These fish range the entire Florida coast, both east and west, but the majority are in South Florida particularly the Keys. Permit are tough. They are members of the jack family and grow fairly large. The all-tackle world record is 51 pounds, eight ounce caught near Lake Worth in April 1978. The average size in the Keys is about 20 pounds.
Light tackle is important.
For most anglers a good quality spinning outfit with 300 yards of 15-pound line is about right. Tackle, of course, depends on the type of water being fished. In very shallow water, such as the channels of the Keys, medium spinning tackle is more realistic. The flats are where ligh -spinning tackle and fly rods really come into their own. Leaders should be monofilament.