If you’re in the market for a sand flea rake, or maybe you are considering other options for extracting sand crabs from the surf, you came to the right place. I’ll explain all the factors that make a great sand flea rake, and tell you which rake I chose.
Excluding all but commercial fisherman, you don’t really need to lug around a big unwieldy sand flea rake. Instead, you want something just big enough to get the job done, while still being fairly compact and lightweight. This, along with several other factors, make the medium sized Fish-n-mate sand flea rake an ideal choice. Read on, to see how I came to this conclusion, and why you might consider a different sized rake.
What Qualities Make A Good Sand Flea Rake
- Lightweight
- Rigid and strong
- Not too big and unweildy
- Affordable
- Corrosion resistant
- Comfortable length
The best sand flea rakes are those big enough to efficiently dredge lots of sand crabs from the surf, but small enough to easily haul back and forth from the beach. It needs to be very strong and durable, while still being lightweight and corrosion resistant. For these reasons, there is no better construction material than aluminum.
Although aluminum construction costs slightly more than other materials, it’s worth the extra expense, both in the near term, and in the long run.
Being constructed of aluminum automatically makes for a light tool, which is hugely important when hauling your surf fishing payload across soft sand. However, aluminum construction does not necessarily mean it will be strong and durable. But, no worries when it comes to the Fish-N-Mate, as it is a lightweight powerhouse. I have had mine for at least 3 years, and it’s holding up well.
For most people, it not only matters how light and strong a rake is, but price also remains a huge factor. And, I’m no different. I initially tried going the cheapest route possible – a dollar store colander. Then, I quickly moved up to a cheap rake from wally world, and was still dissatisfied. I can’t remember exactly what I paid for that little rake, but I believe the Fish-N-Mate couldn’t have been more than $15 higher in price at the time. That $15 difference buys you a lot more quality.
When first purchasing a rake, you might think you need one with teeth since you see them on larger rakes. But, teeth aren’t needed on the small and medium sized rakes that I prefer. Only if you fish beaches that have really hard packed sand, will you benefit from teeth.
I believe the reason teeth are added to the larger rakes is to help push their wider surface area into the sand. I can only imagine what those teeth might do to your legs if a crashing wave slams them into your shins.
Best Sized Rakes
The medium (10″ wide) size seems to really hit a sweet spot for me. It makes for a compact tool that will fit nicely in your surf cart, strapped to your backpack, or carried by hand. It is still plenty big enough to pull a nice sized scoop of sand crabs from the waters’ edge. The way I use mine is for catching fleas right before I start fishing, and while I’m fishing. I’ll stick a handful of crabs in my swim trunk pockets, and when I run out I’ll just scoop more.
If you were to take a different approach, you might want a larger sized rake. I know some folks dedicate a trip to the beach specifically to collect sand fleas to be used at a later time. In other words, they aren’t hauling all their fishing gear along with them – it’s simply a bait run. If that’s the case for you, then you might consider stepping up to the large Fish-N-Mate.
Uses Of A Sand Flea Rake
- Catching sand fleas, *obviously*
- Scooping up shells from both sand and water
- Finding fossilized shark teeth
- Grabbing unidentified objects in the water that you may not want to commit to putting your hands on
Besides catching sand fleas, these rakes are also quite adept at scooping up shells, rocks, glass, fossilized shark teeth, and all sorts of things you find jumbling around in the surf. Kids love them for probing the sand and water for all manner of things. So, even if you aren’t always after fish bait, that doesn’t mean your family can’t have a blast seeing what they can find using a sand flea rake.
Alternatives To Purchasing A Sand Flea Rake
- Bare hands
- Cheap colander
- Homemade sand flea rake
- Various nets
When it comes to catching sand crabs, there are several ways to do so besides having to purchase a rake.
1. Use Your Hands
One option is to just use your bare hands. While you can definitely catch a few crabs this way, it is obviously very inefficient, and can be murder on your back. Really, this isn’t a great option if you are trying to quickly obtain bait so that you can get on with the fishing.
2. Use A Colander
Another option is to purchase a cheap metal colander, and use it to scoop into a colony of sand fleas. This actually does have some benefits over a rake. Colanders weigh almost nothing, and they can easily be carried in a backpack or tackle bag.
I started out using a colander, and I was indeed able to catch sand crabs. But, I never fully got the hang of it, and found it to be too much work. This option is also rough on the back, and you exert a lot of energy bending over so much.
If you’ve never fished with sand fleas, maybe a colander is a good option for you. They will allow you to give fleas a try before investing in a rake. Just know that colanders will corrode on you, so you will be periodically replacing them.
3. Make Your Own
Making your own rake is certainly an option. There are various videos on the web where folks have made their own handmade rakes. I’m sure those work fine. But, by the time you spend what money is needed on supplies, and all the time in building it, you would probably be better off just buying one. Some of those Youtubers even admit as such.
