# sand fleas



## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

never in my wildest dreams would I think the fleas were in the numbers they were, I would take a small net, find the fleas in the sand, shovel the net full and rinse the sand out, took 12 minutes to get a gallon bag full of fleas, and bigger than normal.
rinse them off twice a day and they live 2 days in a cooler.
js


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

throw some crushed up shells in with them, I keep mine in a coffee can in the cooler. and yes rinse them twice a day


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## Mr. B (Jul 11, 2011)

Any chance they are that thick in Nags Head? I am heading down in 3 weeks for a week and am curious. Were going to be all up and down from Corolla to Buxton to find some warmer water for the kids. That upwelling has the water cold from the state line to well south of OIFC.


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

they are thick at avon, that's where I saw them. First day I fished the surf didn't bother catching them, reel in grab a handful of sand, get the 2 biggest ones and drop the rest.
js


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## Mr. B (Jul 11, 2011)

Cool thanks for the info.


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## kayak456 (Jun 5, 2012)

We Got 3 sheapshead on sandfleas this morning surf fishing


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

surfchunker said:


> throw some crushed up shells in with them, I keep mine in a coffee can in the cooler. and yes rinse them twice a day


huh never heard of that one ill try it!

mine always die


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Shoot down at myrtle beach they were thick about 2 weeks ago. I just had other things besides fishing going on though


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

some guy I fished with years ago told me the crushed up shell trick


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

I just put mine clean and dry in a ziplock bag in the cooler, and they are fine, rinse them with seawater when I leave, and again when I return the next morn, they do fine.
js


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

They are plentiful now but they'll come and go throughout the summer and fall season, I don't know what drives them - I'm sure water temp has something to do with it and possibly moon phase but there are times you can't find em on the South Beachs but they're plentiful on North Beachs, then the opposite. There are times when they bury up when you get near em and times when they run over the hump and feed the fish when you get close - sometimes you can only find little ones and not big ones, Then big ones and not little ones ----- believe me, they're not always this easy to get -- River


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## Bucknut71 (May 18, 2013)

What is the "normal" size of a sand flea and what is the best size for bait?
At Kure Beach 2 weeks ago, I only found a few here and there that were what I would call "big" - maybe 1.5" or so. Most were less than 1" and there were hoards of them that were around 1/2". I would guess that means a healthy young population and I just wasn't finding many adults?
The small ones were too tender to hold well on a hook during a cast, so I didn't use fleas much. I didn't get any bites on the fleas when I did have the big ones, though.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

I have caught some big Mullet on the big thumb size butttttt..........I have caught more big Pomps and Mullet in numbers on the med to small size fleas...


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

I mostly use the smaller one's, around 1/2" - I do like the softshell ones but they won't stay on a hook very well, the ones just out of the softshell/molting stage are very clear in color and seem to work the best - I very seldom use the large ones unless I'm just searching for the Flea that they prefer that day. Some days they like Fleas with eggs, sometimes Fleas with no eggs and sometimes a certain size seem to work the best, sometimes two hooked back to back works the best. Also, Sometimes when the Fleas are thick like they are now, Sea Mullet are a little harder to catch or find because they can come in, feed quick and disappear - the bite seems to be better when you have to search for Fleas ---- River


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

River said:


> Sea Mullet are a little harder to catch or find because they can come in, feed quick and disappear - the bite seems to be better when you have to search for Fleas ---- River


As I stood on the beach sat. watching the pods of fleas, so many that as the wave flowed out, you could actualy see the fleas on top squirming between 2 others to get back to the sand, I thought, what does a guy need to know to cosistantly catch mullet when there are a million fleas in the wash and your offering 1 more, all I caught on fleas was pup sharks.
js


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

River said:


> Sea Mullet are a little harder to catch or find because they can come in, feed quick and disappear - the bite seems to be better when you have to search for Fleas ---- River


Used to work the exact same way with kings on the planks.. If you had plenty of bait in the water,no kings.. If you had to struggle all day to catch a bait,kings were chewing up the pilings.....


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## ODMAGIC (Jan 16, 2012)

Mr. B said:


> Any chance they are that thick in Nags Head? I am heading down in 3 weeks for a week and am curious. Were going to be all up and down from Corolla to Buxton to find some warmer water for the kids. That upwelling has the water cold from the state line to well south of OIFC.


Just got back from nags head. Fleas are plentiful to say the least. Caught nothing with them in surf but black drum at OI bridge loved them. Surf was cold!


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## Plug (Feb 5, 2004)

js1172 said:


> As I stood on the beach sat. watching the pods of fleas, so many that as the wave flowed out, you could actualy see the fleas on top squirming between 2 others to get back to the sand, I thought, what does a guy need to know to cosistantly catch mullet when there are a million fleas in the wash and your offering 1 more, all I caught on fleas was pup sharks.
> js


In a word... peeler.


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