# Sticky  Sandfles



## angryaccntnt

What are sandfleas? Where can you find them? How do you fish with them? What can you catch?

I've read a lot of things about sandfleas and I have seen them frozen in a few places around town. I have never heard of these. I would like some more info if sandleas are worth while.


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## sniper

YOu can get a sand flea rake at most tackle shops. Comb it through the sand where the water comes up to the beach. I have never done it but my girlfriend told me about it. I dont know what you can catch with them cause I fish from a boat not shore and dont think they would do much good there. 

Good Luck


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## JEC

I have caught sheepshead and pompano with them, at Fort Pickens.


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## Sailor50

What we call sand fleas here are small crustaceans that live at the waters edge where the waves wash up and feed on plankton, etc. They are also call mole crabs. They are not actually fleas and will not bite you or harm you in any way. They are used around here mainly for catching pompano on pompano rigs, but redfish and other fish will eat them.










Here is a picture of one. Its front is on the left, you can see the little antenna on it. The sand flea actually moves by scooting backwards. you can see the little flippers it uses for this on the right side of the picture.










This is the bottom of the sand fleas. Again, its front is on the left side of this picture. This is a female as you can just see the orange eggs under the flap on the back.








A picture of the eggs on the female with the flap lifted up. These with the orange eggs are supposed to be primo pompano bait.

I went down to the Crystal beach area in Destin last week and got a bunch (>100) that i am freezing and going to use for bait next year. This beach was restored last year, but there is no shortage of sand fleas here. I saw a bunch out toward the west jetty also, at the waters edge about 2 weeks ago. I am sure you have them in Pensacola too. They are hard to find in the winter as i have heard they bury themselves pretty deep. They start to show up again here in late March, early April. Although they can be found by themselves, it is easier to find a "nest"of them,i have gotten over 25 in one scoop. To find them, stand at the waters edge and look down the shore. You will see "bump", or bubbles, or little V shaped areas in the sand.







In the top left side of this picture you can see some "colonies"of them. I have noticed they will stay buried or go deeper if anyone is walking near them. I have seen a big colony of them from maybe 10 feet away, walked over to them, and didnt see them again. So, You want to stay maybe 10-15 feet and watch for them when the waves recede. The waves will wash away the sand covering them when the wave comes in and you can see them burying themselves or running out into the water when the wave recedes. This is what the pompano are looking for too as they come right up into where the surf breaks to find an uncovered sand flea.







Here is one trying to rebury itself. I have noticed they also leave bubbles when they bury themselves, so you need to be on the lookout for these bubbles too. Here is one that is buried and waiting, with its antenna sticking up. It is these antenna that makes the distinctive v in the sand.









Here are some buried in the sand.









To catch them, I would get a sand flea rake ( walmart sells them). Wait at the surfs edge, until you see some, memorize where they are, waitfor a wave to come in, then when the waves start to recede, run over to where they were and rake the sand toward you as the water goes out, going down as deep as you can.
















Keep the rake in the water and let the waves wash the sand away from the fleas in your rake. 

To hook them, I just put the hook in from the bottom and run it out through the top of the shell.










There are several other ways to do it and maybe some of the experts here will chime in. This is probably more than you wanted to know, but its raining here and I am pretty bored.


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## Hot Dog

Sailor50 that was the very best post on sand fleas I have ever seen. I have a rake and have caught them before, mostly by accident. You showed me my mistakes.

Thanks for the information.

Charles (Pensacola)


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## GoVols

Great post!! I wasn't sure what sandfleas were either, but it is clear now. Thank you for posting that.


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## SemperFi-sh

another way to catch fleas, if you don't want to spend $25-30 on a rake, is to take a 5 gal bucket and drill a series of holes(3/8" worked good for me)in the bottom, leave a good X for strength in the bottom (2-4" undrilled for each part of the X, extending all the way to the sides). Also, drill a series of holes around the sides, again, leave undrilled portions for strength. as far as getting the fleas, take a small shovel with you and scoop them up. then take the bucket out into some water, allow it to drain in, then slosh around to flush the sand, leaving all the happy little fleas. to keep the fleas alive, I use a tupperware thingy from walmart that has a false bottom. fleas tend to poop and pee all over themselves, which kills them, but the false bottom allows it to drain down and they don't swim it it. just flush them with clean salt water every few hours and keep them cool and they will last for 10-12 hours. ill try to post some pics later of my set up. 

if you're looking for fleas and are in destin, they are everywhere!!! just get out early or in the middle of the night


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## mdrobe2

Sailor 50 made a great post. I'll just add that I was with JEC when he caught his sheepies and pompano and he was using dead fleas that had been frozen- he got them at Gray's Tackle.


