Expert-Guided 4-Hour Sarasota Inshore Fishing

Black Drum

Black drum are the gentle giants of our inshore waters. These cousins of redfish typically run 5-30 pounds, but monsters over 50 aren't unheard of. You'll find them around oyster bars, bridge pilings, and in deeper holes, especially in cooler months. Drum are bottom feeders, so fish your bait right on the bottom. Fresh cut crab or shrimp works best. What makes drum fun is their strong, steady fights - no acrobatics, just raw power. Smaller ones under 15 pounds are good eating, with a mild, sweet flavor. Bigger ones can be tough and wormy, so we usually release those. Here's a local trick: listen for their distinctive croaking sound. On quiet days, you can often hear drum before you see them. Just remember to bring heavy tackle - these bruisers can really test your gear.

Crevalle Jack

Crevalle jacks are like the bulldogs of our inshore waters. These powerful fish typically run 3-15 pounds, though bigger ones aren't uncommon. You'll find them busting bait schools in open water or patrolling near structures like bridges and jetties. Jacks are most active in warmer months, especially summer and early fall. What makes them fun to catch is their incredible strength - pound for pound, they're some of the hardest-fighting fish out there. When you hook one, hold on tight! They're not considered great table fare, but the fight makes up for it. Look for diving birds to find feeding jacks. A local trick: use a topwater plug and work it fast and erratically. Jacks can't resist an easy meal, and the strike is often explosive. Just be careful handling them - those gill plates are sharp.

Florida Pompano

Florida pompano are the speedsters of our inshore waters. These silvery, disc-shaped fish typically run 1-3 pounds and are prized for their tasty, white meat. You'll find them along the beaches and in passes, especially during their spring and fall runs. Pompano love sandy bottoms where they feed on small crustaceans. Use small jigs tipped with shrimp or sand fleas for best results. What makes pompano fun is their quick, darting fights and their selectivity - fooling a pompano can be a real challenge. They're also one of the best-eating fish in the gulf. Here's a local trick: look for pompano skipping across the surface as they flee from predators. This behavior, called "ghost skipping," is a dead giveaway that a school is nearby. Just remember to use light line and small hooks - pompano have keen eyesight and can be easily spooked.

Redfish

Redfish are a favorite target here in Sarasota. These copper-colored beauties typically run 15-30 inches and put up a great fight. You'll find them tailing in shallow grass flats or hanging around oyster bars, especially during fall and winter. Redfish love structure, so we'll focus on mangrove shorelines, docks, and pilings. They're not picky eaters - live shrimp, cut bait, or artificial lures all work well. What makes redfish special is that telltale spot near their tail. Some fish have multiple spots, which is always cool to see. When you hook one, be ready for some drag-screaming runs. As for eating, smaller reds under 27 inches are delicious. Here's a local tip: on calm days, look for pushes of water or swirls on the surface. That's often a dead giveaway for feeding redfish. Just remember to approach quietly so you don't spook them.

Sea Trout

Sea trout, or speckled trout, are a staple of Sarasota's flats fishing. These spotted beauties typically run 1-3 pounds, though gator trout over 5 pounds aren't uncommon. You'll find them over grass flats, especially around potholes or sandy patches. Dawn and dusk are prime times, with winter being the best season for bigger fish. Trout are aggressive feeders and will hit a variety of baits - live shrimp under a popping cork is a local favorite. What makes them fun is their willingness to bite and their delicate mouth, which requires finesse to land consistently. They're also excellent eating, with soft, white meat. Here's a tip: on windy days, fish the lee side of islands where bait gets pushed up against the shore. Trout often lurk in these calm pockets, waiting to ambush an easy meal.

Sheepshead

Sheepshead are the sneaky thieves of our inshore waters. These striped fish typically run 2-5 pounds and are known for their human-like teeth. You'll find them around any structure with barnacles or oysters - docks, pilings, and rock jetties are prime spots. Winter and early spring are best, when they school up to spawn. Sheepshead are notorious bait stealers, so a sensitive touch is key. Use small hooks and fresh fiddler crabs or oysters for best results. What makes them fun is the challenge - they're experts at cleaning your hook without getting caught. But when you hook one, they put up a surprisingly good fight for their size. They're also excellent eating, with sweet, white meat. Here's a local tip: when you feel the lightest tap, wait a second before setting the hook. That extra moment often makes the difference.

