By Adason Riley
When Courtney Harper first started casting lines into the Gulf in the early morning hours, she was looking for something simple: a little peace. Navigating a difficult season of personal loss, the quiet rhythm of the waves, the sunrise, and the anticipation of a bite gave her a place to breathe.
What began as a way to heal after loss, eventually became a calling, a business, and a way to share her passion with others.
Last year, PCB Life shared Courtney’s story as she began building her beach fishing guide service. Today, many locals know her as the “Pompano Queen.” Her goal has always been about more than catching fish; she teaches residents and visitors the basics of surf fishing while encouraging them to understand and protect the coastal environment.
One year later, as October marks National Women-Owned Small Business Month, Courtney has reached another milestone: she is the ONLY female surf fishing charter guide in the licensed and permitted on the beaches in the Panhandle. Being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry is not something she set out to make a statement about; it simply became part of her story.
“When I started, I just wanted to share the peace and magic of sunrise fishing and protecting our natural resources,” Courtney says. “I knew there weren’t many women doing shore-based guiding, but I couldn’t have predicted how enthusiastically people would respond to it.”
That response has transformed Pompano Queen into a thriving local business. Families book sunrise sessions together, vacationers eagerly learn beach fishing, and locals return throughout the year hoping to land pompano, redfish, and other species native to the Emerald Coast.
Courtney emphasizes that she could not have built the business without her Gulf Coast community, or without her guide, Chris, and assistant, Jack, who both embrace the energy of Pompano Queen. Local tackle shops have spread the word, neighbors stop to offer encouragement, and the broader fishing community provides advice and referrals. Visit Panama City Beach has also been extremely helpful and supportive of this venture.
“The support has been overwhelmingly beautiful,” Courtney says. “To go from finding solace on these beaches to being booked solid with people who want to learn from me is humbling. Panama City Beach really does show up for its small businesses.”
Her impact extends beyond the sand. When she isn’t guiding clients, Courtney works with Fishing Tackle Retailer and The Fishing Wire, national trade publications owned and published by Angie Thompson, a female trailblazer in the fishing industry. The platforms connect retailers and industry professionals with product trends, market news, and business insights.
“Working with Fishing Tackle Retailer keeps me connected to the bigger picture of the industry,” she says. “Between guiding on the beach and working for the magazine, I literally get to talk about fishing all day long. I’m surrounded by incredible women in business, passionate anglers, and a community that lifts each other up.”
Connecting with others in the industry recently opened the door to a partnership with surf fishing leader The Sinker Guy to develop her own branded, sustainable pompano rigs. Packaged in biodegradable materials and available for wholesale purchase by the end of the year, the line reflects her ongoing commitment to conservation.
For Courtney, entrepreneurship was never about following a mapped-out plan. It was about recognizing a passion, taking a chance, and seeing where it led.
“I think sometimes you just have to start,” she says. “You don’t always know exactly where something is going to take you. You just know that you love it and you believe in it.”
Her journey is a reminder that small businesses are often born from personal beginnings and a quiet need that evolves into a life-changing pursuit.
“If you told me a couple of years ago that I’d be running the area’s only female surf charter and living out my dream on these beaches every single day, I wouldn’t have believed it,” she reflects. “It just goes to show that when you put your heart into something and trust your community, the tide will carry you right where you belong.”
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