Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
Are you a kid, a kid-at-heart, a fisherman, or a cook? One of the big annual Grunion Runs is starting again this Saturday– and while you can’t catch ’em until June (their very next run), this is a great time to get a look at their breeding patterns!
Grunion are a species of fish that spawn on the beaches after new or full moons during the summertime, and joining in to watch or participate in the grunion run is a famous past-time for our long history of Southern California beach residents.
This segment of spawning is estimated as the following (NOTE: the second hour is usually better than the first hour):
Sat May 18 9:35 p.m. – 11:35 p.m.
Sun May 19 10:10 p.m. – 12:10 a.m.
Mon May 20 10:45 p.m. – 12:45 a.m.
Tue May 21 11:20 p.m. – 1:20 a.m
If you are planning on catching grunion (after June 3), remember that a California fishing license is required for people 16+ years of age, and that grunion may only be caught by hand– while there is no bag limit, please take only what you can use.
A few years ago, the OC Weekly came out with an article on how to cook grunion. They are also reportedly good bait for halibut.
Speaking of bigger fish– expect that with the coming of this grunion run, we will be seeing some better-than-normal fishing, as the bigger fish will be following the grunion shoreside, and the halibut are really going to come out, as well. So if you like the rod and reel, you may consider one of our many public docks for taking advantage of this season. Or, if you really get the fever, you can post up on one of Newport’s many charter fishing boats at either Davey’s Locker or Newport Landing.
