Fishing with Live Bait & Natural Baits
Sand fleas are the top bait among most surf anglers. The sand flea is not actually a crab, but it looks like a small crab and has many similarities. Sand fleas are often referred to as a mole crab. Sand fleas will catch a variety of species such as pompano, whiting, blackfish, redfish, striped bass, black drum, croakers and others.
How to Catch Sand Fleas
They can be caught all along the beach in the sand. As the wave recedes from the beach, look for v-shaped ripples in the sand. These are sand fleas that have dug into the sand. Dig them up by hand or with a sand flea rake.
How to Keep Them Alive
Put your sand fleas and put them into a container with some moist sand. If you submerge sand fleas in water, they will drown. Keep the container covered in hot weather. A damp cloth will work just fine.
Using Sand Fleas as Bait
Fish them on your favorite bottom rig. Most anglers fish them just beyond the surf and they will get a lot of bites because so many different fish will eat them.
