Sand Fleas
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Sand fleas are found in the sand all over the south shore beaches....they are a main forage for bass, blackfish etc...dig up 20-30 ....put one or two on small hook...maybe 3/0 size and cast out like you would any other bait.....fished on the bottom....be careful when hooking them so you don't crush and kill the little critters....
Don't be fooled by the little size....they catch decent size fish...off the WE2 jetty I have used them for blackfish when I run out of clams....plus they stay on hook better than the clams and the tiny blackfish just peck at it while you wait for the bigger ones...
Also great for bass...have caught a couple on sand fleas...I assume you could catch other fish but I havent yet...
Best bait is the local bait you can dig up for free....sand fleas, little crabs in jetty rocks, mussels on the jetty rocks...or local bait you can snag...
Don't be fooled by the little size....they catch decent size fish...off the WE2 jetty I have used them for blackfish when I run out of clams....plus they stay on hook better than the clams and the tiny blackfish just peck at it while you wait for the bigger ones...
Also great for bass...have caught a couple on sand fleas...I assume you could catch other fish but I havent yet...
Best bait is the local bait you can dig up for free....sand fleas, little crabs in jetty rocks, mussels on the jetty rocks...or local bait you can snag...
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Sandfleas or surfcrabs are the number 1 primo bait for blackfish. if you watch carefully in the backwash you will see them digging back in after the surf has exposed them. they run in schools and if you spot them dig fast because they can burrow faster than you can. they are easy to keep alive for a few days if you keep them covered with moist seaweed.
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What we call "sand flees" up here are actually mole crabs.
Do a search in the "surf forum" for "sand flees" and you'll find a few discussions on catching and using this crabs for bait. I've caught three at once on the hooks of my plug as I drag it up the beach out of the surf line. They are very plentiful little crabs.
Do a search in the "surf forum" for "sand flees" and you'll find a few discussions on catching and using this crabs for bait. I've caught three at once on the hooks of my plug as I drag it up the beach out of the surf line. They are very plentiful little crabs.
Glowing mole crab?
Ok, I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this question, but....
Has anyone found one that glows in the dark. I swear to god, my friend and I were fishing at the thumb the other night, and saw this glowing thing in the sand...It was a mole crab(whatever you want to call them). I had never seen one glow before(then again, I rarely dig them up at night).
Still yet to find another one that glows...
Ok, I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this question, but....
Has anyone found one that glows in the dark. I swear to god, my friend and I were fishing at the thumb the other night, and saw this glowing thing in the sand...It was a mole crab(whatever you want to call them). I had never seen one glow before(then again, I rarely dig them up at night).
Still yet to find another one that glows...
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1,123 Posts
Glowing?
There alot of small marble-like jellyfish in the surf right now that can cause the phosflorescence if he got caught up in it. Otherwise if it was within the creature, he could have been eaten something to cause the condition, like squid, jellyfish and other phosflorescence. Odd.
You'll find them in the gut of some big bass! I think many bass take small, bottom-bouncing bucks thinking they are these sand beggers and not a bait fish. I used to tie short hair -1oz banana heads with grey over white to match them. Had fish but was never as productive as other methods and never made a perminant spot in the arsenol.
There alot of small marble-like jellyfish in the surf right now that can cause the phosflorescence if he got caught up in it. Otherwise if it was within the creature, he could have been eaten something to cause the condition, like squid, jellyfish and other phosflorescence. Odd.
You'll find them in the gut of some big bass! I think many bass take small, bottom-bouncing bucks thinking they are these sand beggers and not a bait fish. I used to tie short hair -1oz banana heads with grey over white to match them. Had fish but was never as productive as other methods and never made a perminant spot in the arsenol.
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15,778 Posts
Mole Crabs/Sand Flees
Here's the Exact GPS numbers to find them. I'm a Spot Burner
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N 40 41.631, W 072 59.377
Mole Crabs/Sand Flee Report
Here's the Exact GPS numbers to find them. I'm a Spot Burner
N 40 41.631, W 072 59.377
Mole Crabs/Sand Flee Report
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8 Posts
also a good kingfish bait.
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697 Posts
i dig up sand crabs/mole crabs/sand fleas/ watever all the time and never thought they would be good bait.i guess ill try for some kingfish. i have never actually targeted kingfish, but hopefully will try someday. wat kind of structure, and any specific tide or time of day?? o yeah i will be fishing from robert moses, gilgo, or one of the sandy south shore beaches
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10,989 Posts
fish near some jetty rocks in August and Septmeber and you shoudl be able to catch some kingfish. WE get a good number of them in the peconincs. One day the kids were chumming spearing to the beach with zebra mussels so they could seine them. They woudn up with lots of kingfish in the seine so then they used the zebras for bait and caught a few dozen kingfish on short order lol.
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Great bait and if your down south killer on Permit and Pompano
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