The Sarasota coast has 17 mapped bait and tackle shops between Anna Maria Island and Charlotte Harbor. The oldest still standing is New Pass Grill & Bait Shop on City Island, selling bait since 1929; the earliest openers start pouring shrimp around 6 AM. Below: every shop on one map, then a full directory with address, tap-to-call phone, hours, and what each one actually carries.
Note: Hart’s Landing, the Ringling Causeway institution that sold live bait since 1934, was wrecked by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 and demolished in November 2025. The City of Sarasota intends to rebuild on the site; until it does, it’s off the map below.
One rule before every trip: call ahead. Suncoast bait shop hours shift with the season, and live shrimp sell out by lunch on winter weekends. The ⚓ mark flags the shops you can pull up to and buy from by boat.
Map: every bait shop, Anna Maria to Charlotte Harbor
Numbered pins match the directory cards below. Tap a pin for address, phone, hours, and directions.
The directory: addresses, phones & hours
Sarasota & Siesta Key 4
New Pass Grill & Bait Shop ⚓
1505 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236
Since 1929. Live bait plus an old-Florida burger grill on the water at New Pass, next door to Mote Marine.
CB's Saltwater Outfitters
1249 Stickney Point Rd, Sarasota, FL 34242
Siesta Key's largest on-the-water shop: live bait, full tackle wall, boat rentals, charters. At the Stickney Point bridge — bait, ice and a ramp within 200 yards.
Economy Tackle / Dolphin Paddlesports
6018 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231
75+ years in business. Deepest tackle selection in town plus fishing kayaks (Hobie dealer), rentals and demos on Phillippi Creek.
All About Fishing
1115 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239
Live shrimp, minnows, seasonal crabs, worms, crickets; Costa dealer. 10+ years supplying Sarasota anglers.
Anna Maria & Cortez 5
Annie's Bait & Tackle ⚓
4334 127th St W, Cortez, FL 34215
Mainland foot of the Cortez Bridge. Opens around 6 AM and rarely runs out of live shrimp (regular, select, jumbo). Casual restaurant attached.
Island Discount Tackle
5503 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach, FL 34217
Family-owned since 1988; full pro-style shop. Live shrimp roughly $5–8/dozen — can sell out by lunch.
Bridge Street Bait Shop
200 Bridge St, Bradenton Beach, FL 34217
Live shrimp, frozen shrimp, squid, sand fleas — steps from the Bridge Street Pier. The pier-crowd stop.
Pine Avenue Bait & Tackle
Pine Ave, Anna Maria, FL 34216
Frozen bait, tackle and rod rentals near the Anna Maria City Pier.
Palmetto Bait and Tackle
Palmetto, FL 34221
Covers the north side of the Manatee River — Snead Island and Terra Ceia water.
Venice & Osprey 4
BJ Bait and Tackle
482 Blackburn Point Rd, Osprey, FL 34229
Near the Blackburn Point swing bridge and ramp — Casey Key water. Call first to confirm hours.
Cook's Sportland
4419 Tamiami Trail S, Venice, FL 34293
Long-running outdoor store; tackle plus general sporting goods.
Wholesale Tackle Outlet
The Dome Flea Market, SR 776, Venice, FL 34293
Discount tackle inside the Dome Flea Market on weekends.
Crow's Nest Marina Ship's Store ⚓
1968 Tarpon Center Dr, Venice, FL 34285
Live and frozen bait, tackle, charts, beer and ice right at the Venice Inlet fuel dock. Top off bait and fuel in one stop.
Englewood & Placida 3
Skip's Placida Marina ⚓
1990 Placida Rd, Englewood, FL 34224
ICW access just north of Stump Pass. Live shrimp (~$4/dozen) and pinfish; frozen finger mullet, pilchards, squid, cigar minnows, sardines.
Stump Pass Marina Store ⚓
260 Maryland Ave, Englewood, FL 34223
Live shrimp and frozen bait at the fuel dock, mile marker 17A on the ICW.
Gasparilla Marina Store ⚓
15001 Gasparilla Rd, Placida, FL 33946
Bait and provisions at the marina that serves most of the Boca Grande Pass traffic.