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## Halfmoon

Wow!!! You should write a insturctional book. Great reply back to help someone out.:bowdown

How in the hell did you get a pic of a sand flea getting away? That's like 2 mila seconds fast.

or I'm just getting old?:doh


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## angryaccntnt

awesome post. that really helps me out. i'm ready to catch some pomp.


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## POPPY

great report & pics there Sailor50 :clap ... Poppy (aka Joe)


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## Zray Al

Sailor50

Excellent post with explanation and photos.


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## Stan Lockhart

Great Post sailor50 Keep up the great reporting !


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## -- Saints Domination --

damn that was a sick post dued


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## Dawgman

This is the most informative post I've read yet. The only thing to add is that the sand flea uses the v-shaped part on it's stomach like a shovel to burrow in the sand. If you put the hook though that part and then out the top you can guarantee that the sand flea can't bury itself and therefore not get eaten.


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## Fishermon

Excellent post/ Thank you. 

ANother thing to add would be where can I get a good lasting rake, The one from wally world sucks. I broke two of them already..(I raked the %$#@* out of'm yes) ....but come on!!...they should make them more durable and the handle sucks by the way. Its a job sometimes getting fleas out there... Someone here that fabricates/works withalumminum, titanum etc should get in the biz of making long good lasting rakes....small diametermesh on it too, to catch the small guys...I'd buy a couple.:hotsun


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## JoshMc

Awesome post!!!


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## dsar592

Sailor50: WOW great post that helped me a lot.


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## allen_perkinson

holy hell sailor... i just got done posting some info on pompano surf rigs for a guy, and then i read your post. you made me seem dumb...:banghead. Great post, that is what makes this site worth reading. guys like you who are willing to spend a little time and give some details (or a lot) so us beginners can learn a trick or two... Thanks for helping out! Maybe you can touch on the post that i just did. Its in the surf reports (mistakenly by the original poster). Tight lines!


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## ElJay

Great and informative, THANKS!!!


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## JoshMc

Allen, I think your pompano post to my topic was very informative. But I can see how you would feel outdone by this one, both are full of information and are equally appreciated!!!


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## bay slayer

Dangggg!!!!!!! And i thought i know alot about sandfleas, that was a goodreply, if the forum hadreply's like that every day there would be no such thing as a bad fisherman!!!


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## olilly

excellent imfo on the sand fleas, i for one am glad it rained for you , otherwise this imfo may have not gotten to me. BIIIIIIG THANKS


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## angryaccntnt

I bought a metal rakew/ metal handle at Reel Fun bait shop yesterday. They have two sizes, one is around $20 and the other is about $30.

Reel Fun

711 North Pace Blvd

Pcola, FL 32505


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## Orion45

*Sailor50 *

Heard the Discovery Channel was hiring! Great post.


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## Hysteria Fishing

Sailor 50, they need you in public education!


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## troutslayer31

nice post Sailor50.:clap I know a little bit about surf fishing but now i know a little more. Thanks.:bowdown


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## jjam

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=smalltxt vAlign=top><SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__ctl16_lblFullMessage>Excellent post/ Thank you. 

ANother thing to add would be where can I get a good lasting rake, The one from wally world sucks. I broke two of them already..(I raked the %$#@* out of'm yes) ....but come on!!...they should make them more durable and the handle sucks by the way. Its a job sometimes getting fleas out there... Someone here that fabricates/works withaluminum, titanium etc should get in the biz of making long good lasting rakes....small diametermesh on it too, to catch the small guys...I'd buy a couple.







</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I got a pretty durable one from GBBT...they have 2 kinds, one made of conduit and chicken wire and one welded like the one you desire for much more $$$. I bought the later and have been happy so for this year.

Also, best informative post I've readyet. Inspires me to head out to the beach with the new knowledge I now have thanks to such an awesome post. I normally just scoop random and eventually get lucky.

