North Carolina Fishing Reports

CaptEco · Deck Hand Joined: Feb 13, 2008 Posts: 10

After being prompted by an earlier post regarding sand fleas, I would like to share more detail about the biology of these interesting animals and their use as bait.

Sand Fleas aka. Mole Crabs are related to other crabs (crustaceans); however, they do not have the pronounced claws one thinks of when hearing the word "crab". Again, the common name "sand flea" is a misleading since it bears no relation to insects or fleas.

Mole Crabs feed by burrowing tail first in the sand and faces down the beach. Only its eyes and a pair of large feathery antennae show above the sand. When a wave breaks over the crab and begins to recede, the antennae are extended against the rush of water. Entrapping small food particles (phytoplankton).

When catching mole crabs, I like to stand in knee deep and as waves recede I look for the antennae coming out of the sand then rush in and dig fast. Look for v-shaped marks in the sand. I have noticed they tend to congregate in groups. Another technique I use is to face way from the sun and look down the beach. You can spot the groups of antennae from many yards away with practice. Too often, I see people looking above the surf line for mole crabs, but they follow the tide in and out. Always, look in the upper limits of a waves reach as it breaks and as it falls be ready to dig. Falling to dead low tide is best.

I can remember growing up surf fishing in Myrtle Beach and the mole crabs were so thick you could scope them bare handed and load up. The beach renourishment and erosion from development have taken a big toll on the mole crabs. The renourished sand from offshore is a different consistency and the animals lose their ability to hide and feed. Not to mention they get buried under feet of this crap! I find most of crabs along beaches with as little development as possible and use half of a minnow trap to scope them up.

As far as hooking them, the pompano love the eggs. Any flea that has eggs or has recently molted its shell and is soft, goes immediately on a hook. I run the hook so the barb exits through the eggs, so it is ready to set. Mole crabs do not last long and a key to fishing them is to constantly re-bait with new ones. Often all a pompano will eat is the eggs, so once eggs are gone I re bait.

One last tip. Because mole crabs seem to be harder to get every summer when I find them I load up. I blanch them in boiling salt water until pink (10 seconds or so) then bag and freeze them for later. My wife just loves it when I use her nice pots and stink up the kitchen boiling mole crabs!

Hope this catches you more pompano

Capt. Rutenberg
http://www.coastalecocharters.com

GetdaGaff · Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject:

Thanks for a good article.

PS - Whiting and Puppy Drum enjoy these critters immensely also.


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