You can easily launch from the Fish House's parking lot, then paddle over to Oscar Scherer State Park. The park is noted for its population of endangered scrub jays, bald eagles, bobcats, river otters and alligators. After sightseeing, paddle back to the restaurant for a hearty seafood lunch or dinner.

If you'd like to make a day of it, put in at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key. Just hug the right sight of Midnight Pass and follow it around past channel marker 32. The best way to enjoy this trip is with a cooler of cold drinks and a bait bucket. Split the paddling up every 15 minutes or so with fishing breaks and you'll be rewarded with time to enjoy the views of magnificent homes and wildlife, including exotic birds, dolphin and manatees. By the time you reach the Casey Key Fish House, you'll be ready for an ice-cold beer at that tiki bar.

801 Blackburn Point Road

Osprey, FL 34229

(941) 966-1901

Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Lunch served all day.

With its earthy tile floors, sturdy iron chairs and glass top tables, the Portside Patio at Marina Jack is a gleaming, modern addition to Sarasota's waterfront restaurants. Only three-and-a-half years old, it's a roaring success among boaters and the downtown business suits who flock to its bayside bar for Friday happy hours.

"It's been extremely successful," says Marina Jack vice president Sam Chavers. Adjacent to the more formal Marina Jack Restaurant, the Portside Patio requires only shirt and shoes. Bathing suits and tank tops are allowed, and the casual atmosphere results in a lively and eclectic crowd.

Along with a bustling circular full bar, the Patio features a raw bar menu, including oysters on the half shell, steamed shrimp and smoked salmon. Prices range from $2.95 to $15.95. The signature dish is grilled grouper sandwich. Chavers says it "outsells everything else four-to-one" and estimates the Patio sells between 500 and 600 of these every month.

Because of its proximity to downtown, Sarasota Bay and Selby Gardens, this trip offers one of Sarasota's best kayaking adventures. Start with a grouper sandwich at the Portside Patio. When you're done, put in at O'Leary's Water Sports and Grill on the south end of the park (the Patio has no beach). From there you can paddle around Selby Gardens and enjoy watching the sailboats bob at their moorings in the bay and the sun drift below an azure horizon. On your way back in, bask in the beauty of Sarasota's downtown skyline, then take a stroll along the park to stretch your legs. You may even be lured back toward the Portside Patio for a martini before heading home.

#2 Marina Plaza

Sarasota, FL 34236

(941) 365-4232

Open 11:30 a.m. until midnight.

Originally built in 1947, the Rod and Reel on Anna Maria Island is a funky little slice of old Florida that seems to have jumped straight out of a John D. MacDonald novel. Its weather-beaten fishing pier has withstood countless storms, including Gabrielle last September, although that tropical storm closed it for three months (and caused nearly $80,000 worth of damage).

Part of the restaurant's allure lies in its spectacular views of Egmont Key and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge; its hallmark is the wraparound pier that surrounds the tiny restaurant upstairs. Here, grouper is king, appearing in such dishes as breakfast grouper omelets, lunch grouper sandwiches and Mexican grouper dinners. Appetizers range from 95 cents (for French fries or coleslaw) to $4.95, lunch and dinner from $2.95 to $7.

The downstairs bar is barely wide enough for two people to pass through at the same time, but linger long enough to look at the sepia-toned photographs and newspaper articles detailing the pier's many fishing conquests. You can also order food here if all the tables are taken upstairs.

Parking is limited at the Rod and Reel, so drive about a quarter mile down to the City Municipal Pier-which has plenty of parking and places to launch-and spend some time there first. Like the Rod and Reel, it has a wraparound pier where fishermen try their luck while sipping dollar draft beers. From there, paddle down to Rod and Reel, where you can easily beach your kayak and walk up the pier.

Because of the open water, high winds and occasional chop, beginning kayakers should stay close to shore for this trip. More adventurous kayakers can head across the channel to Egmont Key and explore its famous lighthouse; but when crossing over, keep a keen eye out for larger boats.