# sand flea problems



## stevesmi (Mar 15, 2012)

okay so 2 straight days in a row I have surf fished and i used fresh dead shrimp and sand fleas. 

well i catch plenty of fish on the shrimp, but the sand fleas i get bites and then reel it in and only the shell is left, the fish ate the flea and left their shell. 

so then i decided to take the shell off and just hook the flea itself.. i then get even more bites, the fish seem to like the fleas better with no shell, but can never get a hookup. seems like its a hell of a pain to fish with fleas cause they don't stay on the hook good enough and the fish always steals them off the hook.. with shrimp even the pinfish i am able to set the hook and reel a fish in. and yes i'm using live and not frozen, same problem either way. 

what is the best way to hook them? thoughts? suggestions? do the pomps and whiting swallow the whole sand flea with the shell when they hit?


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## DTFuqua (Jan 30, 2012)

I saw once a technique use for some kind of worm that is sucked up on a beach somewhere that the guy used some kind of thread to tie the worm on the hook. I tried to look on youtube for it again but can't find it. Maybe you could find some kind of twine/thread that will work the same for sand fleas without the shell?


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Ghost Shrimp*

Those are called Ghost Shrimp and they have to be wrapped with some kind of thread to keep them on the hook.

If the sandfleas keep coming off, just wrap them. JMHO C2


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## pompanostradamus (Oct 17, 2007)

The best way I have found to hook fleas is through the belly out the back. Specifically bring the hook out through the head where the shell is thickest. This will keep the flea hooked but will not hinder the bait-stealers. This time of year there will be so many juvenile pompano, along with crabs and other bait fish that will clean your hook. I check my bait more frequently but also double and triple up the fleas per hook. Use a smaller flea, about the size of the tip of your pinkie. The smaller fleas seem to stay on longer. Good luck.


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## stevesmi (Mar 15, 2012)

the damn pinfish are thick as hell right now.


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## OP-FOR (Jan 23, 2010)

Berkeley gulp fleas won't come off. And you will not have to worry about the inards being sucked out. Mainly cause they are tough and nothing will eat them.


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