Snook

Snook are the prize catch of Sarasota's inshore waters. These sleek, powerful fish average 5-15 pounds but can get much bigger. You'll find them around mangroves, docks, and beach passes, especially during their spring and fall spawning runs. Snook love structure and current, so focus on those areas. They're ambush predators, so accurate casting is key. Live bait like pinfish or pilchards works great, but artificials like jigs and swimbaits produce too. What makes snook special is their acrobatic fights and selective nature - fooling a big snook is a real achievement. They're also excellent eating, though heavily regulated. Here's a local tip: fish the outgoing tide at night around lighted docks. Snook often feed in the shadows, picking off bait attracted to the lights.

Summer Flounder

Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) Fish Description 

Summer Flounder are a flatfish species. This fish is one of several “sand flounders”, with both eyes on the left side of the head; this means that Summer Flounder live on the seafloor, lying on the blind side of their bodies, facing the open water column. 

Summer Flounder are grayish-brown with lighter spots, helping them blend in with the areas surrounding the seabed. When they hatch from their eggs, the Summer Flounder resemble normal fish, with an eye on each side of the head. As they mature, the bones on the right side of the skull grow significantly faster, so the right eye and nostril slowly migrate to the left side. Their jaws do not change significantly, so they bite sideways, from left to right.

Diet and Size

Summer Flounder are active ambush predators, which mean that they utilize their camouflage to blend in with their surroundings to catch unsuspecting prey. They also chase them down using their excellent swimming ability when dealing with prey that move faster. Their diet consists of a variety of bony fish including the sand lance, menhaden, atlantic silverside, mummichog killifish, small bluefish, porgies and a wide range of invertebrates like crabs, shrimps, and squids.

The average Summer Flounder is typically 15-20 inches in length, though they have the capability to grow as large as 26 pounds and live up to 20 years. The females make up the largest and oldest specimens having a maximum observed age of 17 years, while male Flounder have a maximum observed age of 15 years.

Interesting Facts about Summer Flounder

• Summer Flounder are nicknamed “chameleons of the sea” since they are capable of changing their coloring to blend in with the texture and color of the bottom where they live.
• Most of the Summer Flounder spawn in the peak months of October and November when water temperatures change and plankton is at its most abundant period. Combining these elements improves the chance of survival for the larval Summer Flounder.
• Larval and juvenile Summer Flounder are preyed upon by species like spiny dogfish, monkfish, cod, hakes, sea raven, longhorn sculpin, and fourspot flounder until they grow large enough to fend for themselves. Adult Summer Flounders are preyed by large sharks, rays, and monkfish.
• Female Flounder have between 460,000 to more than 4 million eggs, hatching in waters of the continental shelf.
• A permit is required for the sale and purchase of the summer flounder

Summer Flounder Fishing Techniques 

Summer Flounder can be fished all year round, but they're easier to catch between September and November. Summer Flounder have a great response to live fish such as minnow, mullet and croakers. Sea worms and clams are also effective baits that Summer Flounder love. It is recommended that you use a circle hook, because it is easier for Flounders to bite. 

An effective angling technique would be hooking smaller baitfish through the eye and larger baitfish through the lips. Using a casting rod which is 7 ft long is the standard method of anglers for catching Flounder. It is advised that you use a line that's sturdy enough to handle larger fish that might take the bait. You may need a sinker to make sure the hook is within reach of the Flounder down below

Summer Flounder Habitat & Distribution 

Summer Flounder are mainly found in the East Coast of the United States and Canada. They are very abundant in the waters stretching from North Carolina to Massachusetts. Summer Flounder also thrive best from Nova Scotia to the eastern part of Florida.

This fish is usually located offshore and inshore, especially in estuaries. They are demersal; thus, Summer Flounder are usually captured using bottom otter trawls or by gillnets and pound nets.