# Thanks P&S & thanks River!



## fleaflicker (Jul 24, 2014)

Hi All

New to the Forum, well sorta. I have been reading for a few months but haven't been able to post. Tons of great info on this site and I thank all who contribute and those who are behind the scenes responsible for the site. 

I have been fishing since I can remember. Surf and offshore fishing since my 20's. Mostly in VA and northern NC but recently took a trip to Ocracoke in late July. I started to look on this forum shortly before my trip and got a lot of good information from this site. One was about the River Rig. Not knowing about it, I ordered a few and when I got there all I had to do was add fleas! The rigs worked great and are super easy to tie in just about any configuration. On more than a few occasions I would end up near someone else fishing and in every case they would end up coming over to see what I was using. "Sand Fleas" was the usual answer…then I would find out they were using fleas too. What was the difference? The rigs….. and they were usually surprised to see I fished a bit closer in than they did. So I tried a few experiments. First I would suggest they try closer in, when that didn't work I suggested a lighter weight sinker…when that didn't work, I suggested the RR. Bingo! I ended up giving some away and sending several more to Tradewinds to buy em. 

Caught my first Pompano (14"fork length) and first keeper Puppy Drum, both on a RR using fleas. Tons of Sea Mullet and even a few blues on cut mullet when I ran out of fleas. I also caught fish on spoons and jigs but mainly I fish fleas or soak cut bait and the RR did a great job at putting fish on the table. 

I am so psyched to catch Pomps, I am heading to GA in Nov and to the Fl Gulf in Dec and will take the RR with me! I may have caught the drum bug too but that's another story. 

Thanks for reading my post

dave


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## Bodie (Jan 4, 2014)

I've seen many variations of the river rig. Bobber on the line to the hook, no bobber, 3 way swivel, etc. What were you using, if you don't mind sharing with us


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## fleaflicker (Jul 24, 2014)

One More Cast River Rig. Caught fish on all the ones I sampled. I found the naked to produce the best but also used the one with the orange bead with good result. The one with the float came damaged by USPS and one of the floats was broke, one float and one naked. Still it caught fish on the float. All come with number 4 Mutu hook and 30# fluoro. Most times I prefer to hold my rod so I tweaked the design using Owner SSW,s and improved on my hook up ratio.

I also was using a 2oz pancake sinker. Tried other sorts and weights but found a little drift was also part of the trigger. With a heavy weight to hold firm I missed way more fish and less action in general (or so that I could detect).


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## Bodie (Jan 4, 2014)

Thanks for the info! I tend to reel in very slowly when casting heavy weights. I feel the same way, just a tad bit of movement provides just enough to entice the fish to bite.


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## Elgreco (Aug 12, 2014)

I tried looking for pictures of it but couldn't find any good ones. It looks kind of like a top and bottom rig but with no snaps or any hardware?


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Thanks fleaflicker, Great Report and glad you had a great trip ---- River


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

dang I miss the *OBX *!!! my last time there was in the mid 70s. I had a 1977 K5 Blazer 4x4.

*Dave - WELCOME* !!! every single member here was "new" at one time. You will fit in jus fine.

question - when you said you caught loads of Sea Mullet . . . are you talking about WHITING ?
OR, actual big ocean mullet. some people have different names for different areas of the country.

Personally, I would rather have a 5 gallon bucket full of "bull whiting" vs mullet. I use the big ocean mullet for smoking and bait.

OH - one more thing - basically for ALL surf fishermen...... if you find a LOT of sand fleas, I recommend you take a big bucket home
and salt and freeze them..... for the hard times when none are to be found. I am having a hard time finding some right now in my
Florida surf and wish I had saved some from last year when I could have caught buckets full of them. 
to *freeze* them: in a pot, add some Kosher Salt and Red Food Coloring and bring to rolling boil.
Blanch the fleas quickly for *10 seconds* ONLY - don't cook them. Blanching helps that little bit of meat to stay inside the shell when fished.
quickly drain - put in ice water - put in zip top bags, add water and freeze. 
to *salt* them: blanch the same way, drain well - in a tupperware container, 1/2" layer of Kosher salt, fleas side by side on their BACKS, cover with 1/2" salt.
shake container a bit to get salt all around the little bodies.
next layer the same, and so on. 
This works just as well with with fresh shrimp chunks also (do NOT blanch) - 1" chunks, no heads or tails. squid and clams the same. (do NOT blanch)
they will shrink quite a bit when salted. Good bait for when fresh is scarce. next best thing to "fresh".