Jimmy


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## TURTLE

I agree , even for us that have been diggin for fleas for 30 years that was cool.


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## stringle

First, Angryaccntnt, good refresher question. Second, Sailor50, WOW. Sir, you absolutely documented that perfectly (I'll agree with the gent that mentioned Discovery Channel)! Now, if it's still raining, my Mom would like to know if you have any suggestions on catching grouper (hehehe). Thank you!


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## BananaTom

I was taught to catch sand fleas with a colonder/stainer from the kitchen in Melbourne, FL. Walk along the beach until you see them, then run towards on the out going and kneel and scoop.

Then when I first saw the rake, I had to have one. 

I have kept them alive for three - four days in the refrigerator, they musy have air. My wife does not like the live things in there, but I prevail.


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## [email protected]

Ive been surf fishing for two years...man your posts sure would have saved me alot of time figuring this stuff out...amazing and very informative! Hope to see you on the beach...I live near crystal beach.


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## Charlie2

If you store sandfleas, don't let the waste material accumulate in the bottom of the container. It will kill them for sure. Flush with fresh sea water and they'll live longer.



I've just about gotten away from sandfleas. I have been using jigs tipped with shrimp.



A couple of right coast friends showed up for fishing lessons and we caught a bunch of fish with some of the largest whiting that I have seen in ages; one was 16 inches long!



What they brought over for bait was salted clams; yes; salted clams. They worked for both whiting and Pompano with one legal redfish.



We had to make long casts to reach the clear water but when we did, the fish were there and willing. Anything close was a waste. C2


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## FreeLine

Sailor, I was looking for some recently on Pensacola Beach, but didn't see any. Obviously, you did well when you found them. Do you have to cover a lot of beach before you find them? I was thinking that maybe this was not a good time of the year for them.

Thanks for the great info!


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## snivlem

Yeah, I haven't seen a single one here at Perdido. I figured Ike probably had something to do with that.


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## kahala boy

Just saw Andrew Zimmern on Food Network in Thailand eating these.... Rinse thoroughly, pull off legs and deep fry in tempura batter......


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## snivlem

Yeah, they called them "sea cicadas"!


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## Sailor50

Freeline,

Saw your post, went down to the beach and looked around, tough times here in Destin too. Thought I saw a few pods but when I went over to them, nothing. 

Looked all over, but didnt really see anything. I have heard they move out to the outer sandbars in the winter but too warm for that. Anyways, caught maybe 3 small ones and one motheron the first sandbar just by blind raking.










Gave up and just tried to fish with shrimp some. About an hour later, noticed the tide was coming in and saw some colonies I thought. 










That's a pod in the middle. They only come up when the waves are going out.










Bad picture but you can see a few fleas sticking their antennas up as the wave goes out.










Finally managed to rake these up in one swoop after a few hours of looking

I went the other day and didnt see any. Someone else went that night on a high tide and got a bunch. So, I would recommend looking when the tide is comingin. When the tide is low, I have noticed the fleas don't really show up until the waves recede a long ways. Also, I noticed there were a lot of birds out today walking the beach, so bet the fleas were out deep and didn't come in until the sun started to set and tide started to come in. 

Hope someone else can jump in here, still learning here. Good luck....


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## Breeze Fabricators

I wounder if you could do a cajun sandflea boil and suck the juice out of thier head. Don't look like much meat in the tail though!!!:letsdrink


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## FreeLine

Thanks, Sailor. That helps in knowing what to look for. Glad they are here (or at least close by). Sounds like they are not always a sure thing, and sometimes a back-up plan for bait is necessary.


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## gator7_5

Andrew Zimmern ate sand fleas in Thailand on his show last night. They pick off the legs and deep fry them. He said they tasted alot like softshell crabs.


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## Lakewoodwife

Sailor, you should be on TV somewhere...espn, fsn, SOMETHING!! Your post was so informative and the pics incredible! Thank you SO very much! We try very hard to read, retain and use all the info that is so generously given to us on this forum and we appreciate you and all other "tutorials" more than you'll ever know! ((paying attention to the new penny Gulps is why I got my slot red last week!!)) 

Thank you SO much for this great post!


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## Hydro Therapy 2

when are sand flea's in say season?


