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

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.

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.

Capt Taylor was not only professional but was an awesome captain. He was waiting for us at the dock with a live well full of what they call "white bait" ready to get us to the spot. It wasn't but 10 min after we launched that we were catching snook. We told captain Taylor that we wanted to take home some fish as well. He told us snook season is currently closed and is a hefty fine if we had kept them. totally understood but captain Taylor said no worries will target some red fish trout mangrove snapper and more. well holy cow by the end of the day we were loaded with mangrove snapper 2 redfish 8 trout and a cobia!!!! Capt Taylor thank you for a awesome experience and we will most definitely be back! Highly recommend this capt is awesome!

Make sure you spend money on charters. Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for with charters. There are many individuals who own boats that pose as charter services. They have websites, pictures, dates, times, and many years of service. However, many still are private individuals who fish and look to supplement the habit. This sounds ideal until you realize they do not know how to run a charter business. If you cannot fish properly due to charter business issues (i.e. oil in boat), then you cannot enjoy the trip.

Check the reviews more carefully than we did. The boat broke down, so we were told, and that ended our trip 2 hours early One keeper mackerel was caught. We know you dont catch fish every day but we're not sure he really tried to find the fish.

We caught a windy day and capt Josh was limited to fishing spots that had protection. We did have dolphin and manantee very close several times. That was a big plus! It was a great way to spend time with my son!! Thanks Josh!!!

Understand that fish are unpredictable and it is impossible to know what they're thinking. The fishing guides will do their best to put you on the fish but it's never a guarantee. Have good communication with your guide. Ask them questions and let them know if your unsure about amything.

We went on a half day trip with an experienced Captain-it was great! He took us to multiple spots, both in the bay and Gulf of Mexico-we caught fish in all locations! As a first time angler, I was so happy to have an experienced, patient and fun Captain!

Expect tourist conditions, kayakers, paddle boarders and plenty of other charters. It's definitely a mass produced cookie cutter experience. People are pushed through like cattle and it on to the next one. Tourist town expect tourist treatment.

Weather was pefect. Grouper was tough to keep because it was either out of season or less than 20 inchs.

Plenty of good captains to take you out to catch a variety of fish. Do your research on captains, we learned they are not all as advertised.

March can still be a little cold and windy. Be prepared for weather conditions.

It's tough fishing Sarasota in the summer. But it was fun putting a few fish in the boat.

Local knowledge is important, particularly with regards to local fishing areas/weather. Camille was knowledgeable and looked after our family for our 4 hour trip

There are different kinds of water for different experiences. Try them all. Fabulous for salt water fly fishing too!!

Maybe wait till the weather forecast is good as I’ve fished Sarasota twice and been disappointed with the weather.

Wear clothing that breathes but blocks the sun. Wear sunglasses and sunscreen. And whatever you do, go fishing with Sarasota Family Fishing and Captain Scott.

Bring good sunscreen and if you have never went offshore before make absolutely certain that you take some Dramamine tablets before heading out in the morning the captain has some available.

Though we were able to find them, you should definitely check water conditions prior to scheduling a trip. Red tide has been bad this year.

Come when the weather isn’t so hot. Though we caught a lot of fish, they were pretty small. Bigger fish just weren’t biting with the water at 90 degrees.

Use a guide if you’re not familiar with the area...knowing where to fish is extremely helpful and makes for a good time

Absolutely, Captain had patience and great way with people to teach and offer tips without intrusion. great time!

Go with what our capitan said do not go out too far you will still catch plenty of fish and large fish as well.

Go with a knowledgable local captain like Taylor Rahn of Ultimate Fishing Adventures who knows where the fish are and has the equipment and knowledge to help you catch them.

Pick a day with little wind and get out early...once we found a spot and started catching all the boats showed up.

In the ten days my grandsons were here, they caught more than 20 fish right off of Turtle Beach--sheepshead and whitings. They used live shrimp and caught sand flees for bait.

Weather can be a problem. Fishing inshore is not very good in the winter (Dec.-Feb.) , but offshore can be good if the weather cooperates.

Weedless jerkbaits worked well in the shallow grass flats along with mirrordene lures in deeper water for trout.

Hook up with Capt. Jon Green , relax, bring sunscreen, he'll do the rest. You just have to reel them in.

Do your homework and make sure your Captain knows where the fish are ,and make sure his equipment and boat are in good condition.