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## fleaflicker (Jul 24, 2014)

Hi Barefoot Johnny and thanks for your welcome.

Until this last trip I most of my trips to the shore were to VA and only a couple of trips to the OBX, up north near Duck and Corolla. I will DEFINITELY be back to Ocracoke and hope to explore Hattaras and points up that way in future trips. No doubt it was the best surf fishing I have experienced, the beaches and the camping were also superb!

Yes, these were Whiting. Very good eating!! After a couple of days of nearly nothing but them I was glad to catch a Pomp! Now I am "hooked" on Pomp fishing! I am heading south in mid Nov for a while in search of same! 

Thanks of the tip! I have heard of them being salted before and think I read or heard someplace that down south the call those "cookies". Some bait shops sell them frozen but I guess I always visit the shore when the fleas are around so haven't had too much trouble (yet) finding them. Once frozen, do they need to stay that way until you use them or can they thaw first? I have recently taken to walking the beach with a single rod and a small beach bag slung over my shoulder with a few necessities and a small tub of fleas (some in my pocket too!). I would wander one way fishing lures or spoons and the other way flicking fleas. Amazing how much turf one can cover this way! Now I am looking at perhaps getting a surf cart so I can take my cooler (and other stuff) with me when I wander when 4x4 access if not possible.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

Leave the fleas frozen until you leave your house - they can thaw slowly on the way to your fishing spot. 
(not a good idea to refreeze them-or any frozen bait) fresh ANYTHING will always be more productive.
As for the salted, they start off in the fridge for at least a week to become "cured", then, very little refrigeration is required after that.
I have heard of people forgetting them and they stay in a tackle box for weeks or even months and were still "fishable".

I started off like you, minimum gear,_ BareFoot _on the beach, exploring different techniques in different areas. Awesome just to be in the suds.
I have fished SaltWater in 5 states and 7 different countries and love the *OBX* the BEST out of all. Go as often as you can !!!

Now, once you get older, with a beach cart, you wind up with a huge tackle box, ice box with 20 pounds of ice, 6 different rods, 5 pounds of bait,
wife or g/f with you, two beach chairs, two big @ss beach umbrellas, another 20 pounds of bottled water, drinks, food n snacks.
Add all that up and wow, you need a 6 man working party just to get out of the parking lot.
Lucky for me, my beach has a wood RAMP to cross the dunes. ( I can not get my 20 passenger/cargo van on the beach).

spend some time on YouTube and you will find so much good information on the POMPANO. 
and once you get Pomp Fever, you can't shake it. (_but who would WANT to_).


oh, and when the day comes that you say your cart is too small, do we just don't take so much STUFF ??
OH NOOOOOO _*we make a BIGGER CART !!!*_ :fishing:


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

This is what many people in _FLORIDA_ use for Pompano.

Of course, there are many variations to suit each persons fancy.


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## fleaflicker (Jul 24, 2014)

I got a bad fever from this trip! I think I will take a new Pomp rod (12 ft), a surf cart and a month in search of to see if there is a cure!!!

I have been fortunate enough to have a 4x4 since my early 20's and have always picked beaches that are 4x4 accessible. As my appetite for surf fishing grows, I can see that I have been spoiled and most beaches are not friendly to 4x4's and dogs. It will take some adjusting but I already have a plan! 

Lighter snoods and larger hooks with lots of beads. I would guess the reason for the heavier main line is for more weight & further casts? From what I have read the Fla beaches are much flatter and especially at low tide you need more distance to reach the preferred bar?


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

yea, the East Coast of FL has a long shelf. Some places will go out 500 yards and only be neck deep, some places 10 feet out 
and you are over your head..... so you have to hunt n search for the trough or close bar. Some reports have stated that large pompano
have been seen chasing bait fish actually swim flat sided in 6 inches of water .... so there is no hard rule as to the depth to fish.
Down here, I think the average main line for table fare fish is 17-20 pound mono. Personally, I use bright yellow line so I can see where it is.
with 20lb clear flouro for the rigs. and a 40 pound shock line. The weight comes from your sinker - not your main line.
Last week, the guy fishing beside me caught a 17" Pomp an hour before I got there on FISHBITES alone. (no fleas to be had - at all)
if you want some pretty beads, go to a fabric store like JoAnns Fabrics . . . go to the bead craft section and look around.
THEN, wearing your big shades and floppy hat, maybe even a fake mustache, go to the Costume Necklace Jewelery section.
you can get a nice 4 strand opalescent or sparkly pearl necklace with 4 strands of beads for $2. (just found that yesterday).
Look for beads that you think would closely "match the hatch" of small clams on the beach where you fish.
The orange or red bead is to mimic the egg case of a sand flea. so that will always go close to the hook.
LOL LOL you really have to be secure in your manhood to shop for ladies jewelry LOL
Tight Lines !!






