Sand fleas

Is there a specific area thats best for collecting sand fleas. Drove over the other day for some surf fishing and wanted to try my luck with fleas but I couldn't find any

look when the beach traffic is none. early morning or dusk or even at 3am. when the feet hit the beach they just arnt visible. ive also kept them alive in freezer bags for a week with damp sand and a damp cloth to help absorb the urine. they must pee alot. i also dont over crowd the bags, usually seperate in 12-18 cnt bags. i also change the sand every day

Gooseboy is spot on. Early morning and late evening when the beach is mostly abandoned.

We look for them in the wash as it runs back in the ocean. Look for itty bitty v's as the wave retreats, that will be their antennae barely showing above the sand. Videos are at youtube to help look for them.

Thanks for the advice. I've only tried catching them a couple of times now so I still learning the ropes. I maybe over that way next weekend if so I'll give it another try

Here's a great video to learn what to look for...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MepfjDUrcDA

Keep in mind our beach profiles are much steeper in places (along trough fronts), so you may want to concentrate closer to the beach 'points' to look for the larger concentrations.

I've never seen a colony of sandfleas that big, much less a sandflea rake that big!

That is a great video. This video and a couple of others helped us a lot. Yea, Chillin, that rake is a young man's size. I am going to derail this thread for a moment. Sometimes, a sand flea looking kinda crab in the rake has claws, and can give a little pinch, 'bout like a 2 inch crawfish pinch. Is this creature also a sand flea or mole crab? Now, back to our regularly scheduled subject matter.

I have seen those too. Kind of square shaped. Maybe the gurus will tell us what they are.

Sounds like a mantis shrimp.

Beach mole crabs (Albunea paretii or A. catherinae) are MUCH rarer than the rounded shell variety.Some folks erroneously call them "male sand fleas", but they are a different species.They may actually prey on the smaller, round shell variety.http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vkQAqb4QId...B18%2B2015.jpg

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Originally Posted by chillinfish

I've never seen a colony of sandfleas that big, much less a sandflea rake that big!

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Don't know about the colony thing...... but I have a rake that big ......just not curved on the bottom:)

Caught a lot Sunday night, but last two nights haven't found any

Well, I didn't know I could catch them at night. Thanks for insight.

I use a flashlight and look for the patch of V's at the edge of the Surfline. Didn't see any last night