Grunions!

First, you will discover that the fish are members of the New World silversides family, Atheriniopsidae, along with the jacksmelt and topsmelt. They normally occur from Point Conception, California from nautical miles west of Santa Barbara, to Point Abreojos, Baja California. Occasionally, they are found farther north to Monterey Bay, California and south to San Juanico Bay, Baja California. Like all fish, you can plan to stay up around midnight to catch them but if they aren't running on certain beach, then you may go home empty handed. Some local beaches are nice enough to let you know if they've seen the grunion running. Others don't have time to deal with your request since they typically are a beach operations group and don't always concern themselves with what type of fish can be caught. So, there's a chart posted from California Department of Fish and Game that predicts the nights of grunion run but in the fishing world, you must go for the sport and consider yourself lucky if you get plenty. Here's why: Grunion inhabit the nearshore waters from the surf to a depth of 60 feet. They most likely do not migrate according to tagging studies. Each spring and summer from March through August grunion leave the water at night to spawn on the beach for four consecutive nights starting the nights of the full and new moons. Spawning begins after high tide and continues for several hours. Peak spawning is late March to early June. As a wave breaks on the beach, grunion swim as far up the slope as possible. The female arches her body and excavates the semifluid sand with her tail to create a nest. She twists her body and digs until she is half buried in the sand with her head sticking up. She then deposits her eggs in the nest. Males curve around the female and release milt. The milt flows down the female’s body until it reaches and fertilizes the eggs. As many as eight males may fertilize the eggs in a nest. After spawning, the males immediately retreat toward the water while the female twists free and returns with the next wave. While spawning may take only 30 seconds, some fish remain stranded on the beach for several minutes.

Click to expand...