Warmer weather is finally here and the sand fleas are beginning to show up in the surf.Today we are going to talk about how to catch sand fleas which are one of the best summer baits.They are great for catching sea mullet, pompano, sheepshead, flounder, red drum and black drum.

Sand fleas can be found in the “swash zone”.Per the the Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies, the swash zone is the part of the beach where waves crash and wash back into the ocean. Sand fleas live here because they depend on the action of the waves to bring them plankton and other organic debris that they feed on.”

In order to spot sand fleas, look for the “V” shaped pattern they leave in the swash zone.

One you have spotted them as the wave retreats, you can place the rake on the sand, with the mouth facing away from the ocean, wait for the water to come over the top and then pull the rake toward you to gather a scoop of sand, then let the water wash through the rake and if you are lucky, you will be left with a handful of awesome bait.Be sure to dig down into the sand as the sand fleas dig fast. The ones that have orange egg masses are best but they will all work well.The best way to keep them alive is to drill holes in the bottom of a Challenge Bait Bucket (available at Frank and Fran’s) and store the sandfleas in a cooler or refrigerator. They will live for a few days with this approach.

Once you have caught some sand fleas, you can hook them on a standard double bottom rig with small (size 2 or 4) hooks. As with everything in fishing, everyone has their own preference on how to do this.We have a debate at the shop on how to hook the sand flea so I will share both approaches, neither is right or wrong, it is just preference.One method is to run the hook threw the back of the shell into the eggs, as the fish suck the eggs out, if the barb of the hook is in the eggs you snag the fish as it sucks up the eggs. Another option is to run the hook up from the bottom side of the sand flea and push the point of the hook through the upper side of the shell. Cast them out a short distance and wait for your rod tip to bend!

Catching sand fleas can be a lot of fun, especially for kids.I have seen kids stay busy for hours catching sand fleas on the beach.If you don’t want to dig for sand fleas, you can always buy frozen ones from Frank & Fran’s.