[Manlystanley]

So, I have dug for sand fleas multiple times (mainly in the middle to late fall time). I tend to find them where the lowest tide would be (even in high tide). I know that many web posting say that you find them: in the wash; they move around as the tide moves; or you look for the antennas poking out of the sand, etc, etc. I have had no luck with that.

So, what I do is:

-- Take my trusty sand flea rack.
-- Got out into the waves.
-- Go a little beyond the point where the beach slopes down.

-- Then start a searching routine:
-- Start working my rake in the sand (let the waves wash the sand out.
-- If I find no fleas, move in towards the beech.
-- repeat this loop, until I find something: big or small fleas.

-- Now I have the depth they are at. So, start to move lateral along the beach.
-- It's kind of hard to keep on this line, so, if I stop finding them, start a new search routine again.


Now, my question: Does this work in the spring time?? Any other pointers would be much appreciated.

-- Finally, a store owner at a OC bait shop said that sand fleas were nocturnal. He said that you just go out at night and catch them by the bucket full running around. Have you guys ever heard anything like that? I don't know if he was jerking my chain or what? Maybe he and his drinking buddies got a good laugh of picturing me with a flash light and bucket looking for the scurrying little devils??


Thanks,
Stan

 

[AtTheBar]

Stan the rakes can and do work but I am a shovel guy for the most part. Fleas are around now but you may find your self digging down a bit. I start digging a line perpendicular to the water. Start around the high tide mark and work my way down towards the water. Find one you find a thousand often times. I will work laterally from there. When I am into them I fill up the bucket because tomorrow they may have moved on or the tide may be in at the start of the next day.

As for this working in spring, absolutely I don't know many if any guys who don't have at least one Rod out with fleas. Jumbos with eggs off I have the option but smaller fleas with a piece of Orange Fishbite when pickings are slim. They are my bait of choice early spring when bass and BD overlap. I have a Rod out with a bunker head, another with peeler, and fleas on the rest. Last two springs fleas out produced all other baits for me in terms of number of fish (granted this was due in large part to fishing more rods with fleas than other bait).

While I do like to set out a buffet, I can manage just fine most trips with a shovel some FBBW for the bait Rod and some FB orange crab.

As for the nocturnal behavior of fleas it beats me. I can tell you last fall when the OSV was closed to over wash, I walked my a few nights down to the CG station on the south side Cooley humping the cart and the only thing scuttling along in my way where the ghost crabs.

 

[fishhead]

I prefer a shovel, particularly a big one that can go deep! It's work, but the reward is one of the best baits and the price is right!

 

[jlentz]

Whoever you talked to at the OC bait shop is correct, fleas are easier to catch at night. That is when all the guys who get them for the tackle shops go out and a lot of them also work at the local tackle shops. They also follow a cycle with the tide and moon phase as to when the best time to catch them. There are also other things to take into account such as wind direction and strength, wave height and beach shape and structure. The guys who get them commercially use custom made rakes much larger than the ones you see for sale in the tackle shops. A good sign as to when the sand fleas are available is when the oyster catchers show up and they showed up about 3 weeks ago. It is too early to get them in any commercial quantity right now as they are deeper in the sand and you will have do dig for them with a shovel or your hands depending on where they are on the beach. If they are in the softer sand of the wash I usually do better with my hands but be careful, you can really tear your hands up if you dig too much.

John

 

[Hooked4Life]

Agree with everyone above who suggested it's better to go for fleas at night. Just a word of caution if you go to Assateague for fleas, I used to go there all the time at night to catch them until this one time a couple of years ago I was stopped by the park police. They said it was ok to use the fleas to fish along the Assateague surf but illegal to remove them from the park.

 

[Manlystanley]

As always, you guys are great! I went to OC, and dug up more sand fleas in one hour then I could use in two days. These bad boys were HUGE, some 1.5 inches long.

I used the following technique:

1.) I would be in the surf, enough to allow the waves to go past me about 2-3
feet.
2.) I dug into the sand with a regular garden shovel.
3.) I threw up the sand (past the surf max line) to one of my daughters.
4.) One of my daughters would take a regular garden rake and spread out
the sand. Then pick up the fleas.
5.) In maybe one hour (at most) we got (I guess) 50-75 HUGE fleas. Some
1.5 inches long.

I will never buy a sand flea again.... Instead, I will invest this money in other noble pursuits.... Like Beer drinking!!!!


Best Regards,
Stan