What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Sarasota, Florida for the first time?

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Little chillier than we expected but we know for next time to dress warmer if we are fishing in the winter months.

Set up with this option! We’ve done a few fishing trips in different places and this was by far the best! So fun and so many fish. We even saw a dolphin too! <3

Don’t set your expectations too high, Fishing is gambling and on any given day, you could lose and not catch anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed

This was less than a 1/2 day boat rental and he had the equipment, bait, gear and licenses. He know the area and where to fish. He also taught me a ton.

Best advice is to get in good with the locals, they know the best spots and the best times. They know tides, and how to target specific species. They also have the best recipes!

Request Jose for your captain especially if you are first timers or have younger children. He has the patience of a saint!! Absolutely love him!!

although these summer months are tough, if you can suck up the heat its still an incredible experience to get out there on the water

Fishing in water on the mangroves was a fun day of action, lots of different fish and action all morning.

Sunscreen is a must as is reapplying regularly, hydration and snacks are equally important. Fishing only twice in my life, I caught many, many fish yesterday and had an absolute blast!

Can be warm, but able to drink and enjoy the time. Recommend sunscreen and a patient attitude. Fish are biting.

I cannot imagine a better experience for my son and two grandsons! You will not be disappointed with Captain Jack! He is wise beyond his years.

Ask around for a good hook and cook (restaurants that cook/prepare your fresh catch you just caught that day!) we went to Walt’s Fish Market and Restaurant.

Bring a small bag of snacks if you have kid's. And a small cooler. If you want your fillets from different species separated I would bring my own gallon bags.

Long sleeves and plenty of sunscreen! It’s going to be hot so just accept it and you will have a blast.

I only have one data point and don’t know how things vary with season etc. I’d do this again either the same time of year or another time.

Captain Bryan is extremely knowledgable of the waters and knows the best spots to go catch a lot of fish! You will have a great experience with him!

Tide coming in made things a little more difficult with fish behavior, but we still caught quite a few fish of various species.

May inshore - based on what we caught and what we saw at the dock - expect snook, some red snapper, occasional bluefish, saltwater catfish, kingfish.

Fish we caught were out of season or too small. Not a lot of”Good” bites but still had a great time on the water with the family and a fun captain,

Spend the extra money and get a bigger charter boat that can handle the gulf in slightly windy conditions

Definitely watch the weather! It was windy so we didn’t get on all the big fish we wanted but still a great time and memory we won’t forget