What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Panama City Beach, Florida for the first time?

If you've been on party boats fishing before and haven't booked a private charter, I would HIGHLY recommend booking a private one. It costs a little more per person, but the experience more than makes up for it! One of my brothers-in-law lost his hat in the ocean on the way back to the dock, and our Captain didn't think twice about turning around and grabbing it out of the water. You're a number on a party boat; a guest on a charter.

Understand that the captain cannot control the weather or the fish. We had a great time. We caught several fish that we had to throw back because they were a smidge too little. So, we caught more fish than the fish board shows.

Bring an air conditioner. Fishing in July is great, the fish are biting, but it does get hot. Our trip on Semper Fi Charters was better than expected. The crew went above and beyond. So, if you want a great boat with a great crew, make your reservation with Semper Fi Charters. Vet owned and operated.

If it’s your first time coming to fish in pcb then I would recommend using Cpt. Calin Creel he was extremely nice and put us directly on fish the entire trip we couldn’t have had a better experience!!! Thank you Cpt. Calin!!!

Chandler was excellent and ensured everyone from the experienced to the teenager caught fish and had a great time!!! One of the highlights for everyone was battle it the shark for a good 30 min. (Caught and released). We had plenty of fish for dinner that night that Chandler cleaned for us. Do yourself a favor and book Chandler!!!

Be prepared for weather changes! Also if you don't like rough waters be prepared for that. The guide is amazing at what he does so trust his guidance. Other than that be prepared to have a great time!

Absolutely we had a great time as always!!! Been out in 3 trips with chances r charters and the deckhand Cristian is always so helpful he goes above and beyond to make sure we have a good time!!! We’ll definitely be back!

This 4hr trip was a good amount of time. After speaking with captain 1 day prior to trip we decided to move it up from 7 a.m to 5.am which was great. The ocean was calmer and the temperature was alot better in the early morning hours. We caught a wide variety of fish and had plenty of fish for a couple of meals. Highly recommend this captain.

We went out early (7 AM) and fished in deeper waters for the first 2 hours. The breeze was nice and we had early success. Captain Walker knew exactly were to put us. When we headed back in-shore to fish in the bay, we lost the breeze and the temps started climbing but we still were catching fish.

Loved everything about this company and this Captain. Don’t forget your cooler of your favorite beverage, Captain Will takes care of everything else. You won’t be disappointed. We chose the captain’s choice trip and our Captain definitely knew where the fish were located. Can’t say enough about this wonderful experience.

Wear tennis shoes. Even with sunblock your feet get extremely hot- we went from 10-2. Bring ginger chews for motion sickness. Wear a hat for coverage and sleeves. Take lots of pictures- you’ll regret it if you don’t take time to. Ask lots of questions- these guys are great instructors .

If you have trouble with motion sickness use the medicine at least an hour before you get on the boat, preferably 6 hours before. So that the medication has time to start work before the nausea begins.

This is a fantastic crew and boat. We missed red snapper season by one day, which is fine because we had a great time and got a bunch of fish on the boat, but if you want snapper, wait until June 1st.

If you are taking kids I would recommend some off shore because in shore was artificial and some live bait but we may have just went at a bad time fishing is fishing so you never know you may catch and you may not

Checking opening dates for the fish you want. Check for federal or state licensing. Make you know hidden cost or cost you just dont know about. Buying the live bait. Having your fish cleaned. 15-25% 1st mate tip. Make sure to be upfront about what fish you are after if you know

Dress like it is going to be hot. Don’t forget a hat, sun screen, water and shoes that won’t scuff the boat deck. I brought zip locks and Italian Dressing to marinate. If you are prone to motion sickness, prescription scopolamine patches and several ginger chews worked for me.

Great time to land some real fighters. The Amberjack fish will test every muscle in your body. We wanted “catch and release” which allowed us to catch anything (even before season kicked off next month. Fantastic experience.

we caught fish, but it wasn’t the kind of we were expecting … and we have been fishing charters and party boats for over 30 years in Florida. The only reason I say it was OK is because we got enough fish to eat for dinner.

