They’re Spawning Interest at the Beach

Spring is coming and soon, by the light of the moon, the late-night waves will be aglitter with shiny little grunion.

The silvery smelt-like fish are scheduled to hit the beaches several nights this month to do their thing--the females drilling themselves into the wet sand to deposit their eggs and the males wrapping around the females to fertilize the eggs--before washing back to sea on receding waves.

Unfortunately for the grunion, they won’t have much privacy as it is open season on the scaly critters, whose first run of the year is scheduled Sunday about 9:50 p.m. The fish will show along dark and sandy stretches of beach from Santa Barbara into Baja California, starting a little later each night through March 16 and then disappearing until the next run March 29.

There is no limit on catches, but to give the fish a fighting chance against the thousands expected to be lying in wait, the Department of Fish and Game has imposed a bare-hands-only rule this month. Taking grunion in April and May is illegal to allow the fish to spawn undisturbed before the season reopens for summertime runs.

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After the eggs of grunion are deposited in clusters in the wet sand, incoming waves break up the clusters and wash the eggs to sea. In only a few minutes, tiny grunion are born and begin to swim the turbulent surf zone. In a year they can grow to five inches and in three years can reach seven inches.

Grunion, however, have a life span of only four years--providing they aren’t swallowed by bigger fish or plucked from the beach, cleaned, dipped in batter and deep-fried.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro is conducting “Meet the Grunion” programs on Sunday and March 30, which include a film and a trip to the beach to greet the incoming fish. Details: (310) 548-7562.

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The striped marlin bite off Cabo San Lucas has finally slowed to the point where boats are actually getting skunked on some days.

However, the fish are still abundant in the Golden Gate area, where it’s a matter of finding them in a mood to feed. When they are, multiple catches are the rule. The Gaviota Fleet reported 65 marlin (55 released) and the Pisces Fleet 55 marlin (47 released) in the last week.

Anglers aren’t complaining about any letup, however, as wahoo and dorado have moved in to fill the vacuum.

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How much would you pay to hunt a California desert bighorn sheep?

A Southern California businessman recently spent $110,000 for the opportunity at a Foundation for North American Wild Sheep auction in Texas. Neither the California Department of Fish and Game nor the Wyoming-based FNAWS would release his hunter.

“You have to understand that you guys have a lot of antis out there,” a FNAWS spokeswomen said, referring to anti-hunters.

The tag was one of two special bighorn tags the DFG has authorized for sale at fund-raising auctions this year. The money will go toward reintroduction programs, disease studies and monitoring of bighorn sheep populations.

“It’s not the sole basis for our funding, but it’s certainly a large portion of it,” said Steve Torres, the DFG’s bighorn sheep coordinator.

During the same auction in Texas, a Montana Rocky Mountain bighorn tag sold for $310,000, the highest price ever paid for a fund-raising big-game tag.

Briefly

MISCELLANY--Volunteers can still participate in Sunday’s San Gabriel Mountains bighorn sheep census. A mandatory orientation meeting is scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lytle Creek Ranger Station near San Bernardino, and a nearby campground will be available for participants. Details: (213) 256-0463. . . . The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a regulation that would prohibit lead or zinc sinkers smaller than one inch in diameter, saying they pose a risk to waterfowl. A ruling is expected after a 60-day comment period.

A mysterious condition called withering syndrome has killed nearly all of Southern California’s black abalone, and biologists are trying to save the species from extinction. Since the condition was discovered off Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands in 1986, 99% of black abalone in Channel Islands National Park have died. Only the red variety exists in numbers large enough to support a commercial harvest, Pete Haaker, a DFG marine biologist, told the Associated Press.

CALENDAR--The Orange County Boat Show will be held Friday through March 20 at Anaheim Stadium. . . . Eagle Claw Fishing Schools will hold a 2 1/2-day session at San Martin Island off Baja California March 18-20 aboard the Holiday out of Point Loma Sportfishing. Yellowtail and calico bass are the targeted species. Cost is $325. Details: (714) 840-6555.

This Month’s Grunion Runs

March 13: 9:50 p.m. to 11:50 p.m.

March 14: 10:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m.

March 15: 10:40 p.m. to 12:40 a.m.

March 16: 11:10 p.m. to 1:10 a.m.

March 29; 10:25 p.m. to 12:25 a.m.

March 30: 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.

March 31: 12:10 p.m. to 2:10 a.m.

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT, C8