i really do like those opalescent beads - A LOT


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

my 2c: i have tried all the ways to preserve fleas and this is what i like the best: brining. 2 different ways to do it:

1. get clean seawater, add kosher salt until it won't dissolve anymore, then put in freezer to get ice cold. add this to live fleas and store in freezer submerged in liquid (liquid will not freeze due to high salt content).
2. bring distilled water (not tap water) to a boil and add kosher salt until it won't dissolve anymore then chill in freezer (some salt will precipitate out). add this to live fleas and store in freezer submerged in liquid.

either case will give you fleas which are not mushy and look just the same as the moment you dug them out of the sand.

much better than paying the $3.50 per dozen that the Fl bait shops were charging this past winter when fleas were scarce on my trip to Fl. actually what i found is even better is using that 3.50 to buy a dozen large live clams, shucking them into kosher salt over night, and then fishing clam strips 


also i would say the "classic" fl pomp rigs are either earl brinn (40-50lb mainline with 15-25lb snoods) or a 2-3 dropper loop rig out of 30lb mono/fluoro. "classic" hooks would be mustad 37160s 1/0 or 2/0 kahles or eagle claw l197 circles in 2/0 or 3/0, seems a lot of the commercial guys use those...big following for owner mutu lights as well but the l197's are easier to change out on a dropper rig given the large hook eye (and are much cheaper to boot).

i love fishing obx but would kill to live in Fl FWIW...fishing pompano in december...can't be beat IMO


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## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

Thank you for the ideas fellas!! I now have winter time projects for next fishing season.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

Some folks down here even Steam the Fleas before Fishing them... True they swear by it.. JAM


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## fleaflicker (Jul 24, 2014)

greg12345 said:


> my 2c: i have tried all the ways to preserve fleas and this is what i like the best: brining. 2 different ways to do it:
> 
> 1. get clean seawater, add kosher salt until it won't dissolve anymore, then put in freezer to get ice cold. add this to live fleas and store in freezer submerged in liquid (liquid will not freeze due to high salt content).
> 2. bring distilled water (not tap water) to a boil and add kosher salt until it won't dissolve anymore then chill in freezer (some salt will precipitate out). add this to live fleas and store in freezer submerged in liquid.
> ...


I got bit hard by the Pomp bug and gonna try FL. mid/late Nov. I wish I would have had the foresight to brine some fleas from when I was last at the shore. Hope I can find em in Fl.when I get there.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

Jam,,,,,,,, could you ask around and find a little more info on this steaming process?
do you think that the steaming process you mentioned would be the same (or about the same)
as blanching them prior to salting or brineing? Blanching is only 10 seconds - steaming could be 5 minutes.
To me, "steamed" means COOKED - like steamed lobster, or steamed crab, or steamed clams.......
how long do you think they would be "steamed" ? My wife uses a bamboo steamer basket quite often, this is why I ask.
I just can't bring myself to fish with any kind of cooked bait ..... just can't .....

my next run on sand fleas hopefully will yield enough to experiment with all these different variations of preservation methods.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

BarefootJohnny said:


> Jam,,,,,,,, do you think that the steaming process you mentioned would be the same (or about the same)
> as blanching them prior to salting or brineing? Blanching is only 10 seconds - steaming could be 5 minutes.
> To me, "steamed" means COOKED - like steamed lobster, or steamed crab, or steamed clams.......
> how long do you think they would be "steamed" ? My wife uses a bamboo steamer basket quite often, this is why I ask.
> ...


Till they Turn Orange not long I am told.. I personally have never done it, I do just fine with Live ones.. Friend of mine Swears by it... Just till they turn Orange... JAM


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

it only takes about 5sec in boiling water for them to turn pink/orange in my experience, assume steam would be the same. some people like the cooked ones because they are brighter/more visible...i just use a float or a bead for visibility and like a natural looking flea, live is best IMO


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