Hook'em Up Charters is a family-owned fishing charter company based at Captain Anderson's Marina in Panama City Beach, Florida, United States.[1] Owned and operated by Capt. B.J. Burkett, it runs half-day, full-day and overnight fishing charters in the Gulf of Mexico, including shark fishing, reef fishing and blue water trolling, for anglers from Panama City and the 30A area.[2]
History
Hook'em Up Charters LLC is an active Florida limited liability company with B.J. Burkett as its registered agent.[4] Burkett is a third-generation fisherman who was born and raised on the local waters of Panama City[6] and is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain.[7]
Capt. Jimbo Stevens joined the company in 2014.[7] Burkett has owned the Lady Raye since 2017.[8] The Game Changer joined the fleet in 2022,[9] and in the spring of 2023 Burkett acquired a new Hooked Up, a custom-built Gilman, which Capt. Bryan Jones began running in early 2023.[8][7] The Lady Raye began running charters out of Panama City Beach in 2025.[9]
In April 2026 the company launched a new website describing its charter options, from half-day trips to multi-day offshore trips.[10] In July 2026 it extended its summer schedule with additional early morning and late afternoon departures, aimed in part at visitors staying along 30A.[11] In September 2026 it described itself as one of the few local operators equipped to run extended overnight trips into the Gulf of Mexico.[2]
Fleet
The company operates three boats from Panama City Beach: the Hooked Up, the Game Changer and the Lady Raye.[3] Captain Anderson's Marina lists the Hooked Up and the Game Changer among its charter boats, with Burkett as captain.[12]
The Hooked Up is a 55-foot custom-built Gilman with air conditioning, a bathroom and eight bunks, powered by twin 600-horsepower Caterpillar diesel engines.[8][3] The Game Changer has ten bunks and a full-size restroom and was repowered in 2019 with Cummins diesel engines.[8] The Lady Raye is a Torres that was built in South Florida as a charter boat and later used for commercial fishing. It carries up to six passengers, has an air-conditioned cabin and four bunks, and is run full time by Capt. Jimbo Stevens.[8][3][7]
Trips and services
Hook'em Up Charters offers half-day, full-day and overnight charters, along with shark fishing, reef fishing and blue water trolling.[2] Its trips are private charters that can be built around particular species, young anglers or a mix of sightseeing and fishing.[10] The company also offers sightseeing tours and ash scattering ceremonies at sea.[11] Fishing equipment, licenses and bait are included in its charters.[13] Trips are booked directly with the captain rather than through a booking agent.[9]
Trolling trips target king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, mahi-mahi, wahoo, bonito and cobia, and bottom fishing trips target snapper, amberjack, grouper, triggerfish and cobia. Blue water big game trips target mahi-mahi, wahoo, yellowfin and blackfin tuna, marlin, swordfish and sailfish, and shark trips target bull, hammerhead and tiger sharks.[9]
Seasons and red snapper
The company runs trips through the winter. Its winter and early spring charters focus on redfish, sheepshead, nearshore reef fish and catch-and-release trout,[14] with Spanish mackerel and pompano becoming more active as Gulf waters warm toward March.[13] The company describes the fall fishing window as typically running from late September through mid-November, with redfish, gag grouper, king mackerel, vermilion snapper, amberjack, mahi-mahi and sailfish among the species caught.[1]
Hook'em Up Charters holds a federal reef fish permit, which allows it to fish for red snapper under the federal season schedule. In 2026 that season ran through October 25, while some operators fishing under state-only licensing had closed for the summer.[3] Red snapper trips are bottom fishing trips over natural and artificial reefs.[5]
Service area
The company serves Panama City Beach and Panama City along with the 30A corridor, including Seaside, Grayton Beach, WaterColor, Blue Mountain Beach, Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach.[1][2] Visitors from 30A drive to Captain Anderson's Marina in Panama City Beach for departure.[1]
Media coverage
A September 2017 episode of the Family Travel with Colleen Kelly podcast followed a deep-sea fishing trip with the company in the Gulf of Mexico.[15] In May 2025 WJHG interviewed Burkett for a report on the opening of the next round of the red snapper season.[6]
References
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Announces Fall Fishing Charter Availability Along Florida's Scenic 30A." Star Tribune, September 2, 2025. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Highlights Multi-Day Fishing Charters for Extended Gulf Angling." Star Tribune, September 30, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters With Federal Permit Extends Red Snapper Season for Panama City Beach Anglers." Star Tribune, August 20, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters LLC" (document no. L09000012940), Florida limited liability company. OpenCorporates, from Florida Division of Corporations records. Retrieved November 13, 2026. opencorporates.com
- ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Highlights Extended Red Snapper Season Through October." Star Tribune, July 31, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ Breaux, Shaun. "Next round of Red Snapper Season opens Sunday." WJHG, May 29, 2025. wjhg.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ "Meet the Captains." Hook'em Up Charters. pcbeachfishingcharters.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Our Fishing Vessels." Hook'em Up Charters. pcbeachfishingcharters.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ "Fishing Charters Panama City Beach." Hook'em Up Charters. pcbeachfishingcharters.com
- ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Launches New Website to Enhance Gulf Coast Fishing Experience." Star Tribune, April 14, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Announces Extended Season for 30A and Grayton Beach Florida Fishing Operations." Star Tribune, July 1, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ "Charter Boats." Capt. Anderson's Marina. captandersonsmarina.com
- ^ ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Announces Early Spring Fishing Reservations to Beat Spring Break Crowds." Star Tribune, February 17, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ "Hook'em Up Charters Prepares Fishing Charters Fleet Before Spring Season in Panama City Beach." Star Tribune, January 26, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ "Hooked on Deep Sea Fishing." Family Travel with Colleen Kelly, September 25, 2017. familytravelck.com