Who knows: What is this little critter, wonder what kind of fish would eat it , do people eat them. Where can you find some. What do you look for to find them. What do you use to catch...

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

What is this little critter, wonder what kind of fish would eat it , do people eat them. Where can you find some. What do you look for to find them. What do you use to catch them. How many names do they have.

bucky buckner Loc: murrells inlet SC

Wv mike wrote:

What is this little critter, wonder what kind of fish would eat it , do people eat them. Where can you find some. What do you look for to find them. What do you use to catch them. How many names do they have.

there called sand fleas here in SC, whiting, black drum, red drum, sheepshead, pompano, all eat this little bugger.

troyfrd1 Loc: Hampstead,NC

Sand flea not sure if people eat them you can catch then as the waves roll back in the sand with a shovel and yes a mullet aka whiting will tear it up not sure of how many names

ZoeyC2000 Loc: Charlotte, N.C.

Wv mike wrote:

What is this little critter, wonder what kind of fish would eat it , do people eat them. Where can you find some. What do you look for to find them. What do you use to catch them. How many names do they have.

Sand flees, sand crabs but the correct name is Mole Crab.
We have caught a couple Striper's using them. We would put two on a hook. Easy to dig up, but we have never used a live one of these little cuties. We have a thing about live bait that includes these. If needed, we can get frozen ones. And sometimes find dead ones at the first drop-off on the beach.

Zoey

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

ZoeyC2000 wrote:

Sand flees, sand crabs but the correct name is Mole Crab.
We have caught a couple Striper's using them. We would put two on a hook. Easy to dig up, but we have never used a live one of these little cuties. We have a thing about live bait that includes these. If needed, we can get frozen ones. And sometimes find dead ones at the first drop-off on the beach.

Zoey

When you say WE is that local regulations on live bait or somethng else?

ZoeyC2000 Loc: Charlotte, N.C.

Flytier wrote:

When you say WE is that local regulations on live bait or somethng else?

Sorry,
It's a habit, just before I started 2nd grade Dad bought a house a few doors down from his best friend. They had a daughter Beth same age as myself. When my parents went out they would pack my bag send me over to Beth's house or vice versa. Dad showed us both how to surf fish. She would always come to the beach with us. Now it's just mom that takes us. To make it short, Beth is my best friend and fishing partner.

Zoey

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

I grew up in Southern California we dug them for fun at the beach all the time. They were always sand crabs to us.

ZoeyC2000 Loc: Charlotte, N.C.

stuco wrote:

I grew up in Southern California we dug them for fun at the beach all the time. They were always sand crabs to us.

We called them sand crabs as well growing up,
When we started fishing someone asked if we were using sand flees. I replied your joking right, how would you get a tiny little flee on a hook. Well from that point forward I called them sand flees. Unless I'm talking to a child, it's sand crabs then.

Zoey

stuco Loc: Northern Utah - Salt Lake City

ZoeyC2000 wrote:

We called them sand crabs as well growing up,
When we started fishing someone asked if we were using sand flees. I replied your joking right, how would you get a tiny little flee on a hook. Well from that point forward I called them sand flees. Unless I'm talking to a child, it's sand crabs then.

Zoey

That’s interesting I’ve heard people talk about sand fleas but never knew what they were talking about.

troyfrd1 Loc: Hampstead,NC

we use them mostly in the fall to catch mullets

ZoeyC2000 Loc: Charlotte, N.C.

stuco wrote:

That’s interesting I’ve heard people talk about sand fleas but never knew what they were talking about.

I'm sure we were not the only ones.

Zoey

Foodfisher Loc: SO. Cal coast

Wv mike wrote:

What is this little critter, wonder what kind of fish would eat it , do people eat them. Where can you find some. What do you look for to find them. What do you use to catch them. How many names do they have.

Sand crab in So. Cal. Barred surf perch, walleyed surf perch, corbina, yellow finned croaker, spot finned croaker, california halibut, shovel nosed guitar fish, just about any surf denison. People do eat them. Found in the swash zone at the beach. Caught by hand, collender, sand crab rake, meshed scoop etc. Crabs , fleas, yukies, unknown others.

Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

Sand fleas in Florida. Catch them with a box made of hardware cloth, with one end open. As the wave is receding you can see them trying to dig in. They will wash right into the box. It doesn't take long to have plenty for an afternoon's fishing. Anything that feeds in the surf will take them. I caught a sea turtle on one.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

They especially like the ones with the orange egg pouches on them

Jeremy Loc: America

Sand Crab. I thought Sand Fleas were the little bugs jumping around in the air just like fleas do. Sand Crabs try to dig into sand after each wave drops back off the beach. I caught Surf Perch with bellies full of them.