We booked our trip for early May. Weather is always a factor this time of year. If you book this time of year expect the unexpected with weather but know that your guides are watching it and will do whatever they can to give you a good fishing trip. Also be sure to ask what fish are noting becias

this is the third time I have booked a charter with fishing booker. all three times the captain cancelled for whatever reason. They send you a refund thinking all is well. Well, if I wanted my money I wouldnt have booked in the first place. How about when a captain cancells get another captain for the same time slot. Forget the refund I want to go fishing.I will never use then again

There's fish out there to be caught, but alot of them you can't keep. Red snapper was mostly what we caught and had to throw them back since they weren't in season. However, great weather and still brought a couple red grouper on board.

The fish we wanted to target (tarpon) is not here right now. My fault, for not researching. Captain did inform me immediately after booking and I was fine with whatever fishing we would do. February still a bit chili.

Weather is cooler so dress in layers as a morning trip can start really cool. Because of cooler conditions some fish are not around the area so may limit ability to catch certain species but it was still a fun experience and my teenage kids had a fun time being competitive over biggest and most fish caught

this is a fantastic boat for first time and seasoned fisher. The boat cabin is can keep you warm or cool if needed while travelling out and in. Captain is very hands on and attentive to making it a memorable experience.

Do your research. Contact your captain for tips. Be on time, because your trip may not be the only one for the day. Tell the Capt. what you're interested in catching and if that's an option. Listen to what they tell you to do, and you'll have fun. I used Panama Adventures with Capt. Clay, and he is great.

The trip should have been called due to weather, or potential bad weather building, and lack of experience of the captain. He was not the captain we thought we were getting who is the owner of the business. It was his son and the reviews are based mostly on the owner not the son. Still tipped 10% of $240 to deck hand who had to work very little and when he did, was slow or inexperienced we noticed. This based on a $2400 boat fee, Caught 4 fish each costing $660. I stopped at the fish market and spent $110 so I could bring fish home to Atlanta where I now reside. We split the fees mostly, I paid a little more than most, I feel responsible because I had planned it, and I feel like I failed my friends, though they do not blame me.

The captain said it was a good time for shark fishing. We got on on shark but lost it. The next one was a very large Sandbar shark, which are protected so we couldn't keep it but we were thrilled for the chance to reel in such a large shark. The weather the day before was not ideal and didn't set us up for the best fishing but the captain kept us on fish as much as possible. Great experience overall!

Consider what fish are in or out of season. We had a great time fishing and had a great time catching. However, Red Snapper were out of season despite being large enough to "keep" during another part of the year. We fished because we love fishing. However, we did want to keep something. The amberjack and goliath grouper we caught we awesome. However the goliath grouper is a protected species and the various amberjack we each slightly smaller than the legal limit to keep. Awesome time, though!

We had an absolute blast!! For 3 of us, it was the first time deep sea fishing and it was amazing!! Justin Redmon is top notch and excellent at what he does!! Took us out and we caught our limit of red snapper with 20-25 minutes. He then put us on some mahi-mahi. Caught 11 of them!! This guy knows his stuff!! If I could give him 100 stars I would. This fishing trip was worth every penny!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND Redmon’s Light Tackle Guide Service!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Go out on a "state" boat which typically remains within sight of land (+/- 10 miles out) to be sure your not prone to sea sickness. I've fished both near coast and off shore (deep sea) on several occasions in multiple states and would rate my overall experience fishing in Panama City as average. Typically a 6 hour (half day) trip results in 2-3 hours of actual fishing. If not already included and/or given the option by your captain, purchase live bait on your way out. Bring cash for tips and live bait purchase. Fish cleaning is not included but can be processed at a reasonable priced once you return to the dock Bring sunscreen, hat, camera, sunglasses, snacks and drinks.