Panama City · St. Andrews Marina · Book direct with the captain
Clock out.
Lines in.
Private Gulf charters with Capt. Travis Trotter — a lifetime on these waters, a fast boat with twin Suzuki 300s, and room for six. You call, he answers. No middleman, no markup.
Straight answer first
What does a Panama City charter cost?
A private trip with Off The Clock runs $675 for a 3-hour mackerel troll up to $1,975 for the 12-hour offshore extreme — the whole boat, up to 4 guests included, add up to 2 more for a small per-person fee. Fishing licenses, rods, tackle, ice, and bait are all covered. You bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and the crew.
Booking is simple: call or text Capt. Travis, pick a date, and a deposit locks it in. Weather calls are made honestly and early — if the captain cancels, you reschedule or get every dollar back.
Pick your trip
Three ways to spend a day off the clock
Every charter is private — just your crew — with custom lengths from 3 to 12 hours. Pick a lane below, or book a date and let Travis match the trip to what's biting.
Short on time, big on bent rods
Spanish mackerel trolling and nearshore bottom fishing. Perfect for families, first-timers, and kids — Travis's specialty.
Snapper & grouper country
Run to the honey holes. Red snapper in season, vermilion snapper, red and gag grouper — the cooler-filling trips.
Where the big ones still bite
10 and 12-hour runs, 50+ miles out — or fish the cool of the night when the bait thieves sleep and the eating fish chew.
Summer specialty
The bite doesn't punch a clock
"The big ones that are willing to bite in the day have been caught. At night it's cooler, the bait thieves are gone, and it's just the eating fish that are biting."
— Capt. Travis, on why he loves summer night trips
While the beach crowd heads to dinner, you're heading out. Big baits soak for big snapper, beeliners hammer cut bait, and nobody's fighting the July sun. One recent guest put it simply: "Night fishing was awesome."
Meet your captain
Travis Trotter
"I've been fishing my entire life, since I could hold a rod and reel. I love helping others enjoy fishing." That's Travis's whole pitch, and after a decade of guiding out of Panama City — and 109 reviews averaging 4.6 stars — it holds up.
Fishing runs in the family: his uncle, Capt. Fred Trotter, has run Gulf charters for 30+ years. Travis is the kind of captain who TIG-welds his own steering fix the night before a trip, remembers where the fish were last Tuesday, and gets genuinely fired up when a kid boats their first snapper.
New for 2026
Twice the horsepower.
Half the ride time.
Travis just moved up to a Sailfish 30-06 Express rigged with twin dual-prop Suzuki 300s — 600 horsepower that turns a long slog into a short hop. More time on the spot, less time getting there. A real cabin means shade, a place to sit, and a berth if the kids need a nap.
Real trips, real reviews
4.6 stars across 109 verified FishingBooker trips
Every review below is from a verified booked trip — read them all on FishingBooker and Guidesly.
"We got a call and the captain suggested going out the night before… man, was he right. We couldn't keep up with the amount of fish we were getting."
Robert H. · Alabama · verified FishingBooker trip, Aug 2025
"This 8-hour trip was the best that we have ever been on… He was like going fishing with a buddy's dad."
David K. · Tennessee · verified FishingBooker trip, Jul 2025
"Captain Travis is one of the best fishermen I've ever fished with… His customer service is top-notch."
John K. · verified Guidesly review, Jun 2025
What will we catch?
Depends on the month. All of it's good.
Red snapper
Summer & fall seasons — the Gulf's headliner.
Vermilion snapper
Year-round, and the long-range ones are slabs.
Grouper — red & gag
Reds most of the year; gags in the fall window.
Amberjack
The fall workout. One each, and you'll feel it.
King & Spanish mackerel
Spring through fall on the troll.
Mahi
Blue-water bonus on the summer weed lines.
Before you ask
Quick answers
Do I need a fishing license?
How many people can come?
What happens if the weather's bad?
Can we keep what we catch?
Dates go fast in season
Ready to get off the clock?
Call or text Capt. Travis. He answers his own phone — unless he's on the water, and then he'll get right back to you.