being exposed to a lot of heat and direct sunlight (hat, glasses, light clothing, etc.). Don't forget the sunblock. If you get seasick easily take some Dramamine. I also recommend taking a few snacks like crackers or chips if you are feeling nauseous.

Joel Mikulsky
I thought that FishingBooker was the way to go to book a charter, but given him my experience and getting a different boat and Captain, I would not consider this website or booking service again. I will only book directly with a professional chart. I don’t feel that I got my moneys worth for this experience.

Rich Bloom
There was nothing Tony did wrong. He tried hard but fish just were not biting. Anyone who has fished much knows you have these type of days sometimes. No what we expected but still a good day on the water.

Loral Epp
VERIFIED
Went fishing with High Class Hooker Charters – Siesta Key on October 18, 2023
Went fishing with High Class Hooker Charters – Siesta Key on October 18, 2023
I would say the family fishing trip was a great mix of fishing and shark tooth finding but if you want to just fish you might want to book just the fishing excursion. But no matter you won’t be disappointed

Denis Wyssbrod
Trust your Capt to know what is bitting. They are on the water and know what to target and where to go. Some days are very good and some a little slower.
Thats why it's called fishing and not just catching.

Edward Polaski
Pembroke Pines, Florida
2nd year in a row with Captain Bryan. He's a class act with a ton of knowledge. Hammered the fish last year. Fish did not cooperate but not from lack of trying. Anyone who fishes knows that sometime the fish don't cooperate. Plan on coming down again next year and will not even think about getting a different Captain or guide. Want a great fishing experience pick this outfit

Mark Gleisner
Oconomowoc, WI
Josh is a great guide. Caught alot of fish in many different areas. Ask him to take you to the "honey Hole" dock fishing. Caught a fish on almost every single cast. This is a true review..Mark Gleisner, Oconomowoc, wisconsin.

Stephen Coffey
Bradenton, FL
Captain Scott was great, he put us on the fish. At each stop he took the time to explain what type fish we may catch but also the technique that we should be using. We had a great day, catching snapper, catfish and a tripletail. This trip truly had the fish that got away, a giant tripletail that got away as it neared the boat. We definitely would recommend him and looking forward to future trips.

Daniel Parry
Perkasie, PA
It was pretty windy while we were there. There were some storms in the Gulf that probably threw the captain some curveballs to deal with. It was a good trip, but the captain seemed a little disappointed with the results. We are from the North, so the fishing still was excellent by comparison.

Bill Tiffan
Sarasota, Florida
Go out into the Gulf--more likely to catch good fish. Better yet, head a little north to Brandenton where Grouper, Red Fish etc. are legal to catch this time of year. Farther north, as I've been told, allows for fishing in deeper water closer to shore in the Gulf.

Keith Bogle
Duluth, GA
VERIFIED
Went fishing with Paradise Fly Sport Fishing on May 12, 2020
Went fishing with Paradise Fly Sport Fishing on May 12, 2020
The only problem with May is the love bugs but they really weren't that bad, though we didn't hit them at the height of their season. After a couple of months of enforced lockdown due to the virus, this was a more than welcomed diversion.

Justin Arnold
San Juan
4 hour trip was fun, good overall experience.great boat and crew. But I would suggest the 8 hour trip next time. Hour ride to fishing spot, hour ride back. Moving from spot to spot to where the fish are. Seems like we only fished for 30 minutes.

Kelsey Platt
Yes - we fished in the Sarasota bay which due to the expertise of our captain Mr Cameron-we found exactly what he said and he knew his stuff! Has the best time!!

Brook Zakovec
If you have young kids and not all love fishing the 3 hours was perfect.
If everyone enjoys fishing I would def do longer!

Scott Nemec
Don't be afraid to ask questions or admit if you're not an expert angler, there's no shame in it & this is what these folks do for a living.

Glen Glace
We were first timers and the captain took care of everything. Baits, shoes how to cast, advice on reeling in. Cleaned the fish for us.

KYLE VANDEGRAAF
Wanted to spend a morning catching fish and everyone did. Fishing offshore in the Gulf was a great experience with the right boat and captain.

Jay Davenport
I only fished the intercostal waters but would have liked to try the gulf but not enough time.

Paula Mitchell
You don't have to know anything about fishing. The captains help with everything. Just relax and have fun.

David Underhill
Captain Chris was very accommodating to my wife that wasn’t feeling well. Made my daughter feel better when her cobia broke off.

Andy Kulas
Do not hesitate to book a charter with Captain Scoot, very reasonably priced and great experience! Caught a lot of fish!!!

Charles Hughes
Absolutely recommend fishing in Sarasota in March. We had a beautiful day and caught quite a few keepers.

Nancy Brandenburg
Be sure to bring something light weight and long sleeved so you don’t get too much sun exposure. Hat is important too.

David Pullen
Small charters are my favorite. Local captains that know the area and which techniques and baits work best keeps me coming back year after year.