Video explaining how to catch, store, and use Sand Fleas aka Sand Crabs, Mole Crabs for bait in the surf. Catch your own FREE bait. Detailed explanation of gear and techniques.
I went nuts trying to find "this video" a second time to **THANK YOU** for the minnow trap idea for catching sand fleas. It totally rocks!! I never fished with them before and this past week, caught my first ever striper (ended up catching a total of 9 of them in two days fishing; one bigger whiting too). It was so awesome! The Walmart in the area we vacationed had a couple miniw trap left and it was the easiest way to catch the sand fleas as I needed them. Appreciate the video - THANKS again and all the best - Freddy
I have been catching sand fleas for over 20 years on the gulf and Atlantic coast and I did not realize that they are closer to the surface at night! Great tip! Be going after pompano on Mother’s Day weekend.
I'm jealous, pompano are one of my favorite fish to catch in the surf, but I only get a crack at them on rare occasions at the Jersey Shore. The Gulf is where it's at. Tight lines!
@@MudSharkZ - it’s a 7 hour drive for you but rent you a place down at the outer banks in June over a long weekend. You can slam the donkey whiting (kingfish) and catch decent pompano. We used to stay at Durant Station in Haterras, NC. You’ll be glad you went!
good vid, good info. i have a sand flea rake but i sometimes don't feel like luggin' it so i also use cat litter scoops... cheap and easy to carry. thanx for sharing info!
Great video. Thanks. It's been my experience that fish bite the soft shell sand flea better. The hard shell sand crabs are gray and have a hard shell and the soft shell sand crab are a little smaller with a shell that is soft and they are lighter in color with legs almost clear in color.
Gracias por compartir tanto trabajo y experiencia. Vivo en costa Rica c.a y la carnada viva es muy cara y difícil de encontrar. Con esta técnica tengo carnada gratis y buena,Gracias.
Been fishing Jersey beaches (many IBSP) for over 20 years and never once popped a sand flea on my hook. Definitely gonna give this a try next time I'm out with the old man!
The kingfish love the smaller ones, and, if you're lucky enough to be around when the pompano show up, they love the bigger ones. Oh, and the little sandsharks love em all 😁 Free is good! Especially when bloodworms are a buck a piece! Tight lines 👍
@@MudSharkZ great to know, man, thank you! Love me some king fish! Usually we're on the beach for striper and occasionally blues for catch and release. Boat in the bay for fluke when it's running lol. My dad's been taking me to IBSP since I was maybe 12, so 21ish years of fishing there. It feels like home away from home
This video was actually filmed in New Jersey, there are a few Pompano there late in the summer, but that is about as far north as they go. SW Florida should be a great spot to fish for them but I am not familiar with the area. Maybe another subscriber will chime in.
I've always found big fleas on the Jersey coast. The big ones have been tougher to find at times for me in Florida, tons of small ones there. Could just be a seasonal thing though.
Slack High Sportfishing You’re welcome and thank you! They’re great fighters and good eaters too! I’m lucky to be on the Gulf Coast of Florida and we catch them for several months out of the year.
From the other comments I've gotten, it seems that the common names can be different or interchangeable depending on where you live up and down the coast. Either way, they are tasty 👍
when i was a kid, like 30 years ago, here in Sinaloa coast in Mexico used to be a lot of sand fleas, now i search and nothing, have so many years whitout see any one. some one knows why they disappeared?
I'd like to see a video where someone goes out to the beach with no bait. Catching sand fleas for bait, then using the fish they catch as bait and just keep using the next fish as bait and see how big a fish they can catch by the end using nothing but starting with a and flea.
I've seen some RU-vid videos of people doing the "food chain challenge" like you said, its pretty cool! I saw one off a boat though, he started off with a Sabiki rig and ended with a Goliath Grouper
Yes, you can, but the frozen ones don't work nearly as good as fresh in my experience. They are commonly sold in ocean side baitshops on the east coast.
I hook them in the head end from the bottom up right through the top of their shell. A good sharp hook helps. All my surf rigs are tied with the Slick Set hooks I show at the beginning of my Porgie video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QxqYCeycCIM.html
2 oz. silver dollar style, or 3 if it is really rough. Here on the sw Washington coast it’s hard to find an area that doesn’t have rips and cross braking waves and the 2 still works for me.
In some areas you can get shrimp from shore but it's a different process and shrimp are only around at certain times of the year. I have a friend that catches shrimp in the tidal back water near Jacksonville , FL. I'm pretty sure he does it at night with lanterns and nets.
@@andydierickx4346 Out of curiosity I did some research. What you're finding is a crustacean mouth parasite commonly called "doctors". Apparently they are fairly common in Trevally. They are not the same as sand fleas. I learned something today 👍
THERE IS A WAY TO KEEP THEM : Blanch them in boiling water until they just start to get some light pink on them, 2-3 mins. Then quick cool in ice water, then let dry and freeze a dozen or so each in zip-lock bags. Your welcome. 😎
Not that I have ever seen or know of. At least not in Florida or New Jersey where I've used them. They are often sold frozen by the dozens in ocean side bait shops, but the frozen one's don't work as good as fresh.
My channel is new to RU-vid, 71 year old disabled male with a mobility scooter to get me to my fishing spots, I live in Mobile Alabama, and I'm getting my life back on after cancer and 2 heart attacks!👍❤
@@MudSharkZ Not really, our coast is muddy, because of all the silth that comes from the Amazon. What you get a lot of is different salt water catfish , rays , skeet, shrimp prawns , croakers and corvinas
@@MudSharkZ Keep in contact, we have great jungle fishing here too. Species such as arowana, redtail catfish, black piranha , bicuda, lau lau, peacock bass etc.
You know, I've spent 52 years putting on waterproof insect spray before going to the beach so I wouldnt get bit by sand fleas. Guess there something to the blond stereotypes..... 😂
