Species › North America · Saltwater › Permit

Saltwater

Permit

Trachinotus falcatus · great pompano, palometa, round pompano

Water temp
73–84°F
Peak season
Mar–May, Oct
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
60 lb 0 oz (27.21 kg)
Permit (Trachinotus falcatus (S0888) (12591679665).jpg)

Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Permit are deep-bodied, compressed jacks with a steep forehead, a mirror-silver flank, a black-edged sickle tail and a yellow-orange blush on the belly. They range from Massachusetts to Brazil but are a flats target mainly in South Florida, the Keys, the Bahamas, Belize and the Yucatan. Flats fish typically weigh 10–25 lb; wreck fish and spawning aggregations off the Keys hold fish over 30 lb, and the species tops 50 lb.

Permit cruise shallow flats on rising tides to root out crabs, shrimp and clams, often tailing with their black sickle fins waving above the surface, then retreat to channels and offshore wrecks on the ebb. They spawn in spring and summer around wrecks and reef edges in 60–150 ft, where they gather in big schools. On the flats they are notoriously selective, refusing well-presented flies for reasons no one has fully explained, which is why a single permit is a career milestone for many anglers and the hardest leg of the inshore grand slam.

Typical size10–25 lb (4.5–11 kg); 24–34 in
Trophy30 lb+ on the flats; 40 lb+ on wrecks
Table fareMostly catch & release — good eating, but almost always released

Where & when

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Florida Keys flats fish best in March–May and again in October–November when water is 72–84°F (22–29°C); summer heat pushes fish to deeper edges and wrecks, and winter cold fronts shut the flats down for days at a time.

Florida Keys (Key West backcountry), FLClassic tailing permit on oceanside and Gulf flatsBiscayne Bay, FLBig flats fish within sight of MiamiAmbergris Caye, BelizeDense numbers of smaller permit; grand-slam waterAscension Bay, MexicoYucatan lagoon system with huge permit schools

How to catch

Fly fishing with crab patternsPole or wade a flat on a rising tide, spot a tailing or cruising fish and drop a weighted crab fly 2–3 ft ahead so it sinks in its path. Let it fall, then give a single slow strip only if the fish loses interest; most eats come on a motionless fly.
Live crab on spinning gearHook a silver-dollar crab through the corner of the shell on a 2/0 circle hook with 20 lb fluorocarbon and lob it in front of a visible fish or school. Let the crab sink naturally and tighten when the line moves off; this is the highest-percentage permit method.
Wreck fishing in spawning seasonAnchor up-current of Keys wrecks in 60–120 ft in spring and summer, drift live crabs or shrimp back on a lightly weighted rig, and watch for schools suspended in the water column. Fish average bigger than flats permit.
Jig-and-shrimp on channel edgesOn outgoing tides, hop a 1/4–3/8 oz skimmer jig tipped with shrimp along channel edges and depressions where permit stage off the flats. Slow, dragging retrieves that puff sand draw fish that will not look at a fly.

Gear

Rod9' 9–10 wt fly rod; 7'–7'6" medium spinning, fast action
ReelLarge-arbor fly reel with 200 yd backing; 3000–4000 spinning
LineFloating tropical fly line with 16–20 lb fluorocarbon tippet; 15 lb braid with 20–25 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Weighted crab fliesShrimp fliesSkimmer jigs tipped with shrimpSoft-plastic crab imitations

Baits

Live blue or pass crabsLive shrimpSmall clams

Regulations

In Florida, permit have a slot size, a small daily limit and a special permit management zone off the Keys with a seasonal closure during the spawn; other US states and most Caribbean destinations treat them as catch-and-release. A saltwater license is required.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 60 lb 0 oz (27.21 kg) — Ilha do Mel, Paranaguá, Brazil, December 14, 2004 (Renato Fiedler). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why are permit so hard to catch on fly?

They have excellent eyesight, feed mostly on crabs that barely move, and spook at the slightest line shadow or boat noise in a foot of clear water. The fly must land within a few feet of a moving fish, sink at the right rate and sit still. Most anglers cast to dozens of fish before one eats.

What tide is best for permit on the flats?

The last half of an incoming tide and the first hour of the outgoing, when water is deep enough for fish to feel safe but shallow enough that they tail and are visible. Light wind and bright sun help you spot them.

Bite forecast — Permit

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Permit.

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