Sand Fleas are Here!

I didn't have time to fish today, but Donna and I did take a short walk on the beach, Donna looking for sharks teeth, and me looking for sand fleas. Mole crabs, locally known as sand fleas, are my favorite bait. I have been looking for them for some time. Where they were, and why they showed up late this year, I don't know. But they were here the first week in May last year, according to my notes. Sand fleas are hunted by most fish that live in the surf area. I have caught sea mullets, big pompano, flounder, trout, spot, black drum, red drum, along with the biggest red drum I have ever caught. A 44 inch monster that took 40 minutes to land on my 8 lb test line and 8 foot mullet rod. As you probably know, sand fleas molt as they grow. The shell that is on the flea doesn't grow, but the flea sheds it and another hardens in it's place. The molted sand fleas are soft before the shell hardens again, and these hard to find critters are the best for bait. But, like I said, they are hard to find. So I use the hard shell crabs because they are so plentiful. I have good luck with them, better than cut shrimp or cut mullet. If the bite is slow, I may break off the edge of the shell, and sometimes even "peel" the shell off before hooking the flea onto my size 4 eagle claw hook. I have found that I have the best luck using hand tied bottom rigs, that have no hardware with the exception of the hook. To hook the flea, I run the hook down through the back of the flea, (the end without the flipper on the underside), turn the hook, and stick it into the flapper on the other end of the flea, pinning the flapper to the flea. Now I have seen others hook them differently, but this is what I like and catch most fish with. There is a urine sack at the back end of the crab, and my hook punctures this as I hook the critter, and I believe the urine leaking into the water helps the bite. So, now that the fleas are here, I am really chomping at the bit to get out in the surf and catch some puppies and big whiting. Or even a two or three pound pompano for the grill. MMMMMMM!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny "FishinTopsail"


Everyone has to be somewhere ..... I'll be fishing!
Freedom isn't free! Someone has paid, for you and for me.