What is this?

[Matt J]

It was released unharmed.

until we went back for a second look

 

[Lynnie]

What did the second look show? Looks like a crustacean, though........

 

[lennonsdarlin]

grandaddy sandflea

 

[30A Skunkape]

Sea scorpion, aka bait

 

[Matt J]

What did the second look show? Looks like a crustacean, though........

A cross section of it's middle since I didn't dig deep enough.

 

[Will B]

Yup...It's a sandflea. I always thought they were the males, but it may just be a different kind. Skunk is right, though. Great bait!

 

[lerxst]

sand flea

I've been told by a fisherman that its a male sand flea (aka mole crab) but cannot verify it. I've often been pinched by them while digging for fleas with my hands. They have pinchers.

 

[30A Skunkape]

OK SWGB, that thing is called a....drumroll.......sand crab!
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippoidea]Hippoidea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[Matt J]

OK SWGB, that thing is called a....drumroll.......sand crab!
Hippoidea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ASH]

Also called a Spiny Mole Crab. A different species than what is known as a sand flea that everyone who knows fishing the surf uses for bait.

I used to think they were male sand fleas, but they are not. I still use them for bait even though they are IMO much scarier looking than sand fleas. I can actually say I think they do not work as well as sand fleas. I think fish are afraid to eat them.

I too did the wikipedia thing and found out male sand fleas are merely a smaller version of the females.