# Sand Fleas? Really?



## SandSunCoolerRod (Aug 17, 2007)

I keep hearing everyone brag about using Sand Fleas for bait. I've tried them off-and-on for 40 years. I have never caught 1 single fish with them. 
Am I doing something wrong? 
Should you only use the soft ones? 
Should you only use the small ones? 
Should you only use the large ones? 
Is there a special way to hook them?
What do you normally catch with them?
Do they catch fish when the fish are biting everything anyway, or do they actually catch fish when they're biting nothing else?


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

SandSunCoolerRod said:


> I keep hearing everyone brag about using Sand Fleas for bait. I've tried them off-and-on for 40 years. I have never caught 1 single fish with them.
> Am I doing something wrong?
> Should you only use the soft ones?
> Should you only use the small ones?
> ...


ive caught fish on them when nothing else would do.

sea mullet/pompano candy. black drum too...


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Jesse Lockowitz said:


> ive caught fish on them when nothing else would do.
> 
> sea mullet/pompano candy. black drum too...


Same here but with a twist. I have found that when I find a good colony and get what I need for bait. I fish the outside edges of the colony in a fan cast very slow retreive method till I find the fish. I fish that spot hard till the bite slows then I start over. 9 times out of 10 they have just moved with the tide. Another productive spot is the edges of a good outsuck. 

The main thing is learn to read the beach. Find some structure and the fish will be there.


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## Tacpayne (Dec 20, 2008)

AbuMike said:


> The main thing is learn to read the beach. Find some structure and the fish will be there.


And make sure you know that structure isnt always rocks or something, it can be troughs, holes, points in the sand....


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## ReelKingin (Aug 3, 2009)

i like ripcurls/rip currents at the shoreline thats draining back out into the breakers....


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

ReelKingin said:


> i like ripcurls/rip currents at the shoreline thats draining back out into the breakers....


The Suck.......................


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## 2000Chevys104x4 (Jun 15, 2009)

nah Sand Fleas are good bait, keep em fresh. stick em on a bottom rig in the wash. thats about it.. really good bait if ur doing it right


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## doubleb (May 19, 2009)

all real good advice.... why some don,t catch any fish with them is fishing em in the wrong spot...i see guys casting way out.....fish in close, right off the drop were the fish are eating them.....i have caught alot of fish on fleas,, including big drum right up in the surf......


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

I keep hearing everyone brag about using Sand Fleas for bait. I've tried them off-and-on for 40 years. I have never caught 1 single fish with them. 
Am I doing something wrong? 
_Hard to say, but the best place to use them is in close, in the wash like everyone else is saying._
Should you only use the soft ones? 
_Nope, but they are terrific when you find them._
Should you only use the small ones? 
_Nope, just about all sizes except the really big ones work great._
Should you only use the large ones? 
Is there a special way to hook them?
_I usually hook them so the hook enters the little digging tail before exiting out the back of the shell. Might help them to stay on, maybe not, it is just how I have always done it. On the bigger ones I also snap off the sides of the shell to expose the meat a bit, and/or eggs if they are there._
What do you normally catch with them?
_Pompano mostly, but just about everything else as well. Pups, Whiting, Sheepshead, Black Drum, heck, a few uears ago I had two Manta Rays pick up my rig with fleas on and completly enptied two reels in a row! Dang Rays can move FAST! _
Do they catch fish when the fish are biting everything anyway, or do they actually catch fish when they're biting nothing else? 
_They are always my first bait for Pompano. If they are not taking fleas then I will try shrimp, but if they are there (and you do have to find the right spots as described above) they will most likely be eating fleas._

Hope some of that helps.
For a better discourse on Pomps and Fleas, and how to use them, see the legendary Pompano post in the Fishing Bible starring Pier Legend...


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

hardly ever carry any bait to the beach this time of year just my flea rake caught many a fish on em pomps mullet black and red drum few sheepies a cobia and last week all da stinkin croaka you could handle


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

Something that often gets overlooked when flea fishing is your setup. I found this out the hard way until I started studying the game.

You need a light setup with a "medium" action rod and smaller "wire hooks" to start with. I switched to 9' steelhead rods (Fenwick HMX) and bronze #2 longshank hooks. This rod isn't meant to launch a payload 100 yards it is meant to lightly toss a flea and MAX 3oz weight closer to shore. I low spike my flea rods so that there is less resistance when a fish picks up the flea to carry off and crush. With this type of setup he will pull a "bow" in the rod when the wire hook sticks him and he pretty much hangs himself. I NEVER set the hook like I am trying to break someones jaw. I simply pull back slightly because the rod and ultra sharp hook has already done the work.

If you flea fish with beefstick rods and BIG, heavy gauge hooks you will come back with a gutted flea or no flea at all because you never knew the fish was picking you clean. If he feels a big rod "pulling back" he is also more likely to spit the flea out (or what is left of the flea).


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

i use steelhead rods with light wire circle hooks and just sand spike my rods with some tension on the line, the pomps hook themselves every time with the weight of the sinker and the tension from the rod


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## ChrisCapePoint (May 1, 2009)

SandSunCoolerRod said:


> I keep hearing everyone brag about using Sand Fleas for bait. I've tried them off-and-on for 40 years. I have never caught 1 single fish with them.
> Am I doing something wrong?
> Should you only use the soft ones?
> Should you only use the small ones?
> ...


