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Sports and Fitness
Outdoor Recreation
Fishing
How to Hook a Sand Flea Download Article Co-authored by Michael Reynolds
Last Updated: November 24, 2023 Approved
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Rigging Setup
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Fishing Strategies
|
Sand Flea Storage
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Q&A
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Tips
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Warnings
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This article was co-authored by Michael Reynolds. Michael Reynolds is a Professional Fishing Instructor and the Owner of Long Beach, California Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds. In his over 40 years of fishing experience, Michael has become very knowledgeable about the variety of fishing methods and techniques. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge with beginners to experienced anglers. Michael has been guiding and teaching fishing for over ten years and is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 94% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 106,631 times.
“Sand flea” refers not to an insect, but, in this article, to a small 10-legged crustacean also called a sand crab or mole crab, among other names. It is used as bait in saltwater fishing for species such as pompano, redfish, and sheepshead.[1]XResearch source
Steps
Part 1 Part 1 of 3:
Rigging Setup
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1 Put some attractor beads on your line. Sand flea eggs are orange in color; many fishermen believe these eggs are what attract fish to eat sand fleas. They therefore like to thread orange plastic beads on their line before attaching the hook.
Small fluorescent orange bobbers can serve the same purpose as the beads, with the added benefit of keeping the bait just off the bottom.
2 Attach a short monofilament leader. If you like to fish with light line (10 to 15 pound test/5 to 7 kg class), use a heavier monofilament leader (25 pound test/12 kg class) of about 18 inches (45 cm). You can attach a snap swivel to the line to make it easier to change hooks/lures.
You may also want to use a small split shot for added casting weight.
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3 Add some weight to the line. Some fishermen use only a small split shot for added casting weight, while others use sinkers of up to 4 ounces (114 g), depending on where they’re fishing and what species they’re after.
4 Choose the right hook. There are two styles of hook commonly used for hooking sand fleas:
Pompano fishermen favor the Kahle hook, which features a wide, round bend that aims the hook point back toward the middle of the hook shaft. Other circular style hooks can work equally well.
Sheepshead fishermen prefer to use a long-shafted hook, typically about size 1.
5 Hook the sand flea lightly through the body. Thread the point up through the body above the telson (spade-like tail section) and belly sac toward the head, making sure the crustacean can disperse its eggs as you retrieve it.[2]XResearch source Ideally, the hook will be run through at enough of an angle so the crustacean will be pulled to the side when you retrieve the bait.
Some fishermen prefer to push the barb through the shell, while other fishermen prefer to poke only the hook point through the shell. Lightly hooking the sand flea this way makes it less likely to hang up on seaweed or rocks.
Some fishermen prefer to remove the sand flea’s hard outer shell altogether.
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Fishing Strategies
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1 Go out to the beach at low tide. This exposes the areas sand fleas inhabit.
2 Look for V-shaped areas on the sand near tiny shells and rocks. The V-marks are places where sand fleas have dug themselves in.[3]XResearch source You may also be able to see a few sand fleas in the process of burying themselves.
3 Gather up a bunch of sand fleas. The easiest way to do this is with your hands, a sand shovel, or a sand rake, but some fishermen instead put out a thin net where the sand fleas are, kick the sand to loosen it, then let the tide sweep the dislodged sand fleas into the net.
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Sand Flea Storage
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1 Keep the sand fleas in a bucket of moist sand. Sand fleas need enough moisture to keep their gills wet, which is why you use moist sand. You do not want to submerge them in water, however, as they will drown.
If the weather is especially hot, cover the moist sand with a damp cloth. You may also want to cover the cloth with ice chips to keep the cloth and sand beneath cool.
2 Drain out the fleas’ waste daily. Sand fleas will keep 3 to 4 days in a bucket of moist sand, but during that time, they do produce a yellow-colored waste that must be removed to keep them from suffocating.
3 Consider freezing sand fleas for later use. If you can’t readily find sand fleas, or you find more than you can use during a single outing, you may want to freeze and store sand fleas for future use. To do this, first boil the fleas and then freeze them. Frozen sand fleas will keep 3 to 4 months.
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Community Q&A
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Question What is the best thing I can use for catching sand fleas? Kajal Golam Community Answer Sand fleas can be identified by small bumps and v-shapes, so once you've spotted a colony, grab a big handful of sand and set it on a bucket lid. Sift through the sand for sand fleas, then collect them in your bucket — it's that simple! Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2
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Tips
While fishing with sand fleas, you can also fish the area with jigs colored the same color as sand flea eggs, which are orange, or a shade of pink similar to the egg color. Many pompano fishermen believe the color of the sand flea’s eggs attracts fish to the sand flea.[4]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Keep your hooks sharp when fishing with live sand fleas. Fish will usually strike the bait such that they will impale the hook point in their mouths; you don’t need to set the hook. (If you do, you may actually take the bait away from the fish.) Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
If you prefer an artificial substitute for sand fleas, you can use an artificial lure molded to resemble a sand flea. Hook and fish it the same way as you would a natural sand flea. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Warnings
“Sand flea” can also refer to a parasitic crustacean found in the North Pacific that can exist well away from the shoreline and be brought into houses by hitchhiking on pets and other animals.[5]XResearch source This kind of sand flea is not intended to be used as bait. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
The name “sand flea” as used here refers to crustaceans of the genus ‘’Emerita’’ belonging to the suborder ‘’Anomura.’’ “Sand flea” can also refer to a shrimp-like crustacean of the family ‘’Talitridae’’ or to an insect more properly called the sand fly.[6]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: Michael Reynolds Professional Fishing Instructor This article was co-authored by Michael Reynolds. Michael Reynolds is a Professional Fishing Instructor and the Owner of Long Beach, California Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds. In his over 40 years of fishing experience, Michael has become very knowledgeable about the variety of fishing methods and techniques. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge with beginners to experienced anglers. Michael has been guiding and teaching fishing for over ten years and is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). This article has been viewed 106,631 times. 143 votes - 94% Co-authors: 6Updated: November 24, 2023 Views: 106,631 Categories: Fishing In other languages Russian Italian
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Reader Success Stories
Arthur Segura
Jun 27, 2017
"All your tips were great. Never fished with sand fleas, but watched three sisters fish with them on a pier in Cayucas, they caught so many in a short period of time. I was amazed, can't wait to try them. "..." more
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Did this article help you?
Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Michael Reynolds Professional Fishing Instructor Co-authors: 6Updated: November 24, 2023 Views: 106,63194% of readers found this article helpful. 143 votes - 94% Click a star to add your vote
Arthur Segura
Jun 27, 2017
"All your tips were great. Never fished with sand fleas, but watched three sisters fish with them on a pier in Cayucas, they caught so many in a short period of time. I was amazed, can't wait to try them. "..." more
Delaney Narron
Aug 23, 2017
"I caught eleven sand fleas in one scoop of my net. My father and I caught about eight fish in thirty minutes because of those little guys. Looks like Topsail Beach and Surf City holds its promises."..." more Rated this article:
Gerald Wood
Sep 20, 2016
"I simply like the way that things are explained on the site. It helps when trying to learn new techniques. I will try to continue to use this site in the near future."..." more
Jorge Zavala
Dec 21, 2016
"The article was informative to individuals like me who are starting in a challenging sport like fishing, full of so many secrets. Thank you."..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Co-authored by: Michael Reynolds Professional Fishing Instructor This article was co-authored by Michael Reynolds. Michael Reynolds is a Professional Fishing Instructor and the Owner of Long Beach, California Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds. In his over 40 years of fishing experience, Michael has become very knowledgeable about the variety of fishing methods and techniques. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge with beginners to experienced anglers. Michael has been guiding and teaching fishing for over ten years and is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). This article has been viewed 106,631 times. 143 votes - 94% Co-authors: 6 Updated: November 24, 2023 Views: 106,631 Categories: Fishing In other languages Russian Italian 
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1 Put some attractor beads on your line. Sand flea eggs are orange in color; many fishermen believe these eggs are what attract fish to eat sand fleas. They therefore like to thread orange plastic beads on their line before attaching the hook. 
2 Attach a short monofilament leader. If you like to fish with light line (10 to 15 pound test/5 to 7 kg class), use a heavier monofilament leader (25 pound test/12 kg class) of about 18 inches (45 cm). You can attach a snap swivel to the line to make it easier to change hooks/lures. 
3 Add some weight to the line. Some fishermen use only a small split shot for added casting weight, while others use sinkers of up to 4 ounces (114 g), depending on where they’re fishing and what species they’re after. 
4 Choose the right hook. There are two styles of hook commonly used for hooking sand fleas: 
5 Hook the sand flea lightly through the body. Thread the point up through the body above the telson (spade-like tail section) and belly sac toward the head, making sure the crustacean can disperse its eggs as you retrieve it.[2] Ideally, the hook will be run through at enough of an angle so the crustacean will be pulled to the side when you retrieve the bait. 
1 Go out to the beach at low tide. This exposes the areas sand fleas inhabit. 
2 Look for V-shaped areas on the sand near tiny shells and rocks. The V-marks are places where sand fleas have dug themselves in.[3] You may also be able to see a few sand fleas in the process of burying themselves. 
3 Gather up a bunch of sand fleas. The easiest way to do this is with your hands, a sand shovel, or a sand rake, but some fishermen instead put out a thin net where the sand fleas are, kick the sand to loosen it, then let the tide sweep the dislodged sand fleas into the net. Advertisement 
1 Keep the sand fleas in a bucket of moist sand. Sand fleas need enough moisture to keep their gills wet, which is why you use moist sand. You do not want to submerge them in water, however, as they will drown. 
2 Drain out the fleas’ waste daily. Sand fleas will keep 3 to 4 days in a bucket of moist sand, but during that time, they do produce a yellow-colored waste that must be removed to keep them from suffocating. 
3 Consider freezing sand fleas for later use. If you can’t readily find sand fleas, or you find more than you can use during a single outing, you may want to freeze and store sand fleas for future use. To do this, first boil the fleas and then freeze them. Frozen sand fleas will keep 3 to 4 months. Advertisement 
Kajal Golam Community Answer Sand fleas can be identified by small bumps and v-shapes, so once you've spotted a colony, grab a big handful of sand and set it on a bucket lid. Sift through the sand for sand fleas, then collect them in your bucket — it's that simple! Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2 
Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.