Black dorsal and pectoral fins are often what you see first.

Something else you might see in the Lower Keys are schools of “bobbing” permit. These are fish positioned vertically in the water column, bobbing and occasionally poking their heads up past eye level out of the water. Expect to see this activity in the middle of wide, deep channels or at the mouth of a channel on an outgoing tide. Apparently, they are feeding on something on the surface.

The Lower Keys offer a whole host of areas to fish for permit and it would seem that any water deep enough to accommodate permit will have fish. Take out your chart and look at the string of islands and the surrounding flats on the northern edge from Upper Harbor Key down to Jewfish Channel. You are looking at prime permit country. As you can see, it is a big area and encompasses a tremendous amount of water rife with flats, channels and rocky outcroppings. Of course, a chart doesn’t do the area justice and you have to experience it from the casting deck of a flats boat to even begin to comprehend the beauty of the region.

Key West has entirely different permit habitat, with some of the largest flats found anywhere in the Keys. West of Key West is an immense flat known as the Lakes. It’s home to permit big and small and is bordered on the south side by an island chain surrounded by white sand flats and hard, grassy bottom. Along this island chain, which includes Man Key, Woman Key and Boca Grand Key, expect to see some of the biggest permit the Keys has to offer. I caught a personal best this past June of 33 pounds in this area, and have sighted fish that easily topped 45 pounds.

Just west of Boca Grand Key is the famed Marquesas Island atoll. There are permit of all sizes on both interior and exterior flats. Fishing is particularly good on the edges of channels leading into the atoll.

It is because of the countless permit in Key West, the huge expanse of flats that it offers and the relatively low angling pressure that I would spend four of my nine safari days here, ending my dream trip in what I consider the best spot of all.

Live crab is the bait of choice.

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Bait and Technique

Crabs are at the top of the menu for permit. Think of tossing a Frisbee-sized target directly in front of a permit’s face; that is where you want the crab to land. Another approach is to cast in front of and beyond a fish; with rodtip high, reel the crab so that it skims along the surface, then let it drop when it intersects the path of the fish.

Once the crab has landed where you want it, lower the rodtip and reel up the slack. If you are fortunate enough to see the fish eat, continue to keep your rodtip low and reel as fast as you can to set the hook. Raise the rodtip only after the fish is hooked. The main reason you want to reel down on the fish when it eats is to avoid pulling the hook out of its mouth.

I feel I get better hookups with offset hooks. If the hook isn’t offset out of the box I’ll take a pair of pliers and bend it ever so slightly. I’ll also crimp on round splitshot just above the hook for better casting distance and control. Hook the bait up through one of the lateral points of the shell. Shrimp sometimes work, but seldom as well as crabs.

Braided, non-stretch microfilament fishing line is great for permit fishing. Not only do you get somewhat longer casts, you’ll feel the slightest bump when the fish takes a bait. Without stretch, you can set a hook more effectively. Fluorocarbon leader is probably the top choice for most serious permit anglers, and should test 12 to 20 pounds. The mono leader can be anywhere from 4 to 12 feet long, whatever you are comfortable with.

If you are casting at a tailing fish in shallow water and are unable to tell if the fish has eaten your crab, watch the reaction of the tail. When the tail pokes up above the water, it’s a good bet the fish is eating your bait. When you see the tail quiver excitedly, count on it.

A friend of mine recently ignored this “tell-tail” sign and ended up reeling in a small corner of crab carapace. The fish tailed on the crab, wagged its tail, pulverized the bait with its crushers and spit the hook before my buddy ever knew what happened.

FS