Make sure you are using the sand fleas that have eggs attached...The fish are going after the eggs, not the body itself.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

During the warm months the females (orange roe) are the prefered flea. Soft ones are the best but harder to find. When it gets to October any flea will get popped.


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## 2000Chevys104x4 (Jun 15, 2009)

it really doesnt matter.. they ALL work


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

Here is another tip:

If you are targeting pompano and sea mullet exclusively, placing a colored bead above your hook can help bigtime. Orange beads mimick the orange roe sac of a female flea. I also pay close attention to the color of coquina clams because pompano, whiting, red and black drum will be filled with coquina's if you look in their stomachs. Sometimes I will switch the bead color to purple to match the clams


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## 1fishinmusician (Jun 8, 2005)

Tog love 'em!


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

This thread is a huge help for me. Heading down there this weekend to target the Pomps.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

jasonr said:


> This thread is a huge help for me. Heading down there this weekend to target the Pomps.


Good luck!
Look for clean water and a slough with a run-out. Fish on top of the bar next to the run-out, in front of the bar and behind the bar. Also look for sandflea pods and large colonies of coquina clams......also mark several places at low tide and be prepared to hole hop.......if you find them and they all of a sudden quit they probably just moved down the beach.


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

DrumintheSuds said:


> Good luck!
> Look for clean water and a slough with a run-out. Fish on top of the bar next to the run-out, in front of the bar and behind the bar. Also look for sandflea pods and large colonies of coquina clams......also mark several places at low tide and be prepared to hole hop.......if you find them and they all of a sudden quit they probably just moved down the beach.


:beer: 
I owe ya one


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

best spot fishing fleas, is in front of your face 3 0r 4 or feet , from the "edge" of the beach...
Holes/slews are what your looking for, and of course "rips"...

Try a carolina rig, (egg sinker with leader), enough to hold and not roll anywhere, or a prmide and a # 4 or #6 hook......
have fun!


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Great info has been given here, the soft/light rod is spot on as well as fishing in close especially where there's structure. That doesn't mean you won't find them farther off shore sometimes but the fleas are right in the wash and the ones that get eaten are the ones that don't bury back in the sand in time and get swept out into a waiting fish's mouth.


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## jeffreyweeks (Feb 5, 2009)

i agree don't cast out too far. I've always done well with sand fleas. Pompano, flounder...even dogfish sharks love 'em.


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## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

jeffreyweeks said:


> i agree don't cast out too far. I've always done well with sand fleas. Pompano, flounder...even dogfish sharks love 'em.


you left out skates.


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Fished the surf south of JR pier topsail wed. 4th,thur. 5th. Talked to a local who said he was not having "luck" finding fleas. We had fresh shrimp,cut blues,and with some "luck" my son got up about 50 fleas with 2 scoops. Blues on cut bait. Pomps and sea mullet on fleas. 7' and 8' rods in close . 12' rod for the long cast. The big pomps I always catch out further this time of year and only on fleas!!! Small pomps and sea mullet on shrimp and fleas.P.S It was blowing 12/15 up to 20!!But the water was right. Water got less clear late thu. , we left fri a.m..


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## Fishwander (Jul 2, 2010)

tjbjornsen (reply #9 ) made reference to the Bible :


> For a better discourse on Pomps and Fleas, and how to use them, see the legendary Pompano post in the Fishing Bible starring Pier Legend...


The post exists at : http://www.pierandsurf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48678

Fishwander


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Pomps love'm


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## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

First post, just found the site, love it. Been surf fishing for only 7 years or so. Gotta say I learned a ton just from this thread. I fish the Nags Head/Oregon inlet area a couple times a year and never gave sand fleas a real shot. I used them a couple of times without success, but reading this I'm definitely going to work it a little harder. Stands to reason the best bait is what the fish eat naturally, right? Also you can't beat the price! Thanks.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

phillyguy said:


> First post, just found the site, love it. Been surf fishing for only 7 years or so. Gotta say I learned a ton just from this thread. I fish the Nags Head/Oregon inlet area a couple times a year and never gave sand fleas a real shot. I used them a couple of times without success, but reading this I'm definitely going to work it a little harder. Stands to reason the best bait is what the fish eat naturally, right? Also you can't beat the price! Thanks.


I didn't start flea fishing until a few years ago. I gave them a chance when I ran across a flea fishing legend and picked his brain a bit. I never saw him when he didn't have a cooler slam full of pompano, big sea mullet and black drum........all caught on sandfleas and/or blue crab quarters.

I can tell you this much as well. I didn't start cathing anything with them until I went lighter on my gear. I switched to 9' medium action steelhead rods and switched to smaller #2 wire hooks and bingo I started cathing quality fish. I also changed the locations of my fishing holes. When I am targeting pomps, mullet and black drum the water I fish is so ugly and boring looking 99% of the people passing me by on the beach think I am some kind of moron for fishing that "skinny water". I used to be the one shaking my head until I stopped one day and started asking questions.....Glad I did


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Philly welcome aboard


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Druminthesuds...which #2 wire hooks do you prefer and why [for fleas], Aberdeen or kahle?


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

HStew said:


> Druminthesuds...which #2 wire hooks do you prefer and why [for fleas], Aberdeen or kahle?


I use bronze #2 long shank Eagle Claws. I like the long shank because it is easier to "thread" whole shrimp for a natural presentation and I haven't seen any better hook-up rate with Kahle hooks over #2 long shanks when flea fishing.


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