Reel Deal Fishing – Short Fuse
Reel Deal Fishing – Short Fuse
Reel Deal Fishing Charters – Short Fuse fishes the productive waters off Panama City with Capt. Bubba at the helm, putting you in experienced hands for a great day on the water.
Captain Richard Lee II, known locally as 'Capt. Bubba,' is a fourth-generation fisherman who has spent his life on the water. Starting as a deckhand in 1999, he has nearly two decades of experience running charter boats and sharing his knowledge with anglers of all ages and experience levels.
Short Fuse is a 41' Egg Harbor sportfishing vessel, fully restored in 2024, combining classic sportfishing style with updated electronics and comfort. Powered by twin Caterpillar engines, the boat runs quickly and safely to productive offshore fishing grounds. Onboard you'll find a clean air-conditioned cabin, full restroom, and plenty of deck space so everyone can fish comfortably.
Short Fuse is a federally permitted vessel, allowing access to offshore waters where many of the Gulf's most sought-after species are found.
Depending on the season and conditions, anglers may target Red Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack, Mahi Mahi, King Mackerel, Wahoo, Vermilion Snapper, Lane Snapper, Cobia, and more.
Families, beginners, and experienced anglers are all welcome aboard.
Interested in a shared or split charter? Send us a message. These trips are arranged when anglers request them and may not appear on the calendar unless a trip is already forming. You can also check availability on our second vessel, Deep Water, for additional trip options.
Fishing opportunities change throughout the year. Spring brings excellent action for Spanish and King Mackerel, while warmer months offer opportunities for Red Snapper, Grouper, Vermilion Snapper, and other reef fish. The 2026 federal for-hire Red Snapper season runs June 1–October 25.
Step aboard Short Fuse and enjoy a great day fishing the Gulf.
Reel Deal Fishing Charters – Short Fuse fishes the productive waters off Panama City with Capt. Bubba at the helm, putting you in experienced hands for a great day on the water.
Captain Richard Lee II, known locally as 'Capt. Bubba,' is a fourth-generation fisherman who has spent his life on the water. Starting as a deckhand in 1999, he has nearly two decades of experience running charter boats and sharing his knowledge with anglers of all ages and experience levels.
Short Fuse is a 41' Egg Harbor sportfishing vessel, fully restored in 2024, combining classic sportfishing style with updated electronics and comfort. Powered by twin Caterpillar engines, the boat runs quickly and safely to productive offshore fishing grounds. Onboard you'll find a clean air-conditioned cabin, full restroom, and plenty of deck space so everyone can fish comfortably.
Short Fuse is a federally permitted vessel, allowing access to offshore waters where many of the Gulf's most sought-after species are found.
Depending on the season and conditions, anglers may target Red Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack, Mahi Mahi, King Mackerel, Wahoo, Vermilion Snapper, Lane Snapper, Cobia, and more.
Families, beginners, and experienced anglers are all welcome aboard.
Interested in a shared or split charter? Send us a message. These trips are arranged when anglers request them and may not appear on the calendar unless a trip is already forming. You can also check availability on our second vessel, Deep Water, for additional trip options.
Fishing opportunities change throughout the year. Spring brings excellent action for Spanish and King Mackerel, while warmer months offer opportunities for Red Snapper, Grouper, Vermilion Snapper, and other reef fish. The 2026 federal for-hire Red Snapper season runs June 1–October 25.
Step aboard Short Fuse and enjoy a great day fishing the Gulf.
Trip availability and prices
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Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (152)
What anglers say
All reviews (117)
Captain Bubba and Jake put us right on the fish! We came for red snapper, left with our limit. We all got our first shark fight and ended up landing it thanks to these guys. They made our trip more than enjoyable and put up with our group, which is a lot by itself. Loved the quiet marina in St. Andrews. The boat offered plenty of space, a place to hide from the sun, AC, and a bathroom. Couldn’t have asked for a better trip! I highly recommend taking a trip with these guys. We’ll be looking at using them again for our next annual trip!
Thanks, Damon! It was a pleasure having y'all aboard. Sounds like that shark gave y'all something to talk about! 😄 I'm glad your first red snapper trip ended with a limit of fish, great memories, and a story I'm sure will get a little better every time it's told. And thanks for mentioning the boat. We work hard to give our guests a great day on the water, and having an air-conditioned cabin, a clean restroom, and a place to get out of the sun can make a long day on the Gulf a whole lot more enjoyable. Hope to see y'all again next year. Enjoy that fresh fish!
