Fistfuls of Fun : Devoted Grunion Hunters Get Grabby When Slippery Fish Start Spawning

Lifeguard Ray Graver says he will never forget the first time he saw them. It was after midnight on the beach near the Newport Pier.

“There was a big wave, someone switched on a flashlight and suddenly there were hundreds and hundreds of grunion. The beach was covered with tiny silver fish,” recalled Graver, now a lieutenant with the Newport Beach Marine Safety Department.

To the uninitiated, first-time grunion hunting can be wet and wild. Because grunion stalkers by law can only use their hands to nab the candy bar-size fish as they wash ashore, the hunters usually wind up soggy from being sprayed by the waves.

But grunion enthusiasts say the spoils of a successful hunt are tasty. That’s why each year about this time, those with an appetite for the fish gear up for the annual grunion runs, the first of which is expected tonight.

About 10:45, along sandy beaches from Santa Barbara to northern Baja California, the first waves of slithery, silver grunion will come ashore during high tide. The assault will continue for up to three hours on the wet sand as female grunions lay eggs, which the males fertilize.

It is a ritual that will repeat itself for four consecutive nights, beginning a half-hour later each successive night. The four-night cycle is played out twice a month through August, when the grunion’s spawning season ends. The spawning runs always follow a full moon, when tides are at their highest.

That’s why tonight is the night for Robert Winston of Buena Park. A carpenter by day, Winston is a grunion grabber on certain summer nights. His obvious thrill for the hunt is typical of others bitten by the grunion bug. “We’ve been waiting a long time,” Winston said. “We’re going to have some dinner, then drink a lot of strong coffee and then pile into my pickup and head for our secret spot. If we’re lucky, we’ll be home by 2 or so with several buckets full of breakfast. I can smell those little guys frying right now.”

For competitive reasons, Winston declined to disclose the location of his grunion hot spot. He did provide one clue though.

“It’s a sandy beach in Orange County. Good huntin’.”

Biologists, lifeguards and experienced grunion trackers say there are at least a dozen sure-fire beachheads in the county where grunion gravitate to do their thing. Many of the spots are within walking distance of public parking lots and streets. And there are plenty of grunion to go around.

Although other marine species have been decimated by man’s increasing use--and abuse--of local coastal waters, the grunion population, by most accounts, is healthy. One reason is the species’ remarkable reproductive powers. A single female, 5 to 7 inches long, can lay up to 3,000 eggs, each the size of a pinhead.

Adult Fish Return to Sea

It takes two, sometimes three males to fertilize the clutch of eggs. After that, the adult grunions catch the first wave back to sea, leaving the eggs hidden in the sand. Ten to 14 days later, when the full-moon high tides return, the eggs are swept into the ocean where they quickly hatch or are eaten by predators.

The mortality rate is high, but biologists say the species is in no danger because the females are able to produce so many eggs. State fish and game officials help greatly in this regard. The spawning season runs from March to August, but grunion hunting is prohibited in April and May, the height of the mating season.

“We wanted to give them some peace and quiet,” said Paul A. Gregory, a state fish and game biologist.

The rest of the year, grunion spend their leisure time close to shore in water 15 to 40 feet deep, feeding on plankton. Their life span is two to three years

State Fishing License Required

Grunion hunters who are 15 or older must have a state fishing license, and the slippery fish may be caught only with bare hands. It is illegal to trap the fish by digging a hole in the sand or by scooping them with a bucket or shovel.

There is no catch limit, but aficionados advise that you take only what you can eat promptly.

“They are best fresh,” Gregory said. “People eat them a lot of ways, but the best is breaded with flour or cornmeal and fried. If you like anchovies, you’ll love grunion.”

Winston, a strapping 22-year-old who lifts weights to stay “tuned and toned,” swears by what he calls the grunion’s “protein punch.”

“After a dozen or so, you feel this surge of energy,” he said. “We cook them all up, and then put them in salads and even use them as substitutes for bacon on our burgers.”

Not everybody’s palate is aroused at the mention of grunion.

“Frankly, I think they are way overrated,” said Rich Clemson of Laguna Beach, who prefers watching to catching grunions. “They are bony and flat-tasting. Thank goodness you can’t order them out.”

May Not Be Served in Restaurants

Because grunion are classified as game animals, they may not be served in restaurants.

So if you want to get a good look at grunions, put on a pair of old jeans, a sweat shirt and go to a beach that is relatively flat or near a breakwater or pier, which for some reason is where the wave action attracts the female grunion.

One hint: Don’t point a bright flashlight at the fish. Gregory says they spook easily.

“You have to be patient and let the grunion’s scouts wash ashore and check out to make sure it’s safe,” Gregory said. “Once they feel secure, the rest will follow. And if they do, it’s an amazing sight.”

GRUNION RUNS

June

5 10:45 p.m.-12:45 a.m. 6 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. 7 12:20 a.m.-2:20 a.m. 8 1:15 a.m.-3:15 a.m. 20 10:20 p.m.-12:20 a.m. 21 11:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. 22 11:50 p.m.-1:50 a.m. 23 12:45 a.m.-2:45 a.m. July 4 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. 5 11:15 p.m.-1:15 a.m. 6 11:50 p.m.-1:50 a.m. 7 12:40 a.m.-2:40 a.m. 20 11:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. 21 11:45 p.m.-1:45 a.m. 22 12:40 a.m.-2:40 a.m. 23 1:40 a.m.-3:40 a.m. August 3 10:50 p.m.-12:50 a.m. 4 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. 5 12:10 a.m.-2:10 a.m. 6 12:50 a.m.-2:50 a.m. 18 10:50 p.m.-12:50 a.m. 19 11:40 p.m.-12:40 a.m. 20 12:40 a.m.-2:40 a.m. 21 1:50 a.m.-3:50 a.m.

Note: Where the time of the run is after midnight, the date of the previous evening is shown. Source: Marine Resources Division, California Dept. of Fish and Game