Drifting sand fleas for rockfish at Indian River Inlet

One of the earliest techniques I used to catch striped bass or rockfish was drifting sand fleas at night in the rocks at Indian River Inlet. Since we were camping in a tent on the south side of the inlet, that is the side I fished.

We fished the tides, working our way out to the end of the jetty as the tide fell and coming back in as the tide rose on the flood. We fished just the opposite the next week as the tides reversed.

Before we go any further, let’s talk about safety. You must wear the proper shoes when walking on the rocks. Korkers work best today. Back in the 1960s, we had rubbers with spikes that did a good job, or if you knew someone in the trades that could make you a pair of stainless-steel creepers, that was the ultimate in footwear.

As far as tackle, it is about as basic as you can get. A medium-action spinning rod and reel filled with 12- to 15-pound mono or 20- to 25-pound braid. A top-shot of 30-pound fluorocarbon is necessary to protect the line from the rocks. Attach the leader to the line with an Albright or slim beauty knot.

If you have fished the inlet, you know the current can run in all directions around the rocks. Drop your circle hook baited with one or two sand fleas up-current, and allow it to sink and be carried by the current past your position and down until it surfaces again. When a fish takes the bait, he will begin to swim away with it, and since you are using a non-offset circle hook, all you have to do is come tight on the line and the fish will be hooked.

Drifting sand fleas will catch striped bass during the day and at night. The difference is the larger ones come out to play at night.

Back in the day, we kept pan rock and didn’t worry about size. Today, striped bass caught from Indian River Inlet must be between 28 and 31 inches to be retained by an angler, and then they can only keep one per day.

While we walked the sidewalk and the jetties, it was also possible to catch rockfish by picking one location and fishing that spot during the entire tide. I recall one fall afternoon when my wife’s aunt and uncle had their truck camper backed up to the sidewalk just east of the inlet bridge on the south side. I was fishing sand fleas from the rocks just below their position. When I would catch a rockfish, Barbara’s aunt would take it, clean it and cook it. Then she would bring some of it to me. Talk about fresh fish!

In those days, no one sold sand fleas. We had to dig them up from the beach. Fortunately, I had two sons that delighted in catching the little critters, so with what the three of us caught during our frequent trips to the beach, I had an adequate supply.

In today’s global-warming world, we have sheepshead roaming the rocks at Indian River Inlet. Drifting sand fleas may produce one of these fine-tasting fish as well as a rockfish.

Drifting sand fleas is an unusual technique in that it works both day and night, and it will catch both large and small striped bass. Also, there’s the fact that it has been around for so many years and has never gone out of style.

White Marlin Open

This year marks the 50th White Marlin Open and my 50th year of covering the White Marlin Open. That’s right – back in 1974 when Jim Motsko first had the idea to run a white marlin tournament out of Ocean City, Md., I was there to cover the event, and I rode on Ken Moss’s the Moover with Jim during that very first tournament.

This year, believe it or not, I was unable to secure a ride, and after seeing the offshore weather report, I am kind of glad I’m staying ashore. Seas were 6 to 7 feet Monday and 10 to 12 feet Tuesday.

I was at the weigh station Monday and watched as one yellowfin tuna after another was brought to the scales. I knew the bigeye fishing had been good, and sure enough, the Instigator weighed in a 199-pound bigeye caught by Robert Wagner and worth $1 million.  

On Tuesday, boats battled 10- to 12-foot seas, but the No Limit out of Indian River Marina brought in a 56-pound yellowfin tuna to win the $30,000 daily prize. The Shooting Star, also out of Delaware, captured a 57-pound wahoo to take the lead in that category.