Shimmering Beauties

Shoot straight for wooden wrecks in 20 to 40 feet of water which tend to attract and hold the greatest number of permit. Many are clearly revealed on nautical fishing charts which can be purchased online or at your local boating accessory store.

When targeting permit, the early bird gets the worm. Arrive just after daylight and keep your eyes peeled for sickle-like tails slicing across the serine surface. As the sun climbs higher in the eastern sky, you may even get lucky enough to see mirror flashes of the shiny fish. Believe it or not, the best guides are capable of picking off a single permit by keying in on their white lips. These fish are notorious for cruising just inches below the surface where they nudge clumps of weeds and other surface debris in an attempt to dislodge crabs and other prey. However it is that you spot them, the shimmering beauties will surely capture your full attention.

Even on the offshore reefs, wily permit can be as wary as spooky bonefish so approach with caution. I have also learned that the key to catching permit is being at the right place at the right time and with the right bait. Because permit move on a regular basis, they may be on one wreck one day and nowhere to be found the very next. So be prepared to run from spot to spot in your search for the shiny slabs.

It also won’t take you long to realize that permit can be very suspicious, especially if they have been over-fished on a particular piece of structure. This is why captains use their trolling motors when approaching an area that they know has been holding fish. Once on location, and depending on the sea conditions, anchoring or drifting can produce equally exciting results.

The idea is to cast up-current and drift a live crab over the wreck. Overall, tackle is fairly light and easy to use so don’t be under the misconception that all big, powerful fish require extremely heavy tackle to subdue. Be prepared at all times as hooked permit will do their very best to take you into the structure below. When this happens, adjust your posture and you’ll be able to prevent permit from cutting you off. To excite matters even more, hungry goliath grouper from 50 to over 500 pounds inhabit these very same wrecks and are specialists at making an easy meal out of what would have otherwise been a prized catch.  

If you have never caught a permit before, once you do, it will not be your last. These are very challenging fish and seeing their silver reflection as you close the gap between you and your prize is a sight you will soon not forget. While permit are blessed with all of the hard fighting genes their close cousins the jack possess, they do have a personality all their own. Like many of the men in our lives, permit are hard-headed and determined to win every battle. Hope to see you on the water soon. 

Merry Beth Ryan was born and raised in upstate NY and has always loved the outdoors. She is also a columnist for The Nautical Mile. Merry Beth can be seen fishing the beautiful waters of Charlotte Harbor every opportunity she gets. Living with Captain Van Hubbard, a full time fishing guide, definitely helps feed her passion. mbr1965@comcast.net