Average Cost of Panama City Fishing Charters (Full Guide)
Panama City is a popular tourist famous for its sandy beaches, nearshore reefs, and excellent fishing. When planning fishing trips in Panama City, anglers need to get familiar with charter costs ahead of time.
The average cost of Panama City fishing charter trips that last 4 hours is $588, 6 hours is $1065, 8 hours is $1227, 10 hours is $1901 and 12 hours is $2245.
Anglers prefer to fish in the shallow bays or take advantage of offshore charters to fish in the deep waters. There are fishing options for every angler. In this guide, we’ll provide anglers with the best times to book a fishing trip in Panama City and charter costs.
Panama City Fishing Trip Length (Costs)
4-hour trips
Four-hour trips are a good choice for anglers who can’t spend the whole day on fishing. Based on 21 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 4-hour Panama City fishing trip is $588. The lowest cost was $450 and the highest cost was $900.
Such trips are short, so they are worth considering if you are interested in fishing near shorelines. During a trip, anglers spend 30 minutes – 1-hour traveling and about 3 hours on fishing. With a 4 hour trip, anglers can fish in inshore waters only.
Four-hour fishing trips are cheap. The fishing trips of this type are suitable for anglers on a budget. It’s a good idea to book a 4-hour trip for families with kids.
On the other hand, a 4-hour fishing trip is not suitable for those anglers, who want to land a trophy-sized fish. In this case, longer trips are worth considering.
Fishermen often book four-hour fishing trips in summer. If you book a 4-hour trip, you manage to fish either in the morning or in the evening. Short trips make it possible for anglers to avoid the summer heat.
6-hour trips
A 6-hour trip gives anglers more time and, therefore, creates better fishing opportunities. Based on 13 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 6-hour Panama City fishing trip is $1065. The lowest cost was $600 and the highest cost was $2640.
A 6-hour trip is a golden mean between a half-day trip and a full-day trip. With such a trip, it takes anglers about 1 – 2 hours to get to fishing spots and about 4 – 5 hours are spent on fishing.
Anglers can either spend more time fishing nearshore or go further and explore more spots in offshore waters. Unlike 4-hour trips, 6-hour trips are not recommended for families.
With a 6-hour trip, anglers usually prefer to fish in nearshore waters and inshore waters. You can go further as well. If you book a 6-hour trip, you can experience deep sea fishing in offshore waters. Anglers have a better chance to catch trophy fish during a 6-hour fishing trip.
8-hour trips
Based on 15 charters surveyed, the average cost of an 8-hour Panama City fishing trip is $1227. The lowest cost was $850 and the highest cost was $1900.
An 8-hour fishing trip would be a good choice for fishermen who are interested in full-day fishing trips. Such trips give anglers more time and provide them with better fishing opportunities.
Full-day trips make it possible for anglers to fish both in inshore and offshore waters. If you book such a fishing trip, then you can go further and manage to explore remote spots in Panama City. But most importantly, you’ll have enough time to enjoy fishing in the area.
When anglers book an 8-hour trip, they spend about 1 – 2 hours traveling and about 6 – 7 hours on fishing. Such trips are a good choice for anglers, who are interested in catching a trophy-sized fish. Longer trips increase angler’s chance to catch a big fish. It’s also important to note that anglers need to prepare more food as well as water for 8-hour trips.
Fishing trips that last 8 hours are a good choice for experienced anglers. It’s not a good idea to book such a trip if you would like to go fishing in Panama City with your family.
10-hour trips
Based on 19 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 10-hour Panama City fishing trip is $1901. The lowest cost was $1600 and the highest cost was $2200.
Avid anglers can consider booking fishing trips that last 10 hours. Such trips allow anglers to go further and spend more time fishing in offshore waters. Such fishing trips are longer, so anglers have to prepare more meals as well as drinks.