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## Sailor50

From what I have read about them, the sand fleas leave the beach and head out towater 6' or deeperin the winter. When they leave they beach, I dont really know, maybe somebody else can help here. Know they are hard to find againuntil sometime around April.


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## DKfromAK

This post is awesome! I am new to the entire concept of surf fishing and have been pondering the whole sand flea thing...you make it sound easy, which surely menas I will have a hell of a time being successful!



thanks!



Derrick


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## choppedliver

Holy cow that was a great post. I know its been there for a while but I just read it. Great stuff. Im wondering are the sand fleas only along the gulfshores ie PensacolaBeach,or would they also be found on the shores of the bay ie, escambia bay along scenic hwy. I dont remember seeing them but then again Ive never really noticed them at the beach either!


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## chefpomp

Good post <SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlTopic_ctlPanelBar_ctlTopicsRepeater__ctl5_lblFullMessage>Sailor50. I hook mine the same way. Did any body mention what a nice rake you got. Looks like you built it, if so great job.


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## Sailor50

I bought that rake 10 years ago at a bait store that has since closed down around Santa Rosa beach. But I saw some just like it at the Eglin BX a few weeks ago for around $30, sure they sell them in Pensacola too. Been a good rake, no problems with it.

I know you can catchfleasalong the shore of the Destin East pass also, not just the beach. Really have not looked for them in the bay, so I dont know about that. And saw my first colony of the year this morning down among the old crystal beach Pier pilings with their antennas sticking out of the sand, so they area coming back up on the beach.


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## Linda

I got an awesome rake at Half Hitch, it's around $40 very wide but light and has a comfy handle - you can see it in the background of this first pic and yes if you can find a nest this is the way to go, I got all these in one scoop


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## choppedliver

I went to pcola beach a few days ago with my rake. I couldnt find any with my eyes, but just by blind raking I was able to get several dozen in about an hour, one at a time. Sometimes two or three. I never found a colony of them, just one to a few at a time


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## Smellslike$tome

Nice post.



I have found sand fleas in the surf in South Carolina, Gulf coast, and Northern California (they are giant size in CA and the water was very cold in March). I'm assuming they can be found in the surf of almost any beach in the Western hemisphere if not the entire world.



The thing that I don't know about sand fleas is what size works best on which species or does it matter? I generally avoid the really small baits thinking (rightly or wrongly I don't know) that small baits = small fish, plus they are more difficult to hook without destroying. If anyone has any insight about bait size please share.



As for species caught, ... this is an amazing bait. Pomp, whiting, sheepshead, reds, and I know someone will call me out on this and call me a liar but last August in Myrtle Beach, SC I caught a nice spanish mackeral on a sand flea! I couldn't believe it, had never heard of it before, but I swear it happened. 



I love sand fleas since they are generally plentiful, you can release alive whatever you don't use, don't cost anything and appeal to a wide variety of fish. When they are abundant I don't even bother with a rake. Once you learn what your looking for you can just walk over to a colony, run your hand through the sand about 2" deep until you feel him and scoop him out of the sand with your hand. When they are not so abundant you need to go ahead and collect what you may need when you find them because 5 minutes from now they may or may not be there and you may not find any more without walking a long way.



Now if someone could expand this thread or start a new one, I would love to hear some thoughts and experience with respect to bait placement with respect to species, time of day, time of year, time of tide, etc.


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## BayStealth

That was sweet man. Keep up the good work. You make lookin at your flea pic almost more fun than lookin at pics of fish . . . Okay not really, but that was a grat post!!! LOL!


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## katz

:clap:clap:clap:clap:takephoto


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## Fuhrer48

Ive read through this post maybe 4 times now since it was originally posted. I have something to add in terms of keepin them alive. A buddy of mine taught me this and it works well. Take a small mesh bag, like a dive bag that you use to collect things or a small laundry bag. Keep the fleas in the bag and drape the bag into a cooler with ice in the bottom (I just use a 32 oz gatorade bottle and freeze a block of ice in it). Before you leave the beach dip the bag in the saltwater to give them a good rinse and when you go home just keep the cooler in a shaded place so the sun isnt beating down on it. Just check up on the ice to make sure it still cool in the cooler and ensure that the fleas arentmaking direct contact with the frozen surface. I've kept them alive for up to 4 days withoutdipping them back in saltwater. Naturally the more you are able to rinse them in the salt the longer they will last.Ive posted this before butI think its more releventon this thread.