Although I’m definitely handy enough, I decided it wasn’t really worth the time and effort to build my own. I have to admit though, there would be some pride in using a tool I built myself.
4. Use A Net
There are also various nets that can be used to catch sand fleas in the surf. But, most nets tend to bend frequently when used for this, and the netting itself is not as efficient as the ridgid basket at the end of a rake.
What Makes The Fish-N-Mate Rake The Best One For You
- All aluminum construction
- Lightweight
- An ideal size that lends itself to portability
- Well constructed
- A good price
- A better value than most locally sourced sand crab rakes that I have seen
- Quality reputation backed by reviews across various sites
In my opinion, the medium sized Fish-N-Mate sand flea rake has all the qualities that make up an ideal sand flea rake for non-commercial fishermen.
Due to it’s welded aluminum construction, it’s very strong, but also lightweight. The one I purchased comes in under 2 pounds, so it’s very light.
I also personally like the 10” size of the medium rake. It’s 7.5” deep, so it’s just big enough to get the job done but not so big that it’s cumbersome to carry. When sand fleas are present, you will have no problem catching enough crabs to keep up with several poles having 2 hooks each.
At 45 inches overall, this rake has a good length handle that fits me well. If you are over 6 foot tall maybe it wouldn’t be ideal.
The price was pretty good, certainly not what I would call cheap, but reasonable, considering the quality.
Maybe if I fished beaches that allowed vehicle access, I would opt for a larger sized rake. But, I don’t have that luxury along the Florida panhandle. So, I like the medium sized rake over larger versions.
Finally, this rake has a pretty good track record in the marketplace, as reflected across many online reviews from multiple sites.
As mentioned previously, I have had mine for several years, and it continues to hold up well. My time on the beach is very precious to me, so I generally opt for better equipment so as to squeeze out all the joy I can. I don’t like losing time and energy to inferior equipment if I can help it.
Potential Negatives
As with anything, there are a few things you should be aware of when purchasing a particular product.
Some people have complained that their rake came with some rough weld spots that were sharp to the touch. I personally did not experience this problem. But, if you do, those spots should be able to be easily ground down smooth. It’s made of aluminum after all. You can see my rake below, and it has nice clean welds.
Another aspect you should be aware of is that any sand flea rake is going to have some sharp edges and corners as shown above. Therefore, you want to exercise caution when using them in crashing waves. Don’t get careless and take your eyes off the waves when you have the rake positioned between your legs and the surf. I have done it! That is a sure way to beat up your legs. Just use a little common sense to avoid unsightly cuts and bruises.
Where To Buy A Sand Flea Rake
The first rake I purchased was one of the lower quality rakes made of conduit. I believe I picked it up at the local wally world. I ended up selling that rake to a friend, and upgrading to an aluminum one the next year. My current Fish-N-Mate sand flea rake was purchased from Amazon. But, you can sometimes find the Fish-N-Mate rakes at other outdoor retailers, such as Bass Pro and Academy.
How To Use A Sand Flea Rake
When using a sand flea rake, it’s best to first locate a colony of sand fleas along the waters’ edge before you begin scooping.
Take your time, keep your eye on the colony, and attack quickly as a wave retreats back into the sea. Sand crabs can sense you coming, so it’s best to make your approach quickly and take a good scoop as fast as possible.
You usually don’t have to scoop very deep. But, the slower you make your approach, it seems the deeper you will have to scoop to get to them.
Once you have a scoop of sand in the rake, you won’t usually be able to tell if you actually have any crabs buried in there. So, dip the rake partially into the retreating waves to wash the sand away from your finds. If lucky, you will be rewarded with a handful of fat sand crabs. And, if you are really lucky, some of them will have bright orange eggs attached to their undersides. Pompano love the color orange for this very reason!
Conclusion
Whatever rake you choose, don’t get discouraged if you don’t immediately experience success. It honestly took me several trips before I could consistently spot sand fleas in the *swash zone.
“Swash zone” – The swash zone is basically where breaking waves lap up onto the beach before retreating back into the surf.
With some practice, you will soon be able to spot sand fleas before you start digging. This will save you a tremendous amount of effort. But, even if you don’t spot them, that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I have also had good success blind-scooping for them.
Good luck on your hunt, and, dare i say, I hope you catch crabs. Yikes!
Click below for what I think are the 2 best sand flea rakes for surf fishermen. The first one is the medium sized 10″ version, and the second one is the larger 15″ version.
After you have a sand flea rake, and are able to obtain one of the best free baits available, you may be wondering what to do next. Well, sand fleas and pompano go together like peanut butter and jelly! So, go check out my article on how to catch pompano from the surf. Or, if whiting are what you are after, I have an article here about how to catch whiting as well.
