Thread: Greenie question about sand Fleas/mole crabs

Do these make good bait from surf or pier and can you catch them around the beach.

They are great from the surf, and yes, they can be caught on the beach. You just have to find the colonies and scoop them up.

They're good for slot redfish and pompano from the surf. Where I've caught them is in that area of sand where/when the wave retreats back into the gulf. If you see an area of bumps where/when the water retreats, you can scoop them up with a sand flea rake. There are videos on youtube that show how to do it.

They are a lot easier to locate once the beach is almost empty in the evening. Otherwise you have several "helpers" whose activity make the sandfleas head deep or away from the beach. Great for pompano and redfish. Some people who are better fishermen than me catch sheepshead on them. I find most colonies are right above the lip where the waves recede the furthest before coming back in. Look for clusters of "V's" as the waves recede. Most of these are coquina clams, but if you look close you will see the antennas of the sandfleas.