fishing sand crabs/sand fleas..

[surfrob]

^^^^^ You do make a good point there. I think the difference in the catching is when they are actively feeding on them vs the other forage. An example I can think of is the calico or even the japanese shore crabs. I have not always seen bass actively feeding on them. However during the moon cycles many crabs shed and put out those special pherome scents that bass can detect. At those times fishing crabs seems to be more successful. Good luck out there blazin and keep us posted.

fishing shedders is an art form in itself, and yes, when crabs are on the shed, those pheromones attract fish to them

I believe sand crabs are different. Their shells are not hard. In fact, you can catch them and grill them and pop'em in whole yourself. Fish have no trouble eating them when they are hungry and at the right stage of tide.

I think there's a certain tide stage for the structure at the local beach that provides enough water for cover, yet enough sand crabs in that zone, with enough wash to stir them up, to put it all together for active feeding fish (on the open beach).

Around rocks, fish that are there are already actively looking for crabs of all sorts OR for bait fish which are feeding on crabs of all sorts.

This is all my junk science, but it's pretty well backed up by my own experience and discussion with other anglers.

[surferman]

found a pretty cool thread here in the surf fishing forum
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?1208-Calico-crabs-call-them-irresistible

[surfrob]

ah, Escher would be proud !

[cowherder]

pardon my ignorance but who is Escher?

[surfrob]

sorry surferman posted a link to this thread... making it self-referencing.

MC Escher was an artist who specialized in drawings that changed perspectives and looped/self referenced.

apologies... a little too obscure a reference but surferman's post made me laugh

[baitstealer]

Hey this is to the OP or anyone else. Did you have any success at all fishing those sand fleas? I talked to an older fisherman last week who told me he would crush the stripers on them in the summer but he said this year was kind of sucky for him.

[baitstealer]

I think there's a certain tide stage for the structure at the local beach that provides enough water for cover, yet enough sand crabs in that zone, with enough wash to stir them up, to put it all together for active feeding fish (on the open beach).

Around rocks, fish that are there are already actively looking for crabs of all sorts OR for bait fish which are feeding on crabs of all sorts.

This is all my junk science, but it's pretty well backed up by my own experience and discussion with other anglers.

That was some great advice thanks! Based on that do you think it makes sense to fish toward high tide or more toward low when they might all be a little more concentrated?