Pacific Sand Lance
Ammodytes personatus
Pacific sand lance are slender schooling forage fish that burrow into sandy bottoms and emerge to feed in the water column. They are important prey for salmon, seabirds, and marine mammals, and are seldom targeted as a sport fish.
Identification points
- Long, narrow, eel-like body with a pointed snout
- Single long dorsal fin set far back along the body
- Small mouth and silvery sides with a greenish-blue back
Habitat
Nearshore marine sands, especially shallow bays, beaches, and tidal flats with clean coarse sand; they often bury in substrate during the day and move into the water column at night or with plankton blooms.
Bait notes
Rarely targeted on rod and reel. If collected for bait or study where legal, tiny sabiki rigs, small white or silver micro-jigs, and very small pieces of shrimp or clam can take them when schools are near surface or over sand.
Behavior
A schooling planktivore and forage species, it forms dense shoals over sandy bottoms and reacts to currents, light, and tide movement. It spends much time buried in sand, leaving quickly when disturbed or when feeding near the surface.
Caution
Check local rules before collecting; sand lance can be an important forage species and may be protected or tightly regulated in some areas. As a bait fish, handle quickly and keep cold to preserve quality.
Fishing notes
Best located over clean sand flats, channel edges, or tide rips with light tackle and small offerings; fish at dawn, dusk, or moving tides. Because they bury quickly, a fine mesh scoop or bait net is often more practical than hook-and-line.