# Where are the sand fleas?



## Fish_On (Feb 7, 2015)

Where in the world are the sand fleas at?
I have looked at dawn, at night, and during mid day...
Is anyone finding them???
Very strange...
And I have been Fleaing for many years...
Eve.n spoke with a few of my commercial buddies having the same problem...
I would love to get some feed back..
Thanks fellow anglers


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## jcallaham (Dec 13, 2009)

Fish On I have lost track of the last time I saw sand fleas on the beach,maybe two years ago.Seen some guys work really hard to get a hand full.I also believe that the sarcity of sand fleas is keeping surf fish from being caught in shallow water.


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## coastie83 (Apr 20, 2014)

My lady always takes my rake to scoop shells and get fleas for me. Managed one out of the last 3 times we were out. Had this problem last year too. But they did get plentiful during summer. The bay side of Pickens during the fall has had millions the last couple years.


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

They were thick at Pickens last year but I can't find any this year. I was told the red tide got them last fall.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Two weeks ago when I fished, I raked for about half a mile and got 14 or 15... it was pretty tough


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## hsiF deR (Oct 4, 2009)

I dont typically look for them much but my experience has always been; 
Spring - small
Fall - big
I had just assumed they go away or something during the winter. I have never hit a big colony in the early spring or late winter. Last year through September I found some that were so big they were almost alien looking. It seemed like there was a colony every 100'.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

They don't go away. They're just deeper. Will be a couple more weeks before they're easy to get too. Most are still a few feet under the sand.


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## tlinkak (Nov 10, 2012)

Found them at Broxson in Navarre


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## Tom044 (Mar 20, 2013)

Still a little early for them.Best in summer months yes you can find some now but better when in late spring summer months.


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## Tom044 (Mar 20, 2013)

Hey Fish On my family calls them No See Ums because they bite there ankles are they scratch them at night and blame it on mosquitoes.So when the kids ankles break out that the time to load up on Sand fleas.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

These things aren't ankle biters...


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## jonscott8 (Jan 18, 2015)

Pickens last Sunday gulf side, I raked a dozen. About 1 flea every 10 attempts. They were big but very hard to find. Should change when the weather warms.


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## Fish_On (Feb 7, 2015)

Man I ALWAYS get fleas this time of year... 
Guys I haven't found crap! Even my commercial buddies are struggling... The the Florida east coast is calling us, We are calling them. Bait shops are struggling with demand..
I have usually raked my own for over 20'years... I give up


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Fish_On said:


> Man I ALWAYS get fleas this time of year...
> Guys I haven't found crap! Even my commercial buddies are struggling... The the Florida east coast is calling us, We are calling them. Bait shops are struggling with demand..
> I have usually raked my own for over 20'years... I give up


That's what I'm saying.... been raking my own fleas since I was big enough to hold a rake... never had trouble like this.


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## Chechem (Mar 20, 2016)

We found hardly any at Ft Pickens beach this week.

Likely that the red tide killed them. We were catching LOTS of very small sand fleas with a dip net this week. So they'll grow up and replenish the beaches by summer.

Patience! :whistling:


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## 2Stater (Mar 21, 2016)

Chechem said:


> We found hardly any at Ft Pickens beach this week.
> 
> Likely that the red tide killed them. We were catching LOTS of very small sand fleas with a dip net this week. So they'll grow up and replenish the beaches by summer.
> 
> Patience! :whistling:


Right, and we were having our success with shrimp anyway.


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## Chechem (Mar 20, 2016)

Right, shrimp (unpeeled) worked fine.


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## tailfisher1979 (Jan 24, 2012)

Dig deeper. I was sitting on the beach the other day and found some studs with my toes about 10-14 inches in the sand. They are there. Bigger the better.


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## Chechem (Mar 20, 2016)

tailfisher1979 said:


> Dig deeper. I was sitting on the beach the other day and found some studs with my toes about 10-14 inches in the sand. They are there. Bigger the better.


I've never found them deeper, and I've looked. Last week we found few, and all were at the sediment surface (barely buried). These crustaceans require mucho oxygen, so they cannot stay buried for long.

Here's a good review of their biology: http://fishingdestinguide.com/baitSANDFLEAS.html


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## tailfisher1979 (Jan 24, 2012)

Chechem said:


> I've never found them deeper, and I've looked. Last week we found few, and all were at the sediment surface (barely buried). These crustaceans require mucho oxygen, so they cannot stay buried for long.
> 
> Here's a good review of their biology: http://fishingdestinguide.com/baitSANDFLEAS.html


Just telling you what I have seen. Take it for what it is.....or don't. Doesn't matter to me, I'm catching. Of course I'm in Walton County so that may have something to do with it.


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## Chechem (Mar 20, 2016)

tailfisher1979 said:


> Just telling you what I have seen. Take it for what it is.....or don't. Doesn't matter to me, I'm catching. Of course I'm in Walton County so that may have something to do with it.


We were at Ft Pickens. I'm willing to learn, but them being deep is weird.
Didn't mean to :no: , just 

I'll dig even deeper next time. :thumbup:


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## Hopin4aboat (Jul 5, 2009)

Chechem said:


> We were at Ft Pickens. I'm willing to learn, but them being deep is weird.
> Didn't mean to :no: , just
> 
> I'll dig even deeper next time. :thumbup:


What he said deeper in the sand and last year I did better in deeper water too.


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## Albere (Jul 26, 2014)

Found sand fleas at area 22 and Opal beach. Did not find them at the watchtower, the entrance to the pass, nor at Langdon beach


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## Chechem (Mar 20, 2016)

Hopin4aboat said:


> What he said deeper in the sand and last year I did better in deeper water too.


We were at Langdon. I was wearing waders. Most all of the ones we found (fewer than 10) were in the deeper water, just above the dense-shell collections, which is water about 2-3' deep at medium tide. There were hundreds of tiny ones there (pea-sized), which we found with a fine-mesh net.


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## Mistwolfen (Dec 31, 2015)

I filled up a quart ziplock baggie at Langdon beach two days ago. All the ones I found were right in the lip of the beach withing 6-9 inches on either side. they were all singles or double though they had some good size on them. It took me most of a day to catch enough to fish with and fill the baggie. I found most of them wherever there was a dip or break in the nearshore bar.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Mistwolfen said:


> I filled up a quart ziplock baggie at Langdon beach two days ago. All the ones I found were right in the lip of the beach withing 6-9 inches on either side. they were all singles or double though they had some good size on them. It took me most of a day to catch enough to fish with and fill the baggie. I found most of them wherever there was a dip or break in the nearshore bar.


Typically speaking that's the best place to find them.

Contrary to popular belief, there is an art to raking sand fleas...


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