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## Stealthbobber06

Thanks for this post Sailor50, it was VERY informative and the pics were great, you answered all my questions I wanted to ask, thanks for all the time you put into it!


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## excelrfg

Came on here looking to find information on sand fleas. Wow, did I find my answer. Thank you all for the wealth of information.


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## sumnat2

Sailor50 You are the man, that was spectacular!!!!


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## SHunter

I found them in the surf at Ft. Pickens in late summer. Look for the V shape. If you can't find them, the bait in tackle in Gulf Breeze has live ones as well as fiddlers when they are in season. When I was a kid I used the collander method too but now I have a rake to play with. I've caught some nice Pompano using sand fleas. It makes sense that the crabs would be the food source since they are both around the shoreline in spring and late summer.


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## fishingcanada

wow! you guys really help me a lot... 

I was reading this tread for almost 30 mins.. whooa!


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## Mad Hooker

I can't see the pictures, are they expired?


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## Sailor50

*Update with pictures*

This is an update to my previous post with the pictures added back in plus a little more information.
-----------------------------------
What we call sand fleas here are small crustaceans that live at the water’s edge on the beach. They are also call mole crabs and are found all over the world. They are not actually fleas and will not bite you or harm you in any way. They are used around here mainly for catching pompano on pompano rigs, but redfish and other fish will eat them.









Here is a picture of one from above. Its front is on the left - you can see its two eye stalks and two “filter antennas” on it. 









This is the bottom of the sand flea. Again, its front is on the left side of this picture. It always moves backwards and uses its legs/flippers to propel itself through the water and to dig into the sand. The arrow shaped flap in the back is its “carapace”. It is used to protect its underbelly and eggs in a female. It is also used to anchor the flea in the sand. Locally it is called the “digger” . This is a female as you can just see the orange eggs under the flap on the back.











A picture of a female with its eggs with the carapace lifted up. These with the orange eggs are said to be primo pompano bait.











When its eggs are this color (more brown), it means the eggs are about to hatch.










This is the front of the flea. You can see its two black eyes on the end of the eye stalks. Above the eyes is its mouth and above its mouth is its’ “filter antennas”. It uses these filter antennas to capture plankton and other organic material from the water and in turn down to its mouth.

Sand fleas feed in what is called the swash zone of the beach. This is the area of the beach where the wet sand is (from the waves washing up the beach).









This is the sand fleas habitat. The area of the beach where the receding waves meet the oncoming waves is what is called locally the “LIP”. In the above picture, it is where the white water is. The action of the receding and oncoming waves meeting forms an area of soft, water saturated sand and there is usually a 2-6” drop from the shore to the sea. The fleas may be on either side of the lip, depending on the time of year and tides.
TIDES: Sand fleas move up and down the beach with the tides. They do not want to be left stranded on the beach when the tide goes out as they become easy prey as they cannot dig in hard, dry sand. 









So, as the tide comes in, you will find them farther up the beach.
As the tide goes out and at low tide, they will be off the beach and more seaward, up to shin deep water.
TIME OF YEAR:
From about April through September, the sand fleas reproduce and form the colonies you see so often in the summer. These will normally be on the shore side of the lip. They are identified by the “V” in the receding waves.


















Sand fleas area here all year, but are hard to find in the colder months for several reasons.
- There just aren’t as many around as a lot have died off due to cold, etc.
- They stay more to the seaward side of the lip and don’t come up the beach to form colonies as they do in the summer.
Thus, in the winter, if you want to find them, you are going to have to wade and there aren’t the big groups of them.

Sand fleas only feed when the waves are receding back down the beach. This is normally the only time you will see them as they stay buried just below the sand to keep from becoming food for shore birds and fish like the pompano. Here are some pictures of a sand flea burying itself .









Just starting to dig in, front on the left.









As they dig, sometimes they leave bubbles, on way that helps you to find them.









Almost buried with its filter antennas out.









A little hard to see but this is a picture of the sand fleas underwater in the feeding mode. You can see their antennas stretched out. 









Here is a picture of a group of them feeding in a receding wave on the beach here in Destin. 









