The Fish
We Chase.

Sarasota snook season opens March 1 and September 1, 2026. The 28-33 inch slot, permit rules, and where they stack — Big Pass, Venice Inlet, dock lights.

Sarasota redfish rules for 2026: 18-27 inch slot, 1 per person, 2 per vessel, open year-round. Where the schools stage — Long Bar, the Bulkhead, Palma Sola.

New 2026 seatrout rules for Sarasota Bay: 15-19 inch slot, 3 per person, open year-round. The grass flats, popping-cork rig, and gator trout water.

Cobia arrive off Sarasota in March and peak April–May on nearshore reefs, markers and rays. Sight-casting tactics plus the 36-inch 2026 FWC rules.

Gulf gag grouper season 2026: Sept 1–14 in Florida state waters, all of September in federal waters. Where gags hold off Sarasota and how to fish the window.

King mackerel flood Sarasota's nearshore reefs March–May and again in late October. Run timing, stinger rigs, the 24-inch fork-length rule, where to troll.

Mangrove snapper stack on Sarasota's nearshore reefs between the July and August full moons. Spawn timing, chumming tactics, and the 2026 Gulf limits.

Pompano run Sarasota's passes and surf March–May and October–December. Doc's Goofy Jigs, sand flea rigs, Venice jetty access and 2026 FWC rules.

Keeper red grouper off Sarasota hold in 70–140 ft, 15–30 miles out. 2026 Gulf rules: 20-inch minimum, 2-fish bag, and the Feb–Mar deep-water closure.

Sheepshead peak in Sarasota Feb-Mar on the Venice jetties and bridge pilings. 12 inch minimum, 8 per day in 2026 — rigs, fiddler crabs, and the spots.

Spanish mackerel run Sarasota's beaches and passes twice a year — March–May and October–November. Spots, spoons, leaders and 2026 FWC rules.

Florida tripletail rules 2026: 18-inch minimum, 2 per person, open year-round. The Sarasota fishery runs the crab-trap buoys October 15 – May 1.

Ladyfish are edible but soft and bony — most anglers keep them for cut bait. No size limit in Florida (unregulated, default 100 lb/2 fish). ID and baits.

Black drum from 2 lb bar fish to 50 lb bridge giants live in Sarasota year-round. How to tell them from sheepshead, the 14–24 inch slot, and where they bite.

Blacktip sharks hit Sarasota's passes and beaches April–October — 3–5 ft fish on cut ladyfish. Spots, rigs, the spinner-shark ID, and 2026 FWC rules.

Bonnethead sharks cruise Sarasota Bay's grass flats May–October. Shrimp and crab baits, light tackle, the shovel-head ID, and 2026 FWC shark rules.

Yes — barracuda are legal to keep in Sarasota Gulf waters, no specific limit. Six South Florida counties run a 15–36 inch slot. Rules, reefs and tube lures.

Little tunny — 'bonito' or false albacore — blitz Sarasota's nearshore beaches each fall. ID, why they scream drag, the best casting tactics, and the 2026 rules.

Sarasota flounder stack on dock edges and pass sand September–November. Where to drag a jig, the 14-inch rule, and the Oct 15–Nov 30 closure explained.

Jack crevalle crash bait schools across Sarasota Bay year-round, from 2 lb creek fish to 30 lb bruisers. ID marks, best lures, and 2026 FWC rules.

Permit hold on Sarasota's nearshore reefs April–September. How to tell a permit from a pompano, the 11–22 inch slot rule, and where a live crab gets eaten.

Whiting (Gulf kingfish) have no size limit in Florida — unregulated, default 2 fish or 100 lb per day. The surf rig, best baits, and Sarasota beach spots.