Kelley Girl Charters is a family-owned fishing charter company based in Panama City Beach, Florida, United States.[1] It runs two charter boats, the Lady Kelley and the Kelley Girl, from Capt. Anderson's Marina,[2] offering deep-sea, bottom, trolling, shark and inshore fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico, along with memorial trips for families scattering ashes at sea.[1] The company is owned by Captain Mark Kelley.[3][4]
History
According to the company, the Kelley family's fishing history in Bay County began in 1943, when Mark Kelley's grandfather, Arnold Peel, started commercial fishing there. Mark Kelley's father, Buddy Kelley, began a charter and commercial fishing career in 1963 and fished until he retired in 1995.[9]
Mark Kelley began working as a deckhand on the original Kelley Girl with his father in 1976 and became the boat's captain in 1987. In 1995 he and his wife, Denise, bought the Kelley Girl from his father, and in 1996 he added the Lady Kelley, a 55-foot sportfishing vessel, to the fleet.[9][4] His son, Carson Kelley, later became a licensed captain with the company.[4] A January 2021 press release described Mark Kelley as a third-generation captain and Carson Kelley as the fourth generation of the family to captain.[8]
In July 2025 the company announced upgrades and expanded services, naming Carson Kelley as the newest generation at the helm.[6] In February 2026 it launched a redesigned website with trip descriptions and simplified booking.[5]
Fleet
Capt. Anderson's Marina lists the Lady Kelley (55 feet) and the Kelley Girl (52 feet) among the independently owned private charter boats at the marina, each carrying up to 20 passengers, with Mark Kelley as the contact for both.[2] Both boats have restrooms and air conditioning, and the company states that they exceed U.S. Coast Guard regulations.[8][1] The company's website lists Mark Kelley as captain of the Lady Kelley and Carson Kelley as captain of the Kelley Girl.[7]
In October 2026 the company highlighted the capacity of both vessels to take larger groups, such as families and corporate outings, offshore together on a single boat.[1]
Fishing trips
Kelley Girl Charters offers trips of four, six and eight hours, as well as extended trips of ten to twelve hours.[10][3] Charters include fishing equipment, bait and licenses, and crew members give instruction, bait hooks, remove catches and clean fish at the end of the trip.[11] The company also arranges trips for corporate groups and special occasions.[11]
Bottom fishing trips work local reefs for snapper, grouper, triggerfish and amberjack. Trolling trips, run as four- to six-hour inshore trips or an eight-hour offshore trip, target species such as Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bonito, mahi-mahi, wahoo and cobia.[7] Shark fishing trips target species including blacktip, bull and hammerhead sharks.[12]
Fishing seasons
The company runs trips year-round.[5] In winter, its inshore and nearshore trips target redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, black drum and mangrove snapper, while offshore trips focus on bottom fishing around wrecks and artificial reefs; the company said the winter season typically lasts through February.[3] In February 2026 it opened reservations for spring break, when Mark Kelley said its four- and six-hour trips were the most popular.[11]
In April 2026 the company announced plans for the 2026 federal for-hire red snapper season in the Gulf, which ran from June 1 to October 26, 2026,[10] and in August 2026 it confirmed that its red snapper trips would continue through October.[13] In June 2026 it described summer as the peak season for its shark fishing trips.[12]
Artificial reefs
According to the company, Mark Kelley has built private artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico over the years, which it describes as fishing spots reserved for its own customers. The company pairs these with Mark Kelley's knowledge of natural reefs, limestone ledges and shipwrecks.[9] The company's website includes a page with photographs of its reef construction.[14]
Memorial trips
Kelley Girl Charters offers cremation trips, in which families scatter the ashes of a loved one at sea.[5] The trips carry up to 20 people and travel roughly three miles away from other boat traffic, and families may hold the ceremony of their choice on board.[15]
References
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Expands Deep Sea Fishing Access With Large-Capacity Vessels." Star Tribune, October 7, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ "Charter Boats." Capt. Anderson's Marina. Retrieved November 13, 2026. captandersonsmarina.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Announces the Beginning of Winter Fishing Season for Panama City Beach." Star Tribune, November 24, 2025. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ "Captains and Crew." Kelley Girl Charters. kelleygirlcharters.com
- ^ ^ ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Launches New Website to Enhance PCB Fishing Charters Booking Experience." Star Tribune, February 24, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Elevates Florida Sport Fishing Experiences in Panama City Beach." Star Tribune, July 29, 2025. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ ^ "Fishing Charters Panama City Beach." Kelley Girl Charters. kelleygirlcharters.com
- ^ ^ ^ "3rd Generation Captain Warns - 4 Key Things You Need to Know Before Booking a Fishing Charter." MarketersMEDIA Newsroom, January 27, 2021. marketersmedia.com
- ^ ^ ^ "About Kelley Girl Charters." Kelley Girl Charters. kelleygirlcharters.com
- ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Prepares for 2026 Red Snapper Season in Panama City Beach." Star Tribune, April 13, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Opens Spring Break Reservations for Panama City Fishing Charters." Star Tribune, February 2, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Highlights Peak Shark Fishing Season for Summer Visitors." Star Tribune, June 5, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ "Kelley Girl Charters Announces Extended Red Snapper Season Through October for Gulf Fishing Enthusiasts." Star Tribune, August 4, 2026. financialcontent.com. Also published by Business Insurance: businessinsurance.com
- ^ "Artificial Reefs." Kelley Girl Charters. kelleygirlcharters.com
- ^ "Cremation Charters." Kelley Girl Charters. kelleygirlcharters.com