Permit Fishing in the Florida Keys

Permit are the elusive, unpredictable gladiators of the flats. Known for their wariness and tenacity, they’re often hailed as the crown jewel of saltwater fly and spin fishing, completing the “Florida Keys Grand Slam” alongside bonefish and tarpon.

Permit typically weigh between 12 and 25 pounds, but don’t be surprised if you cast to a 35-pound tank – it’s not exactly rare. Permit patrol the deeper edges of flats and banks during lower tides, while higher tides see them tailing and feeding on top. You’ll also find them following rays, on reefs, wrecks, coral heads, and sometimes floating the surface in huge schools.

In South Florida permit roam from Biscayne Bay to Key West, the Marquesas, and Florida Bay, but their passports extend to the east and west coasts of Florida, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Central America. They’re here year-round, but spring and fall are prime time, especially after a warming trend following a cold front. Windy days are your friend, permit let their guard down a bit, so you don’t need a presentation worthy of an Olympic gymnast.

Permit have a sophisticated palate. Crabs, shrimp, mollusks, and baitfish are their main course, but sea urchins also make the menu for the older, more solitary diners. Juvenile permit start with plankton and work their way up to heartier food. When targeting permit on fly, crab patterns are the go-to, designed to mimic retreating crabs heading for the bottom. In short, permit are the ultimate saltwater challenge, smart, strong, and always ready to humble even the most skilled angler. But when you finally land one, it’s a story worth telling.