Charlotte Harbor 1
Fishin' Frank's
4200 Tamiami Trail, Unit P, Port Charlotte, FL 33952
The tackle institution for Charlotte Harbor. More usable local knowledge per visit than most paid reports — worth the 25-minute drive before any Harbor or Boca Grande trip.
Prices and hours are the moving parts — the phones above are the fix. Barrier-island shops run highest; Placida is cheapest. If you’re launching near Stickney Point, CB’s puts bait, ice, and a ramp queue within 200 yards; by boat, New Pass Grill, Crow’s Nest, Skip’s, Stump Pass, and Gasparilla all sell dockside.
What live bait should I buy, and what does it cost?
Live shrimp are the universal Suncoast bait — everything from snook to sheepshead eats them. 2026 prices run roughly $4–8 per dozen depending on size (regular, select, jumbo) and location; Placida is cheapest, the barrier islands highest.
| Bait | Typical price | Best for | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live shrimp (regular–jumbo) | $4–8/dozen | Everything: snook, redfish, trout, sheepshead, snapper | Year-round; best size in winter |
| Pinfish | $6–12/dozen | Snook, redfish, grouper, tarpon (big ones) | Year-round |
| Scaled sardines (whitebait) | Cast-net your own | Snook, trout, mackerel — the premier summer bait | Apr–Nov on grass flats |
| Frozen finger mullet / pilchards | $4–7/bag | Snook, redfish, bluefish, chum | Year-round |
| Sand fleas | $5–8/dozen | Pompano, whiting in the surf | Fall–spring |
| Squid / cigar minnows | $4–8/box | Bottom fish, kingfish rigs | Year-round |
Most shops sell shrimp by the dozen and rent bait buckets or aerators on the side. If you plan to fish live bait more than a couple of times a season, a $30 bubbler and a 5-gallon bucket pay for themselves fast. Whitebait is the exception — no shop reliably stocks it, so anglers cast-net their own on the flats.
Before you fish any of it, check the current FWC saltwater regulations — bag and size limits change, and a few baitfish species carry their own rules.
Which bait shops open earliest?
- Annie’s Bait & Tackle, Cortez — around 6 AM
- Fishin’ Frank’s, Port Charlotte — around 6:30 AM most days
- Bridge Street Bait Shop, Bradenton Beach — 7 AM
Dawn is the best bite window most of the year, so an early shop matters more than a big one. If your day starts before 6, buy shrimp the evening before and keep them alive overnight in an aerated bucket in the shade — they hold fine in water below 80°F.
FAQ
Do any Sarasota bait shops sell bait 24 hours? No. The earliest reliable openers start around 6 AM (Annie’s in Cortez, Fishin’ Frank’s in Port Charlotte). For a first-light trip, buy bait the night before and aerate it overnight.
How much are live shrimp in Sarasota in 2026? Roughly $4–8 per dozen. Skip’s in Placida has been reported around $4/dozen; barrier-island shops like Island Discount Tackle run $5–8 depending on size grade.
Can I buy bait by boat? Yes — the ⚓ shops on the map sell dockside: New Pass Grill (New Pass), Crow’s Nest (Venice Inlet), Skip’s and Stump Pass Marina (ICW near Stump Pass), and Gasparilla Marina (Placida).
Where do I get sand fleas for pompano? Bridge Street Bait Shop in Bradenton Beach stocks them; otherwise rake your own at the swash line on any Gulf beach, fall through spring.
Do bait shops rent rods? Pine Avenue Bait & Tackle near the Anna Maria City Pier rents rods, and CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key handles rentals alongside its charter and boat-rental desk.
What’s the best all-around bait if I only buy one thing? A dozen select live shrimp. Every inshore species in Sarasota eats them, they survive in a bucket for hours, and they cost less than a sandwich.
Related
Once the bait’s in the bucket, line up the rest of the trip: our marinas and fuel docks guide covers where to launch and fuel from Anna Maria to Boca Grande, and the boat ramps directory lists every public ramp with parking notes. Rig that shrimp right with our live bait techniques page, then put it in front of a snook or redfish. And when the cooler has fish in it, see where to eat your catch.
