Hook’em Up Charters is a private six pack out of Grand Lagoon, run by Captain B.J. Burkett, a third generation Panama City fisherman who owns and runs the boat himself. The boat is the Lady Raye, a clean 43 foot sportfisher, and it fishes the Gulf bottom and the bluewater for grouper, snapper, and the pelagics. The captain draws strong reviews as a hands on local who works to put people on fish, which is the heart of the case for booking it. Two honest gaps keep it lower in the port, and both are worth understanding before you call.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.5 Hook’em Up is a strong choice and a good small boat option, sitting at the foot of the ranked field for reasons that have little to do with the fishing. The captain is the draw and scores well. What holds the boat back is newness and opacity: it only began running out of Panama City Beach in 2025, so the local track record is short next to operations with decades on this water, and it does not post its prices, which costs it on transparency against the boats that publish a rate card. For a longer local record on a similar private boat, Triple B Fishing is the closer six pack comparison; for a larger group, Kelley Girl Charters or Charter Boat Freedom; and for the most complete program, Blue Water Connection. For seats by the person, the Capt. Anderson’s head boats are far cheaper. Compare them all on the Panama City Beach ranking.
The boat
The Lady Raye is a 43 foot sportfisher licensed for up to 6 anglers, and Captain B.J. has owned it since 2017. Reviewers describe it as clean and well maintained, which matters on a full day, and as a cabin boat it gives shade, a head, and a drier ride than an open center console. At 43 feet it is a true six pack, comfortable for a small group and not built to carry a crowd, so it suits a family or a few friends who want a private trip rather than a head boat rail. The boat is the same one the captain has run for years; what is new is the home port, not the hull.
The fishing and what you target
Hook’em Up fishes both the bottom and the troll. The bottom trips work the Gulf reefs and wrecks for red grouper year round, snapper, amberjack and triggerfish in their open seasons, and the mixed reef catch, with red snapper the summer prize on the longer trips. The trolling trips chase king mackerel, mahi mahi, wahoo, cobia, and bonito over the deeper water in the warm months. The boat runs half day, full day, overnight, and multi day trips, so the longer options reach the better ground and the night and overnight runs open up after dark fishing. Gag grouper is closed for most of 2026, so red grouper carries the reefs.
Trips and prices
This is the boat’s weak point, and it is a real one. Hook’em Up does not post its rates; it asks you to call for a quote, so there is no published price to check against the field. The trip menu is broad, from a half day to multi day offshore runs, bottom fishing or trolling, but the lack of a posted rate card is the main reason the value and transparency score sits below the boats that publish their prices in full. Expect six pack whole boat pricing in line with the other private Panama City Beach boats, and pin down exactly what is included, the deposit, and the cancellation and weather policy when you call. Our cost guide and the party boat versus private charter guide give you the benchmarks to weigh the quote against.
The crew
The crew is the strength. Reviewers describe Captain B.J. and his deckhands as top notch locals with real skill, going out of their way to put the group on the most and the biggest fish, and they call the boat clean and the trip professional and comfortable. The captain is a third generation Panama City fisherman, so the knowledge is genuine and first hand. The honest qualifier is depth: because the Panama City Beach operation is new as of 2025, the local review record is still building, so the sentiment is strong but the body of evidence is thinner than the established boats, which is what the track record score reflects.
Booking and what to know
Book by phone, since that is also how you get a price, and ask directly about the rate for your trip length, what is included, and the deposit and weather policy, so there are no surprises. Confirm the target and the trip length so the plan matches the season. Bring food, drinks, sunscreen, and a cooler; as a licensed charter the boat covers the license and the fishing gear.
How we scored it
Hook’em Up scores 7.5: a clean, well run six pack with a strong, experienced local captain, held to the foot of the ranked field by a short Panama City Beach track record, since the operation only arrived in 2025, and by prices it does not post. Captain and crew is its strongest factor by a wide margin, with value and track record the two that pull the number down. See how we scored this boat for the rubric and weighting, and the Panama City Beach ranking for where it lands.