How To Catch Sand Fleas (Without A Sand Flea Rake)
- By: Wyatt Parcel
- on
Sand fleas make great baits for pompano, sheepshead, redfish, and black drum.
And the good news is that they’re really easy to catch from the beach.
You don’t need a rake to catch them, like most people think, all you need is your hands and a bucket lid.
In this video, I’m going to show you how to catch them, as well as:
- The best tide to catch them
- How to find them
- And more
I used these tips the other day on the beach as I was catching sand fleas to do some pompano fishing and within just a few minutes I had all of the sand fleas I needed for the day.
Also, here’s a great tip we did on how to keep sand fleas alive for 3+ days.
Enjoy!
How To Catch Sand Fleas [VIDEO]
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The best time to catch sand fleas is during an outgoing tide.
As the waves recede back into the gulf or ocean, you can usually find colonies of sand fleas digging down into the sand right where the water meets the shore.
Little bumps and v-shapes are telltale signs that there are sand fleas around, so once you’ve found a colony, grab a big handful of sand and place it on a bucket lid.
Sift through the sand to find the sand fleas, and then put them in your bucket — it’s as easy as that!
Have any questions about catching sand fleas on the beach?
Or have any other tips for catching them?
Let us know in the comments below!
And if you know someone who likes to fish for sheepshead and pompano, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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i have caught sand flees and they bit me
You should use a colander. It will keep them contained, plus rinsing then off will reveal whatever ones you have caught.
Is there a better time of the year for them, or are they pretty much around all year long?
I was wondering the same thing.
Terrific video. Never had an idea that easy. Big thank you, Tom Watts, Naples, Fl.
Thanks so much for watching Tom! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
How do you hook the sand fleas for bait? What hook do you use? What do you store them in while you’re fishing?
Hey James! I actually have a full video of me using sand fleas to surf fish, and I hook them from the underbelly to the outside of the shell. Here’s the video:
Scouting out a New Surf Fishing Spot [Insider Report]
A colander is a great tool for digging up mole crabs (sand fleas). Just scoop up the sand at the water line and sift.
Those would definitley work great! I chose to use the bucket lid for this video because I know most people have one of those buckets when they go fishing anyway, but the colander would be a GREAT tool if you remember to bring it!
Nice tip. I was wondering, what do you do when you can’t see any colonies? How to you find them? For beaches where none are visible, it takes a lot of digging just for a few. Is there a more efficient way?
Usually if you’re in an area that doesn’t have a lot of sand fleas, there’s generally not going to be great fishing. It’s a lot like finding bait when fishing inshore on flats. I’d recommend moving further down the beach or to a new beach entirely. It’s also possible you’re out on the wrong tide. I recommend going out during the max current flow periods of outgoing tides. Most times, sand fleas hold right in the surf break, but as the tide drops out, they are left in shallower water where we can catch them.
Thanks Wyatt!