When sand eels dig into an area, the gamefish strap on the feedbag.
The fall run along the beaches of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic involves many players and it all centers around bait. Mullet, bunker, anchovies, herring, spearing and sand eels come immediately to mind; all of these baits can, at times, create some memorable outings for the surfcaster.
But it’s the sand eel that really gets me excited, especially in the later months. The reason I say this is because the presence of sand eels can generate a sustained bite anywhere these densely-schooled baitfish decide to burrow themselves into. Find out where they’re hanging around and chances are you will have good fishing for weeks on end. And these bites can go on around the clock, day or night! Striped bass, bluefish and weakfish simply love to chow down on these tasty morsels as they fatten up for the fall migration.
Sand eels typically measure between 3 and 6 inches in length but can grow to lengths of up to 9 inches. During the summer they tend to hang out in the back bays, and then, as the water temps drop, they will move out along the beaches and spend much of the fall in close until the cold drives them to their offshore wintering grounds.
Understanding the basic behavior of this much-desired sea critter will help you in your quest for connecting with the gamefish that are hot on their heels. Sand eels, unlike other forage species, have a defense mechanism that gives them an edge. They can quickly burrow into the sand, leaving them buried with just their heads protruding. This gets them out of harm’s way, or at least gives them a place to hide…well, sometimes. Predatory fish know about this tactic, and will root around in the sand to flush them out. Sand eels mostly do this at night and then emerge at first light, often schooling up a little further off the beach, but still in casting range, as the sun warms things up.
Armed with this knowledge, the savvy caster can make some good inferences about how to imitate these slender, slivery baitfish. If you are fishing at night, good choices would be needlefish lures, or any slender swimmers such as the SP Minnow, Yo-Zuri Hydro Minnow and the old school Bomber. Soft plastics like a Hogy Sand Eel and RonZ soft plastics and of course one of my favorites, the Tsunami Sand Eel. If the fish are picky or if you can visually confirm that the sand eels are small, the addition of a small, skinny teaser can be very productive. Work these slowly and keep changing up offerings until you hit on what works.
Early mornings often bring good action and, all the soft plastic offerings discussed above are great choices, but the tried and true ‘tin and tube’ will also catch a lot of fish. You’ll also see many casters that just use a bucktail jig with a slender trailer and slay the fish during the sand eel run. The choices is yours, it’s all about what you’re confident in.
When using the tin and tube, slowly drag it through the sand. The bass will suck it up off the bottom. Remember to fish your lures right to the beach, especially in the early morning, because the fish will sometimes hit right in the wash. In recent years, I have really taken a liking to the Tsunami Sand Eel. There were days on the beach that this lure outshined everything else I threw. It works well on those sunny, bluebird days when the fish tend to get fussy.
Teasers can also be used in the daytime with great results. Feathered teasers in green and pink as well as the classic Red Gill plastic teasers can be deadly.
Those sand eel days are right around the corner, so stock up on the lures mentioned and set aside a few early mornings to get in on the bite. Let’s hope the sand eels show up in good numbers this year and add to the smorgasbord of other baitfish we see in the fall. If this happens, it should make for an interesting and exciting fall run on the beaches of the Striper Coast for 2024.
