Sight Fishing For Permit in the Florida Keys
Permit are around South Florida and the Keys all year, but best in the spring and fall. Moderate to windy days are much better for consistently hooking permit, they are less wary and don’t always require that perfect presentation. Permit are durable fish and can tolerate temperature swings but appear to be more available in the spring and fall during a warm up after a passing cold front.
Favorite food of the Permit consists of several kinds of crabs, shrimp, mollusks, and baitfish. Much like the bonefish, Permit use plates in their mouths and throats to crush their victims. They also become slightly more solitary as they grow older and bigger. Juvenile permit are mainly planktivorous eaters, larger juveniles will eat small clams, crabs, and shrimp. Adult Permit will eat clams, adult crabs, shrimp, baitfish, and even sea urchins. Most fly patterns represent crabs when fishing to Permit and are weighted in the front, in order to give the appearance of retreating crab heading for the bottom.
Fly Fishing Gear for Permit
9 to 10 weight fly rigs using floating, and clear floating line are the go to in the Florida Keys. 10 weights are used less often but on occasion during extra windy days making it easier to deliver larger weighted flies.
Leaders
Leaders ranging from 9 to 12 feet tapered to 12 to 20-pound test using fluorocarbon.
Permit Flies
A variety of crab patterns is the normal fly arsenal for the permit angler. Merkins, toads, Velcro Crabs and combinations thereof including shrimp and baitfish patterns such as the Clouser minnows. Being able to present the fly at a variety of depths is important. Fly sizes in the Florida Keys range from #1 to #2, #1/0.
Spin Fishing
Seven-foot plus, fast action spinning rod outfits are perfect. Quality spinning reels with superior drags are essential.
#4 diameter braid (15lb. test) is just right tied to 16lb. to 20lb. test fluorocarbon leader. 2/0 or 3/0 hooks with live crabs preferably or shrimp are the go-to bait selection.