To catch them, most people use a sand flea rake. In the summer, you can probably catch them with your hands. They are around $30-$50.00 and can be found at Half Hitch or Bass Pro in season.









To use one, you stand on the beach and look parallel with the beach for the distinctive Vs, bubbles or bumps in the sand AS THE WAVES RECEDE down the beach. They will rebury themselves quickly once the wave has passed. Run over to where you saw them, and make a sweep shoreward with your rake.










Pull it up and let it sit on top of the sand and let the waves wash the sand out of the rake. You will hopefully have some sandfleas left in it.



















HOOKING THE SAND FLEA

To hook them, I just put the hook in from the bottom and run it out through the top of the shell.






























And, some people prefer to just have the hook showing.
Whichever way you do it, you will probably kill the flea. Here is a site in California that shows some other ways to hook them.
http://www.scsurffishing.com/articles/hookingsandcrabs.htm


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## geklingel

Boy, the pictures really help explain this!
here is an article I found on the "bucket" method (with Pics). 
it explains why under some conditions the rake might not be the best choice. 

http://amelia-island-fishing.com/fishing/articles/catching%20sand%20fleas.cfm


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## Stressless

I've put up some how-to's but that one is brilliant. Thanks -

Stressless


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## BananaTom

Bump


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## manasota

Awesome pompano and whiting bait. Most anything will eat 'em if you put them in front of their face. I've caught snook and tarpon by accident while fishing for pompano.


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## DmAcK

*Amazing Post*

Heads up if anyone is looking for sand fleas there a bunch right around the pier at ft pickens. Me and my buddys were fishing there the other day and saw them every where. There were colonies of them like explained earlier. I really appreciate the information about how to keep them a live. I have an older sand flea rake that I plan on taking out there this week. The last time I left it at home and we just used our hands. But I did see an older couple using used fry baskets out of like home deep fryers, and they were killing it. So good luck to all have fun catching bait and fish and see ya on the beaches.


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## johnf

Great info and thanks for reposting the pics. That helped a bunch. Can you catch bayside fish with them. I'll be in a house that's close to both sides and has a nice pier on it.


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## stuckinthetrees

Thanks for the helpful update


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## PompChaser315

Awesome!


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## Capt.Kyle

how long did it take you catch that many


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## TheCarver

Super info on the fleas, Ill have to try some. While the family are enjoying the water a little further away. Ive seen them but never thought about the know your there an hide, ole carver


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## bigtallluke

This has been beyond helpful! Originally I knew nothing about sandfleas, but now after reading this a few times, I strongly feel that I could explain sandfleas to someone else. (not as good as you though lol). I really appreciate you taking the time to break this down and help teach others. You are obviously passionate about fishing, and even more passionate about spreading the knowledge to help get others involved. We need more people like you! Thank you so much, and thanks to ALL who share their knowledge!


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## STEWY

catching sandfleas http://youtu.be/JBHJHwIwm40


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## slipfloater

Great info! Cant wait to try to catch some. It will absolutely freak out my grandkids. They love exploring new things and I need the bait!:thumbup:


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## chugs

STEWY said:


> catching sandfleas http://youtu.be/JBHJHwIwm40


Great vid thanks for posting.:thumbsup:


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## fishingdave

STEWY said:


> catching sandfleas http://youtu.be/JBHJHwIwm40


awesome video! thanks so much


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## pompano67

Outstanding post sailor 50.!!! Also note that blanching them before freezing seems to work better for me.


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## Penn720

One thing you can do to keep sand flies alive is to store them in slightly moist sand. Not wet sand, or the sugary powder sand, but sand from about 5-10 feet from the previous high tide. This will usually keep them for a day or two. Sometimes if I would be at the beach in the afternoon, I would catch some fleas for the next days fishing trip. It's just a little assurance that you won't have one of those " I've been here 2 hours and can't catch any sand fleas" trips. I never had a problem as long as the sand in the bucket isn't too wet or dry.

Mike


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## ride135

an old metal food strainer from the kitchen works great also, have used the same one now for about five years!


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## Matdfhew

Also note that blanching them before freezing seems to work better for me.