Family came down here to PCB to spend Thanksgiving. While down we wanted to put in some fishing time with the kids, that had never been before, but the weather was a little questionable. We decided to go ahead book a 6hr with Reel Deal for some bottom fishing. at first the weathet conditions were not good but the Reel Deal stayed in contact with us and was able to adjust our days and boat for a better experience. During our trip out on Saturday evening, the weather turned out very nice, seas were mostly calm, and everybody had a great time. Kids loved it and were wore out by the end. We caught keeper Vermillions, Triggers, Grouper, and more. Highly recommend booking with Reel Deal if you are in town.
Booked Reel Deal Fishing Charters-Short Fuse for a 6 hour morning trip October 23, 2025 for a group of 5 guys. Captain Bubba did a great job putting us on fish and Deral did a great job keeping cutbait on the lines, getting the fish in the boat, and getting us back in game fast. We caught a lot of fish, had a great time, and had one helluva fish fry when we got back to the beach home. Will definitely book again in the future and highly recommend them for anyone visiting the PCB area and looking for a good time on the water.
Awesome trip had plenty of bites everywhere we went. Caught red snapper, vermilion snapper, grouper, triggerfish, and cobia. Captain killed it keeping us on fish and the deck hand kept bait on the hooks it was an awesome trip for us!
Had a good time an made lots of priceless memories. The captain was great an put us in the fish. We caught some big red snapper, Black snapper, red grouper, triggers, and some others too.
FAQs about Reel Deal Fishing – Short Fuse
- US $250 per person - SF – Shared Split Trip (Seat Fill) (6 hours)
- US $375 per person - SF – Shared Split Trip 10 hr 9/1 (10 hours)
- US $1,350 per group - SF – 6 Hr Snapper 101 (6 hours)
- US $1,350 per group - SF – 6 Hr Snapper 101 - 12:00 PM (6 hours)
- US $1,785 per group - SF – 8 Hr Snapper XPress (8 hours)
- US $2,250 per group - SF – 10 Hr Snapper Expedition ⭐ (10 hours)
- US $2,670 per group - SF – 12 Hr Offshore Spectacular (12 hours)
- US $4,200 per group - SF – Overnight Offshore Adventure (18 hours)
- Toilet Separate restroom with toilet in cabin
- Air conditioning
- GPS
- Fishfinder
- Bed
- Flybridge
- Live bait well ~$1 each. $10–20 suggested; depends on trip length
- Kitchen
- Ice box
- Radar
- Rods, reels & tackle
- Lures
- First mate (Works for tips; 15-20% of the trip price)
- Fishing license (Fishing license included in price)
- Nearshore fishing
- Offshore fishing (Travel time will depend on the length of your trip. We will maximize your fishing time!)
- Reef fishing
- Wreck fishing
- Heavy tackle
- Bottom fishing (high speed troll to and from dock most likely)
- Trolling (3 hr-Bay for Spanish, 4 hr -Gulf of Bay for kings)
- Spinning
- Deep sea fishing
- Cobia
- Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
- Grouper (Red)
- King Mackerel (Kingfish)
- Seabass (Black)
- Shark (Blacktip)
- Snapper (Lane)
- Snapper (Mangrove)
- Snapper (Red)
- Snapper (Vermilion)
- Spanish Mackerel
- Wahoo
Your operator
Capt. Mark has had a love for boats his entire adult life and has had his captain's license for several years. He has always been the one to fix the boats and drive for fun, but not charter one. He decided in the summer of 2017 to start captaining 'Deep Water' and has enjoyed this newfound demanding, yet satisfying calling in his life.
Mark M.
Captain
Deral S.
First mate
Sam M.
Business partner
Bubba L.
Captain
Logan W.
First mate
Capt. Mark has had a love for boats his entire adult life and has had his captain's license for several years. He has always been the one to fix the boats and drive for fun, but not charter one. He decided in the summer of 2017 to start captaining 'Deep Water' and has enjoyed this newfound demanding, yet satisfying calling in his life.
Mark M.
Captain
Deral S.
First mate
Sam M.
Business partner
Bubba L.
Captain
Logan W.
First mate
Real catches by this captain
What is the boat like?
What kind of fishing will you do?
Which fishing techniques you can try
Which amenities are available onboard
How cancellations work
Free cancellation up to 1 day prior to trip
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 1 day before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.
What the listing policies are
Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
How you can pay
Pay online in full
Pay online in full through FishingBooker and save on credit card fees at the dock.
No additional fees.
Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.
The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:
Cash
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
PayPal
Checks
Bank transfer
What’s biting in Panama City right now
Cobia
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
King Mackerel (Kingfish)
Snapper (Red)
Spanish Mackerel
WahooCompare similar fishing charters
State licensed4.7(65)32 ftGroup size 1 - 61 - 6
+104 hour trip • 6 personsUS $800
