The expression "Sand flea" in this article refers not to an insect, but to a small crustacean with ten legs, also called sand crab or mole crab. The animal is used as a bait for fish of the genus of Carangidae, Sparidae and for Scorpionfish.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Gear up for the Sand Fleas
Step 1. Put some beads in the line that can attract attention
Sand flea eggs are orange in color; many fishermen are convinced that it is these eggs that induce the fish to eat these crustaceans. For this reason they thread orange plastic beads into the line before attaching the hook.
Small fluorescent orange floats can serve the same purpose, with the advantage of keeping the bait some distance from the bottom
Step 2. Connect a short monofilament as a terminal
If you prefer to fish with a light line (tested for 5 - 7 kg), use a heavier monofilament (tested for 12 kg), approximately 45 cm long. You can attach a swivel with carabiner to the line to make it easier to change hooks or lures.
You can also use lead with small splits to add weight for casting
Step 3. Add some weight to the line
Some anglers use only small lead shot to give the line more weight, while others use weights up to around 115g, depending on the fishing location and the type of prey.
Step 4. Choose a suitable hook
There are two types of hooks commonly used to trigger sand fleas:
- Caringid fishermen prefer the Kahle hook, which has a wide curve with the tip positioned approximately in the middle of the hook shaft. Other hooks of the curved type can work just as well.
- Sparid fishermen prefer to use an elongated hook, usually size 1.
Step 5. Trigger the sand flea gently
Insert the tip of the hook through the body of the crustacean at the telson (section of the tail similar to a sword) and the belly in the direction of the head, making sure that the animal can disperse the eggs while you retrieve the line. Ideally the hook will be placed across the body so as to form a sufficient angle to pull the flea to the side when you retrieve the bait.
- Some fishermen prefer to thread the barb through the shell, while other fishermen just stick the tip of the hook. Gently priming the crustacean in this way makes it less likely to nock in algae or rocks.
- Some anglers prefer to completely eliminate the sand flea's sturdy carapace.
Part 2 of 3: Catching the Sand Fleas
Step 1. Go to the beach at low tide
This exposes the areas where they hide.
Step 2. Look for V-shaped tracks in the sand near small shells and pebbles
These indicate the places where the sand fleas have burrowed. You may also happen to see some digging in an attempt to hide.
Step 3. Collect a lot
The easiest way to do this is with your hands, a sand shovel or a rake, but some fishermen instead put a fine mesh net where they are holed up, loosen the sand with their feet, then let the tide drag the sand fleas into the net.
Part 3 of 3: Storing the Sand Fleas
Step 1. Keep the sand fleas in a bucket with damp sand
Pets need enough moisture to keep their gills wet, so moist sand is used. Do not immerse them in water however as they would drown.
If the temperature is high, cover the sand with a damp cloth. You could also put ice on the cloth to keep it cool along with the sand
Step 2. Eliminate flea waste every day
Sand fleas can survive 3 to 4 days in a wet sand bucket, but during this time they produce yellow-colored waste that must be removed to prevent them from suffocating.
Step 3. Consider freezing to use fleas at a later time
If you can't find sand fleas easily, you can freeze and store the ones you haven't used for future use. To do this, boil the fleas and then freeze them. In this way they can be kept for 3 or 4 months.
Advice
- Make sure the hooks are sharp when fishing for sand fleas. The fish will usually grab the bait with force and the mouth will be skewered by the tip of the hook without the need to jerk. (If you do, you may actually pull the bait away from the fish.)
- If you prefer to use an artificial sand flea substitute, use a similarly shaped artificial bait. Bait and fish like you would a real sand flea.
- While you fish with the sand fleas, you can also use colored lures in the area such as their eggs, which are orange, or with a pink tinge that reminds them of their color. Many Pompano fishermen are convinced that the color of the eggs attracts the fish to the sand fleas.
Warnings
- The expression "sand flea" can also refer to a parasitic crustacean found in the North Pacific that can live very far from the coast and be brought into homes by pets or otherwise. This type of sand flea should not be used as a bait.
- The name "sand flea" used here refers to crustaceans of the genus '' Emerita '' belonging to the suborder '' Anomura ''. The "sand flea" can also refer to a crustacean that resembles a shrimp from the '' Talithrids '' family, or to an insect more correctly called the sand fly.