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## DonaldLee

Thank you Sailor50!! Sorry you were bored but you provided some nice information that will help others. I'll be visiting Pensacola and staying at The Pearl of Navarre for a week beginning May 1st. Hope I can find some fleas on the beach there. My wife once lived in Pensacola and wants to fish from the pier but I'd like to do some surf fishing in hope of catching some Pompano. Can anyone say if I would have any luck fishing there on Navarre?


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## Rodsy.com

Sand fleas work great when you grind them up in a blender and use them as chum. Lots of smell comes out of them little guys!!


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## Fish_On

Check out my thread in surf report... Navarre part 2


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## AUtigerfan

Can you catch sand fleas at night?


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## deb1610

Sailor50 said:


> What we call sand fleas here are small crustaceans that live at the waters edge where the waves wash up and feed on plankton, etc. They are also call mole crabs. They are not actually fleas and will not bite you or harm you in any way. They are used around here mainly for catching pompano on pompano rigs, but redfish and other fish will eat them.
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> This is the bottom of the sand fleas. Again, its front is on the left side of this picture. This is a female as you can just see the orange eggs under the flap on the back.
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> A picture of the eggs on the female with the flap lifted up. These with the orange eggs are supposed to be primo pompano bait.
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> I went down to the Crystal beach area in Destin last week and got a bunch (>100) that i am freezing and going to use for bait next year. This beach was restored last year, but there is no shortage of sand fleas here. I saw a bunch out toward the west jetty also, at the waters edge about 2 weeks ago. I am sure you have them in Pensacola too. They are hard to find in the winter as i have heard they bury themselves pretty deep. They start to show up again here in late March, early April. Although they can be found by themselves, it is easier to find a "nest"of them,i have gotten over 25 in one scoop. To find them, stand at the waters edge and look down the shore. You will see "bump", or bubbles, or little V shaped areas in the sand.
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> In the top left side of this picture you can see some "colonies"of them. I have noticed they will stay buried or go deeper if anyone is walking near them. I have seen a big colony of them from maybe 10 feet away, walked over to them, and didnt see them again. So, You want to stay maybe 10-15 feet and watch for them when the waves recede. The waves will wash away the sand covering them when the wave comes in and you can see them burying themselves or running out into the water when the wave recedes. This is what the pompano are looking for too as they come right up into where the surf breaks to find an uncovered sand flea.
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> To catch them, I would get a sand flea rake ( walmart sells them). Wait at the surfs edge, until you see some, memorize where they are, waitfor a wave to come in, then when the waves start to recede, run over to where they were and rake the sand toward you as the water goes out, going down as deep as you can.
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> There are several other ways to do it and maybe some of the experts here will chime in. This is probably more than you wanted to know, but its raining here and I am pretty bored.


Can anyone tell me why I can't see the pics in the above post. There are little boxes but do not open. Thanks guys


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## dsj1000

*Help Finding Sandfleas on Miramar in Jan*

Anyone finding sandfleas on Miramar beach at this time - 22 Jan 16? If so, any tips would be appreciated.


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## 76tj

*Sandfleas*

One of the best descriptions I've found is at http://fishingdestinguide.com/baitSANDFLEAS.html

Check out all their info at their site
http://fishingdestinguide.com/


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## Chechem

Update (February 2017):

THEY'RE BACK! 
Caught plenty of them at Langdon Beach (Pickens) last week. Had enough to share with everyone fishing.

This time last year there were only small (juvenile) ones. Should be a good pompano season!!

:thumbsup:


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## 76tj

*Sand fleas & pompno*

More info on Sand Fleas - http://fishingdestinguide.com/baitSANDFLEAS.html

More info on Pompano - http://fishingdestinguide.com/FISH-POMPANO.html


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## jimmiebrown

*Sandflea Video*

Here is an awesome video on Youtube by a guy who posts other awesome video's on reading the ocean too. His Youtube name is 311Pope.


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## 76tj

*sand fleas video*

Wow! :thumbup:


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## Wade Patton

jimmiebrown said:


> Here is an awesome video on Youtube by a guy who posts other awesome video's on reading the ocean too. His Youtube name is 311Pope.



I was just going to share this. Mr. Pope makes some GREAT fishing videos (even if from the wrong coast) and does a multi-part deal on making a rake and catching SF's. 

I've not been to the beach since I learned of them, but will be there early May and plan to try then. If I can't catch fish, I can eat the sand fleas (another 311Pope video) 

Cheers!


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