How to Catch Permit in Tough Conditions Pt. 1
rediscover radar
Get your Simrad unit today
written by Evan Anderson
The Gulf of Mexico is full of wonders, not the least of which are the schools of the normally elusive permit that congregate around wrecks in its green waters. In this episode of Into the Blue, captains Steve Rodger and Scott Walker are back at it, starting off a brand new season with a day chasing permit in the Gulf. “It’s Springtime, we have a really great permit fishery down here,” says Rodger, “it’s kind of a known thing that these fish will gather up on certain locations, and it’s very fun. It gives people an opportunity to catch a fish that’s very elusive, very difficult in other situations.” We’ll take a look at some of the strategies our hosts used to find and catch their game as well as how they prepared for the other varieties of fish they encountered along the way. Here are 2 tips for catching permit in the Gulf.
First episode airs on Samsung TV Plus Waypoint channel (1070) January 19, at 8:35pm EST.
BAIT: LIVE CRAB
As Rodger navigates the channel leading out of the marina using his Simrad radar system, Walker sets up his rod, explaining their setup for the day. “Steve’s go-to is a naked jig with either a piece of cut bait or a crab,” he says, “we brought crab specifically for targeting permit.” Live crab is an excellent bait for permit-fishing, according to Walker and Rodger, but it’s usefulness extends beyond just this fish, as Walker discovers over their first wreck.
As they pull up over the wreck, Walker is the first to get his line in the water, and it’s not long before he’s got a fish on. But instead of a permit breaching the surface, Walker is surprised to find a cobia on the end of his line. Cobia are an excellent catch that both Rodger and Walker like to be prepared for in the gulf. “If we’re on a wreck for structure,” remarks Walker, “almost guaranteed there’s gonna be a cobia on one of the wrecks you visit during the day.” It’s good to look out for cobia when permit-fishing because you can use the same bait. According to Rodger, “The permit is a crab-eater and so is the cobia.”
“Steve’s go-to is a naked jig with either a piece of cut bait or a crab.”
SIGHT-FISHING & BLIND-FISHING
As the day progresses, the two captains encounter a few other species (including a MONSTER goliath grouper) before they get into their target species. The murky water makes it a tough day for permit-fishing, according to Rodger. “I wasn’t really happy with the water color,” he says, “so we really couldn’t see those fish...normally we want to sight-fish those permit, where we can see the schools and throw crab to them. So what we did was we started marking them on the Simrad and then we’d just throw the crabs out and kinda blind-fish them.” Using a radar system like Simrad’s gives our hosts an advantage, allowing them to stay out and have a fighting chance despite the water color.
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They’ve caught a huge goliath grouper and a cobia with some mild success with permit, but now it’s time to really kick it into gear and get after that target species. Check out the next episode for Part 2 of their day to get greater insight on what it takes to catch permit in tough conditions.
Check out the full episode below and join Rodger and Walker in their hunt for the elusive permit on S12:E1 of Into the Blue. First episode airs on Samsung TV Plus Waypoint channel (1070) January 19, at 8:35pm EST.
