# Sand Fleas Sunset Beach



## bluetick1955 (Jun 17, 2012)

Any Sand fleas around Sunset? How do i get em?


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## yerbyray (May 18, 2010)

Unless they (the mighty powers that control Sunset Beach) have done a beach renourishment in the last year or two the sand fleas will be there.

Here is a great link to a website that will educate you in sand fleas... http://fishingdestinguide.com/baitSANDFLEAS.html

For a short answer, you stand at the edge of the surf in ankle deep water, turn your back to the ocean (I know; it goes against everything your dad, Quint, and every episode of Baywatch ever taught you) and look at the water as it comes up on the beach. The water will retreat and the fleas dig in creating little "V" and bubbles. Have you and a tricycle motor or two dig them up by hand and put them in a bucket with damp sand. Don't store them with water or they drown. Keep them cool and change out their sand every so often so they don't pee themselves to death.

Where to find them? The little buggers live in colonies so they will be in groups and they like to be around the little iddy bitty coquina clam shell bits and pieces. Just walk up and down the surf a few yards and you should run into them. I have often found that it is good not stop and stare too long near the section of beach where the college girls are laying out with muscular boyfriends....somehow they don't buy the sand flea story.

Hope that helps.


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## Bigfisherman (Apr 22, 2005)

Yerby, excellent reply. Still laughing about the college girl part.


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## kingfish (Feb 28, 2004)

Sand fleas are very hard to come by on Sunset Beach. Sunset Beach is an accreting beach for the last 30 or more years, no renourishment there. Personally I have found renourishment to have little effect on sand flea populations and distribution. I have been digging sand fleas for 50 years.


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## yerbyray (May 18, 2010)

kingfish said:


> Sand fleas are very hard to come by on Sunset Beach. Sunset Beach is an accreting beach for the last 30 or more years, no renourishment there. Personally I have found renourishment to have little effect on sand flea populations and distribution. I have been digging sand fleas for 50 years.


I doubt that there is any beach that doesn't have them as they are a necessary part of nature and ecology on the beach. Here is a Florida study, surrounded by beaches ought to make the state an expert on beaches, on beach renourishment and the impact on mole crabs. http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/mollusc/other-molluscs/beach-nourishment/

Heck the internet is loaded with studies that basically say the same thing.


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## kingfish (Feb 28, 2004)

no offense Yerbyray, just stating my experience. I am not a scientist, but every beach does not have fleas, at least not in my experience, which is quite extensive. People would not drive hours to other beaches to dig fleas if they were. I have no argument with you and i did not read the article you linked too. I don't need to, I have some ideas about the loss of flea populations were they once were plentiful. Beach renourishment has little to no effect on sand fleas. 

For the record i do not care for beach renourishment.

To the fisherman hunting fleas at Sunset, after you get tired of looking for fleas at sunset and finding none, pm me and i'll tell you a beach lousy with fleas, and by the way its been renourished recently.


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Has anyone any thoughts on the bottom ground material that is dredged up for beach replenishment? I don't use the other word because I've not seen any nourishment added to any beaches. Any you divers out there ever seen any of that bottom?


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

don't know about all beach "renourishments" but fleas became mighty scarce where I fish after the renourishment


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