Size: 5 - 40LBs
St. Croix is a Big Permit paradise due to 80-85% of the island being surrounded by barrier reefs where Permit thrive! Larger individuals are most commonly spotted tailing along sea grass flats, coral rubble, and occasionally cruising beaches looking for shrimp, worms, crabs, and the occasional baitfish
Top Speed: 35-40mph
While their scientific top speed has never been calculated, we (alongside many others) estimate a top speed of 35-40mph in line with Tarpon, Barracuda, and Bonefish! Simply put, hooking a Permit is absolutely insane. Permit are the only species that can spool a 200yd reel easily
School Size: 1 - 10+
Permit follow the classic quality to quantity ratio. The smaller the Permit, the bigger the school and vice versa. Permit under 5lbs find safety in numbers. Permit from 5 - 10lbs typically feed in groups of 3-10. From 10-20lbs we see between 1 - 4 individuals. Once fish hit 20lbs+ it's most common for them to feed solo or in pairs
Permit by the Numbers
Permit: The Final Boss of Flats Fishing
If you were to ask most Caribbean fishing guides what species they target in their free time the answer is: Permit
Having landed over 40 species, the strength, speed, and intelligence of Permit is unmatched. Because Permit (also known locally as Cobbler/Pompano) are arguably the smartest, strongest, and spookiest fish on the Flats, one clumsy step, clunky cast, or bad presentation and it's gameover.
Permit spend most of their time in deep water where reefs, shipwrecks, and channels are present. During very specific tidal windows, Permit travel to flats and beaches to feed on urchins, shrimp, crabs, worms, and small fish hiding in rubble, grass, and sand. This means an angler (or guide) must have a full grasp of Tides, Moon Phase, Water Temperature, Wave Duration, and Site Specific Feeding Patterns in order to find tailing Permit. But once you do, the Dark Black Tail is unmistakable as it dances above the waterline. If both skill & luck are on your side and you get an eat, the real challenge begins. Permit love to make epically fast and long runs often towards corals, rocks, or other structures that can cut the line. Unlike most hard fighting fish, locking down a Permit is nearly impossible as they have soft tissued mouths that can easily slip a hook if too much pressure is applied. Couple this is with the thin leaders needed to elicit an eat and you can see why these fish were given the nickname: Black Tailed Devils. Both stunningly impressive and brutally cruel.
Permit Fishing on St. Croix is one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding types of fishing we do. If interested in Permit reach out to us and we'll talk through the best strategies for your trip dates!
Seasonality:
On St. Croix the best tidal windows occur between November & March. These tides coupled with cooler water temperatures on the Flats typically leads to the Best Permit Fishing opportunities here. From April - October the best tidal windows can get stuck occurring at night, but on certain days the right tidal window will sneak into early mornings or late afternoons allowing for some epic action! The increase in Sargassum levels over the past 3 years has also started to change summertime feeding habits, relying less around tides & more around finding fresh Sargassum mats filled with Sargasso Crabs & Shrimp
