# Sand Flea's



## Tc27612 (May 4, 2011)

Has anyone had luck finding any numbers yet? Mainly OBX area. If not when do they usually start coming up out of the sand into the surf?
Thanks. Tim


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

I go lookin for them most days and have not seen any, the cold water IMO has kept them buried in the sand. Normally they would have came out more than a month ago, they were out last year in mid March - I'll be out there looking again in a couple hours, they should show any time now - I'll let you know, my faverite bait !! ---- River


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

On Ocracoke last Sun,Mun,Tue - saw right many small fleas and on tide line body parts where something has been munching on them. We just fishing big rods. best - glenn


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## jmadre (Jan 3, 2008)

My wife kicked up a live sand flea with her sinker and I found one softshell after digging for several minutes with the rake. No numbers yet, but they were on Ramp 55 the last weekend of April.


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

I walked about a mile down at the South end of 49 this afternoon and didn't see any ---- Wind was tough comin up the beach, Think I'll check out 43 and 44 tomorrow - I'll let you know when they show up --- as Jeff said, there are a few on 55, some guy got some good ones digging deep the other day ----- River


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## Plug (Feb 5, 2004)

Plenty of fleas up here on the Delmarva and our water temps are still in the low 50's. They are deep. Scraping the top few inches with a rake will get you some but early like this I do better digging deep with a round point shovel. I am also finding a lot more in coarser shell sand than I am fine sand.


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Went to Ramp 43 today for 3 or 4 hrs - managed to find enough Fleas to keep one Rod baited - did try deep and got several that way - small Sheepshead kept em picked off, I did catch a couple (Sheephead) big enough to eat - Fleas will be here soon with the south wind finally showin up, nice day on the beach ----- River


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## Tc27612 (May 4, 2011)

Thanks for the reply's. Never had any problem locating fleas when they are active but what would you look for if you want to dig for them?


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

I don't know, I took a stab at it and dug at the waterline - It was about an hour after low tide and I got a couple, thats to much like work ---- I think we'll see plenty in a few days, I hope so ---- River


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## Plug (Feb 5, 2004)

Back in the day I used to do some "baitin'". No green crabs back then so the early spring toggers used clams but were very anxious for the first fleas. I'd get a whole, great big 50 cents a quart at the shops for live fleas. Later on in the season they'd get so cheap/readily available you couldn't give them away.

I looked for coarse sand.

Tried a bunch of methods to catch them. Rakes wouldn't go deep enough that early. A piece of 8" dia. thin walled steel pipe rocked straight down worked good but it was too slow.

The absolute best way was a round point shovel and an old cast net. Spread the net above the wash line, go down to the wash line and shovel throwing the shovel fulls of sand onto the net. After about a dozen or so shovel fulls gather the net, drag it down to the water and wash out the sand. Every flea worth keeping will stay in the net. Used to catch them a quart at a time. Pick up $20 bucks worth of a morning then go to my day job. Big money 35 years ago.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

bet a minnow seine would work great too and might be easier to pick them out of it rather than a cast net


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Good idea Plug, If things don't change in the next couple days, I'll be tryin that - headed to 55 today --- River


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

I got Sand Fleas on Ramp 55 today, enough to fish tomorrow - found em at the exact same spot jmadre was fishin the other Sunday where he said he found a few, but I had to work a little to get em -- nice day again today - I could get use to this, 43 tomorrow with Fleas ---- River


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## jmadre (Jan 3, 2008)

River said:


> ...found em at the exact same spot jmadre was fishin the other Sunday where he said he found a few,...r


Did you catch anything in that spot? It was pretty good to us last time.


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Didn't fish there jmadre, the water was a little rough and slightly dirty - I went back to the north end of 49, fished a little but a little rough there too, just walkin the dog and lookin for that special spot ---- fishin's still slow but things are gonna change with the south wind and the fleas showin up ---- Come on down, there's fish here - been some nice Black Drum caught this week, nice weather today too - River


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## fishing_junkie (Apr 21, 2011)

does any one know if the "Berkley Saltwater Gulp Sand Crab/Flea ". I know nothing beat the live sand flea. just wondering if anyone tried this stuff and had any luck.


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## jmadre (Jan 3, 2008)

fishing_junkie said:


> does any one know if the "Berkley Saltwater Gulp Sand Crab/Flea ". I know nothing beat the live sand flea. just wondering if anyone tried this stuff and had any luck.


I bought a bag a few years ago. I finally caught a fish on the last one in the bag.


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## jmadre (Jan 3, 2008)

River said:


> Didn't fish there jmadre, the water was a little rough and slightly dirty - I went back to the north end of 49, fished a little but a little rough there too, just walkin the dog and lookin for that special spot ---- fishin's still slow but things are gonna change with the south wind and the fleas showin up ---- Come on down, there's fish here - been some nice Black Drum caught this week, nice weather today too - River


We'll see you soon. Sandy's been ready to go since she saw the picture of that pomp that came into The Drum on the weekend.


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## mahimarauder (Jul 8, 2011)

There were plenty at ramp 55 this past weekend. I stopped when i put ~100 in the bucket, most of them nice size too! Too bad that isnt what the fish wanted. I had several mullet, a puppy drum, and even a nice pompano, all chose shrimp over a live sand flea.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

That was a nice Pomp Jeff, I was right beside him and had something nail mine. Took the flee and closed the hook! Prototype rig......went in the trash


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Fleas on 49 today, I got plenty for ncgardenfreaks and myself - I saw several pods off in a distance, they're definitely here, we also had 5 nice Black Drum (4 -6 lbs) and several nice Sea Mullet, most over a lb. - and they were still biting when I left him ------ several reports of Blues at the inlet this afternoon, with glass minnows down there thick ---- I hear we got another blow comin but fishin's gettin ready to kick up a couple notches -- River


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## jmadre (Jan 3, 2008)

Sounds good! Both of y'all keep an eye on 'em until we can get there.


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