Anglers should know that booking a 10-hour fishing trip can be hard. It’s possible to book such a trip only if the weather is good. However, it’s not easy to forecast weather for longer fishing trips. If the weather doesn’t allow anglers to enjoy fishing for 10 hours, then a Panama City fishing trip will be either rescheduled or canceled. When fishing trips are canceled, anglers get a refund.
Anglers, who book 10-hour trips, spend about 2 hours traveling and about 8 hours on fishing. Such trips are not the right choice for beginners, families, and anglers who fish for leisure.
12-hour trips
During 12-hour trips, anglers can spend even more time fishing and, therefore, catch more fish. Based on 9 charters surveyed, the average cost of a 12-hour Panama City fishing trip is $2245. The lowest cost was $1900 and the highest cost was $3200.
With 12-hour trips, anglers can get the most out of offshore fishing in Panama City. There are inshore and offshore fishing trips that last 12 hours. These long trips make it possible for anglers to realize their most amazing fishing fantasies.
It’s worth noting that 12-hour trips are long. So, anglers have to get ready for their fishing adventures carefully in advance. It’s necessary to prepare two meals as well as plenty of water for a 12-hour fishing trip.
Oftentimes, it’s impossible to book a 12-hour fishing trip due to bad weather. Bad weather is a big problem for anglers. Bad weather makes fishing dangerous. That’s the reason why 12-hour trips are often canceled due to safety reasons. It’s worth noting that 12-hour trips are canceled more frequently than others.
Recommended Fishing Charters in Panama City
These Panama City-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Location |
| Capt. Sully Fishing Charters | Panama City, FL |
| B&B Fishing Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Tail Raiser Fishing Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Florida Panhandle Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Blue Water Connection – Billistic | Panama City, FL |
| Reel Therapy Fishing Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Fishwhacker Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Advanced Fishing With JP | Panama City, FL |
| Dauphins Charter Fishing | Panama City, FL |
| Bloodline Fishing Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Complete Inshore Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Too Hot 2 Handle Fishing Charters | Panama City, FL |
| Adrenaline On H2O Charters | Panama City, FL |
Seasonal Trip Cost Breakdowns (Panama City)
Spring
Spring is an excellent time of the year to enjoy fishing in Panama City. The weather is good and fishing is excellent in the region during the spring months. Water is cold and that’s why many fish species are still inactive during the spring months. However, fishing is getting better in May.
Springtime fishing in Panama City is not expensive. More species get active in the late spring. So, the demand for fishing is increasing in May.
It makes a lot of sense to book long fishing trips in Panama City in spring. It’s not hot in Panama City during the spring months. That’s why anglers find it comfortable to fish for a long period of time.
Fishing in Panama City during springtime can be very productive. Redfish is the main target in Panama City in spring. Anglers can also catch such species as amberjack, bonito, cobia, jack crevalle, blacktip sharks, flounder, king mackerel, mahi-mahi, Spanish mackerel, red snapper, tarpon, and tripletail in spring.
Summer
Summer is the best time of the year to fish in Panama City. Many fish species feed actively during the summer months. It’s important to note that anglers should always book a Panama City fishing trip in summer with the weather conditions in mind.
The weather is hot in Panama City during the summer months. That means that fishing a long day can be hard. It would be better to book shorter trips to avoid the summer heat. It’s also important to note that a lot of anglers choose to visit Panama City in the summer. That’s the reason why charters are unavailable and, therefore, booking a fishing trip can be difficult. So, anglers should book a fishing charter ahead of time.
Summer fishing in Panama City provides anglers with better fishing opportunities. Rising water temperatures cause fish to go to deep waters. So, anglers will manage to catch more fish if they choose to book an offshore fishing trip.
Fishing charters are in high demand in Panama City during the summer months. That’s why fishing charter costs are high in summer. During the summertime, anglers can target a great variety of species. These include bonito, cobia, mahi-mahi, jack crevalle, grouper, king mackerel, redfish, sailfish, sharks, snapper, spotted seatrout, blackfin tuna, tarpon, and wahoo.
