Catch the Excitement of Tarpon and Permit: Your Guide to Anna Maria Island Charter Fishing Adventures
A question I get very often on my Anna Maria Island Charter Fishing trips is, “What is your favorite fish to target, Captain Nate?” I usually reply with the same two fish every time, followed by, “I really enjoy catching any fish—whether it’s a bluegill behind my grandmother’s pond or something else, I’ll still enjoy it.” But when it comes to my two favorite fish to target and catch, it has to be tarpon and permit. Known as the silver kings, these two species epitomize sport fishing in Florida. In this blog, I will explain how we catch these fish, why they are so fun to catch, and when you have the best chance to come down and catch them.
Permit: Permit can be found in many areas—from grass flats in winter, to pass edges, to 30 miles offshore on a piece of structure. I prefer targeting them offshore at specific areas and ledges where they tend to group up, cruising looking for their favorite bait. These fish fight extremely hard, and we use big tackle to keep them away from predators and avoid getting tangled in the ledge. I use 14,000 Shimano Saragosas with a 9-foot light tackle lounge rod—my favorite combo for nearly all the fishing we do here on the island. These fish are pound-for-pound the hardest-fighting fish our Anna Maria Island Charters have to offer. When hooked, their initial run will have you smiling ear to ear as you hold on for dear life. They are so unique and majestic, I can’t get enough of them. When reeling in a permit, you’ll see a bright silver flash beneath the water. The best time to catch permit is from March through September, with May, June, and July being some of my favorite months. Permits migrate from the south and flood into our area in early March. Once you catch one, you’ll be hooked for life—tending to the permit itch year after year.
Tarpon: If you’ve been following my blogs and fishing with me for tarpon, you know my passion for these fish is contagious. No other fish can leap out of the water, do acrobatic flips, or perform such unexpected feats with a hook in their mouth quite like tarpon. The only fish that might do similar things are marlin—and that’s pretty good company for the tarpon. These fish have been around for 100 million years, predating some dinosaurs. They are incredibly resilient, having adapted through many changes and outliving many other fish species. I’ve caught them in a variety of places—from roadside ditches, freshwater ponds, creeks, to the Myakka River that runs far into central Florida. This demonstrates their resilience and ability to live in almost any water quality or condition. On my charters, we catch juvenile tarpon from March through October in backwater areas, often seeing pods in the summer. The peak season for full-grown tarpon is from May through early July. During these months, I focus entirely on these fish, investing time, effort, and preparation, which has paid off over last year’s tarpon season. We formed priceless friendships with clients from all over and had incredible trips—hooking 10 or more tarpon in a single trip several times. My goal is to run tarpon charters from late April until mid-June, and every year I get closer to achieving that.
Tarpon and Permit trips: The great thing about these fish is that we can catch them both in one day. Multiple times this summer, we caught both species on the same trip. Catching tarpon and permit in a single day is a sportfishing dream for most—and at AMI Excursions, it’s a dream we can make come true.
