# Question on sandfleas



## Compuman202 (Oct 3, 2013)

Hi everyone. I'm looking for a few pointers on how to find sandfleas. I know I have to dig and sift but I'm having difficulty finding them. Any pointers would be great. I fish NMB to Pawlys. Thanks


----------



## SpringmaidKeith (Jun 30, 2013)

Comp, I've never fished with them but have seen how to find them from the pier. As the surf is returning, you'll see "V"s on the surface of the water. This is the way they feed, stickin some part of their body up to feed. You'll get some more better help from the forum soon. All I know is dig fast


----------



## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

There are several videos around that show you how to find and catch them. Here is one link I found:
http://www.pierandsurf.com/fishing-forum/showthread.php?105306-Catching-Sand-Flea-s-Video
Youtube also has many videos on the subject. 
My take is I usually find them on high tide or outgoing. If you find an area on the beach that has longer running waves they tend to congregate there. They feed by filtering, so a long wash will allow them to feed easier. Areas by a point on the beach tend to be a good spot to start to look for them. (it really ends up being quite fun)
When looking at the outgoing wave, a sand flea colony will look like a rough patch of sand. As the wave runout ends, you will see the little Vs, but Coquinas also present like this so I look for the small rough patches. When you find that, take a rake and run it through from the water to towards the dune as the wave starts to go out. They will be high in the sand when the wave starts to runout, and burrow down at the end of it. Easy as pie. 
Keeping them alive is a whole other ballgame. Do some searching on that one too. Their waste builds up quick and the ammonia kills them. 
Good luck!


----------



## Compuman202 (Oct 3, 2013)

Thanks guys I appreciate the advice


----------



## ObiJohn Kenobi (May 11, 2014)

I've found them at just about any part of the tide cycle, except when the wash is coming over the hard sand of a slough. That seems to be one of the keys to me: you want to look for softer sand. 

Look down parallel to the beach at a steep angle as the wash is going out and you should see a tight grouping of "v"s in the wet sand as Kieth and pods say. Sometimes this will be clams, but they tend to be spaced farther apart and more or less parallel to the beach, whereas sand fleas are usually in a tight group. 

What I do is try and keep my eyes on that spot as I approach and then sit behind where I think I saw them (the colony can be harder to find as you get closer because you no longer have the sun's reflection to help you), and then sit behind that area and wait for the water to wash over it. When you look into the outgoing wash you should see their antennae protruding from the sand briefly. I dig for the ones with larger antennae and shove the ones that are the size I want, along with some wet sand, into my shorts pocket.

Once you've seen a colony once, it's pretty easy to identify them after. It took me forever to find my first ones, but now I see them all over the place.


----------



## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

I watch people with sand flea rakes walk all over colonies of sand fleas trying to catch em. Using the sun's reflection is a helpful tip as well. If your shorts are getting wet while looking for em, u are doing it wrong. They seem to hang out in the colonies right where u will consistently see the shortest waves hit the beach.


----------



## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Like SloppyTilapia's tellin you ----- walk in dry sand and spot em, then stand in the dry sand till you figure out their cycle, coming up - going down, when they come up --- run in fast as you're able and fill your rake, they will spook from your shadow and the vibration of your footsteps, so stay away from em till you spot em, then move in fast to get em. People will look at you like you're crazy (and I am!) but when you come up with all the fleas you need in one dip, they'll begin to understand ---- One Stop Shopping --- you can also get em by throwing a small mesh Cast Net instead of using a Rake ---- River


----------



## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

I have used one of those paddle ball racquets or a kids plastic beach shovel to get fleas before. Just find a colony and dig in, throw as much sand as you can up the beach out of the wave line and scoop em up before they flip over or retreat back to the water. Worst case scenario, I can scoop em by hand.


----------



## Extra_Medium (Aug 3, 2013)

Ok, so once you have these little critters, how do you stop them from falling off the hook when casting?


----------



## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Hook em through the hard shell --- by pushing aside the flip lid over the egg compartment and sticking the hook through the center of the shell, I want the hook point to come out behind the little ribs or hinge line on the outside of the shell and be exposed on the outside, the remainder of the hook should be hidden in the Flea, thats the reason I use #6 hooks on small Fleas, medium sized get #4, large gets a #2 or #1 ----- when I hook two small fleas, I do the first one that way and the other the opposite, making them back to back ---- sometimes Sea Mullet and Pompano will tear the two fleas up, when they won't even touch one ---- Good Luck, River


----------



## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

Also, don't cast at full strength.......only throw at about 80% power when using fleas, shrimp or other softer baits. I only cast at full power when using cut baits or artificials. I have slung off many sand fleas by just trying to overpower the cast.


----------



## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

SloppyTilapia said:


> Also, don't cast at full strength.......only throw at about 80% power when using fleas, shrimp or other softer baits. I only cast at full power when using cut baits or artificials. I have slung off many sand fleas by just trying to overpower the cast.


I see you have done the "cast two to land one" before (just like I have). Since switching to salted shrimp from fresh I have found you can put some nuts behind the shrimp cast though. Like throwing a fishbite!
In case my fleas land "somewhat far apart" I have started putting a small piece of FFBW on the hook in front of a flea just to have something there. It helps the fish cause nothing wants to be caught on an empty hook.


----------