Fall
A lot of anglers prefer to visit Panama City in the early fall. Fishing in Panama City is very productive in September. Water cools down and fish begin to migrate. As a result, the ideal conditions for fishing are created.
Anglers can either book a charter to go fishing in deep waters and marinas or experience fishing from piers during the fall months.
A fall fishing season is less busy compared to a summer fishing season. Prices on charters go down in the late fall. Nevertheless, charters can be unavailable during the fall months. So, it would be better to book a fishing trip in advance.
Among the species that bite well in Panama City in the fall are amberjack, bonito, jack crevalle, mahi-mahi, grouper, tiger shark, snapper, spotted seatrout, blackfin tuna, and wahoo.
Winter
Panama City is a location with a sub-tropical climate. So, the weather is not very cold during the winter months. That’s why winter fishing is possible and can be very productive in the region.
However, the demand for fishing is low and a lot of charters are available in winter. So, it’s always easy to book a charter in the region during the winter months.
Winter fishing in Panama City is the right choice for fishermen, who would like to avoid crowds. Anglers can fish in inshore waters, in deep waters, in the bay, and on a beach. Fishing in inshore waters increases anglers’ chance to land a trophy-sized fish.
Captains provide their clients with discounts to attract anglers in winter. It’s worth noting that winter fishing trips in Panama City can be very productive. Fishermen can target such species as amberjack, bonito, grouper, snapper, redfish, speckled trout, and others.
Better Value if Fish with Group
There is a great way to save on fishing. If your budget doesn’t allow you to enjoy solo fishing, fishing with a group is worth considering. In this case, anglers have to pay a certain fee for a charter.
However, the charter cost is split with their friends. Therefore, the more friends – the less you have to pay for fishing. So, you have to pay per boat rather than per person.
Fishing with friends is always fun. Such a fishing trip provides anglers with a memorable experience.
It’s also important to note that fishing with a group is more productive. If you fish with friends, then you’ll be able to catch more fish during your trip. That means that fishing with a group provides better value.
Panama City: Factors that May Impact Charter Costs
Charter costs depend on many different factors. Among the factors that affect charter costs are: the season of the year, the demand for fishing, gas prices, bait prices, and others. The popular events that take place in Panama City annually and attract a lot of tourists also have an impact on charter costs.
Summer is the best time of the year to fish in Panama City. Such fish species as amberjack, cobia, king mackerel, mahi-mahi, red snapper, sailfish, tarpon, and wahoo are active in the area during the summer months. A lot of anglers choose to visit the region in summer. That’s why the demand for fishing increases and prices on charters go up during summertime.
The demand for fishing also increases when the targeted fish species get active. For example, the best time of the year to target mahi-mahi and yellowfin tuna is between January and March. Marlin and sailfish are active between April and August. Keep in mind that charter costs are higher during these months.
There is a direct link between gas prices and charter costs. Boats are fueled by gas. If gas prices go up, fishing in Panama City is becoming more expensive. Fishing on weekdays is cheaper compared to fishing on weekends.
Cost of Shared Fishing Charter
Shared fishing allows anglers to save a lot of money. When booking a shared fishing charter, fishermen have to pay a flat rate for a certain number of anglers and the cost per additional person. It’s important to note that booking a shared fishing charter is cheaper compared to a charter for 1 – 2 anglers.
Additional Costs with Charter Fishing
When planning a budget for a Panama City fishing trip, anglers have to take into account the additional costs. Anglers need to prepare food, drinks as well as sunscreens for a fishing trip. Fishermen also have to purchase baits for their trips. According to the Panama City rules, anglers are required to buy a fishing license. Anglers must be prepared that the additional costs are about 15 – 25% of a fishing trip’s budget.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Panama City, please check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Port St. Joe, please check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of the cost of charters in Key West, please check out this guide.
For an understanding of the average cost of Pensacola fishing charters, check out this article I wrote. For a complete breakdown of the best fishing charters in Panama City, check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the average costs of Destin fishing charters, check out this helpful guide. Check out this helpful guide for a complete breakdown of Panama City fishing.
