Permit Bait

[BEOWULF]

I'm hoping to get around to trying for Permit from the beach for the first time soon, and have a couple of questions:

- First, I guess crabs are the go to bait?
- Big crab, little crab?
- Type of crab?
- Live or dead crab?
- Where can I catch crabs for bait?
- Do you fish the trough or cast out far?

[kblue]

Welcome FNG for permti fishing
I felt like becoming senior FNG

I know those permit pros will keep their secret.
You have to figure out many things by yourself.

but I could share mine.

yes, crab is the go bait
small size like quarter or less than a half dollar.
I don't know the name. Crab they are selling at keys are not blue crab.
I try to keep them alive. but live or dead doesn't seem to matter. ( You have to hook it right way. I hook from back of one side to front. Crab stays well)
I don't know. I recommend to buy. All you need is 5 crabs. Our permit hero, Rare says he only buy 5 crabs ($2 per crab).
You have to cast where fish are. If you fish on beach, you have to cast to sand bottom near reef.
I found one spot on beach. If I check with google map, I could see reef in proximity.

Even since I started to use crab, I started to see a different world.
As you probably know from other thread, permit runs into reef. You will need strong line.
I am using 60# main and 50# leader but all cuf off.
And I just can't forget those scream of reel.


Good luck

-kblue

[BEOWULF]

Thanks for the tips Kblue. But doesn't a live crab dig itself into the sand? And when you say "cut off" do you mean the line snapped under pressure or that the fish cut it with a bite? I'm sure (with the drag set right), my trusty Penn Torque will stop those monsters quite nicely thank you.

Btw, I plan to try the beaches in Broward or PBC, no way I'm trekking to the Keys for this.

Ok, so what's "FNG"?

[tears143]

I think the crab you are referring to are called pass crab. It has a longer pincer arm than a blue crab. It's also purpleish.

Damn 2 dollar a crab? I see them all the time at skyway floating out.

[Backwoods123]

Crab is def the go to bait.... I prefet calico crabs dead... I don't like using live... And i prefer crab to be about 3 inches wide... if its biggert than that i would cut some of the body off and use that.. But you would have to check the bait often using this way.. I wouldn't use the quarter sizr crabs..... There way to small in my opinio .and fishing from the beach they can br I either side of the sandbar so you gotta put a couple rods out..

[kblue]

so what's "FNG"?

FNG = Fuc@ing New Guy

[Sufferance]

Hopefully I'm not breaking any rules by giving advice on my first post here.

I know you said your target area is Broward and Palm Beach County. I can only speak from experience from the Lake Worth Pier as far as catching permit goes.

First catching crabs for bait. You're going to need a "Crab trap" (You can buy one or construct it yourself, I've even used collapsible fruit basket), some rope to secure the trap, a fish carcass to secure into the trap, and time. You're going to want to secure your fish carcass into the trap then lower the trap into the surf, making sure it rests on the bottom. After that you want to secure the trap to the railing and wait. Pull up your crab trap after what you determine the amount of time you're willing to wait is and hopefully add your bait to your growing collection. As far as their size is concerned, keep 'em all and use 'em all.

I've seen the crabs themselves handled in two different ways when added to the bait bucket The first way is to add them to your storage whole and intact, this can be a bit pinchy. The second method I've seen is to crush the part of the claw that moves on both claws to keep from being pinched while baiting them. As for baiting them I've always just removed one of their rear legs and hooked through that and halfway through the rear of the shell. I've always used the "typical bottom rig" in the "Basic Bottom Rig" post under "How To's".

As far as casting, never had going straight out from the end of the Lake Worth Pier steer me wrong when it came to permit. A couple of previous records were caught from that location by a few friends of mine back in the day.

Suff.

[kblue]

Hey Sufferance

How was Permit fishing up there? I heard some good run last month or so.
When is a good permit season in lake worth pier? I am also new to permit fishing. Just curious how permit runs outside of special permit zone...

-kblue

[Rare]

Rare says he only buy 5 crabs ($2 per crab)

-kblue

Rare buys if needed...Rare catches his blue crab in the bay. Rare also use other shell creatures to catch his his permit and work better than crabs

[swordfish]

Macao Macao!

-Swordfish

[kblue]

Rare says he only buy 5 crabs ($2 per crab)

-kblue

Rare buys if needed...Rare catches his blue crab in the bay. Rare also use other shell creatures to catch his his permit and work better than crabs

hmm other shell sea creature.
It can not be shrimp.
Sea Urchin or sand flea ???

[STRIZ]

Rare says he only buy 5 crabs ($2 per crab)

-kblue

Rare buys if needed...Rare catches his blue crab in the bay. Rare also use other shell creatures to catch his his permit and work better than crabs

hmm other shell sea creature.
It can not be shrimp.
Sea Urchin or sand flea ???

yellow 9 eyed pinch craboose

[snapperfanatic18]

ive even used blue land crabs for permit..and yes, they like them too! LOL

[BEOWULF]

Here's to all y'all that offered helpful tips Kblue, Backwoods123, Sufferance, Snapperfanatic18

Sufferance, I can't think of a better first post than one that offers help. Welcome aboard.

But nobody's answered my question about live crab baits digging themselves into the sand. Do they do that?

[STRIZ]

They can and will with a chance. Make sure the diggers are off and you are fine. I would not worry bout that to much tho.

[kblue]

BEOWULF

Let me know how your permit hunt goes.

I also continuously plan to check permit bite on JL Jetty.
Believe or not, that is the place world record permit was caught...

I concluded key bridge is just too hard without teaming up with people willing to suffer to catch permit.



-kblue

[snapperfanatic18]

like striz said, "make sure diggers r off"...and as for live crab fishing, imo, i prefer to do so when pitching to sighted fish...otherwise, fresh dead blues will be more than enough....