| Pages:
1
2 |
cristobal
Nomad
Posts: 194
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: california
Member Is Offline
|
|
GRUNION run SAT, SUN and MON nights
If anyone is going to be on the beach from TJ to SAN JUANICO ... SAT, SUN or MON nights ... there should be loads of GRUNION for everyone to see. HIGH
TIDES in Ensenada are around 9:30, 10:00 and 10:30PM for the three nights.. I guess that would make BAHIA TORTUGAS and BAHIA ASUNCION and farther
SOUTH, an hour later at 10:30, 11:00 and 11:30PM.
The HIGH TIDE in SAN FELIPE and farther SOUTH on the Sea of Cortez ... is during the day and is a different type of GRUNION.
Sometimes the second hour is better than the first ... in fact I have seen these little guys run for the whole two hours here in ORANGE COUNTY.
Since I won't be able to do any viewing SOUTH of the border this year ... You guys can be my eyes for me. Anything you might see that could help
understand the GRUNION would be appreciated. Either post it here or send me an E-mail at
grunion1(at)hotmail(dot)com
Things like: lenght of run ...
amount of grunion ...
location ...
any predators ..??? birds, stingrays, people?
MAY is the best month to see these little guys so this could be fun ...
I will pass anything you post along to the people doing the research.
Muchas Gracias ...
       
|
|
|
Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
Member Is Offline
Mood: undecided
|
|
cristobal, Thanks for the info.
|
|
|
woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
grab one, hook it on with an egg sinker and toss it out about 10 yards. the halibut will thank you.
|
|
|
BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Anxious to get south
|
|
We get them during the day below San Felipe...
No need to stay up late...
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
|
|
|
Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3810
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
Member Is Offline
|
|
When we lived in Punta Banda we camped out on the beach for the Grunion run. It was fun, local families were out in numbers, everyone had campfires,
music playing, buckets at the ready. As it got later in the evening headlights were turned on and pointed at the shoreline.
It was late, but kids were running up and down the waters edge filling sand buckets, plastic bags, using the front of their shirts to collect the fish
and run back to the family blanket to dump them out and start all over again.
It was a fun homeschool lesson for Cody to learn the cycle. We didn't eat any, so I guess we didn't complete the lesson, but it was a wonderful
evening.
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
|
|
|
roundtuit
Senior Nomad
Posts: 607
Registered: 12-21-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wife's Job
|
|
what about mulege anyone
Never learned from a book-Only from mistakes, mine and yours
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Grunion make excellent bait to catch calico bass, croaker, corbina... any surf fish!
|
|
|
Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
Are they any good?
|
|
|
fishbuck
Banned
Posts: 5318
Registered: 8-31-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
We use to catch the Grunions when I lived oceanfront in Newport.
We actually cooked some once. We boiled them in a pot. They taste kinda fishy as you might expect.
Plus you eat them guts an all. They're a bit small to clean or fillet.
Mostly, we just got drunk and chased them. They are very fast surprisingly. And they can see you coming. They try to haul tail back into the water.
If you catch one just toss it back into the water. It's funner that way.
And don't use a flashlight. They won't land on the beach if they see it.
[Edited on 5-8-2009 by fishbuck]
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
|
|
|
cristobal
Nomad
Posts: 194
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: california
Member Is Offline
|
|
Grunion .....
Woody ... if you are going to use these little guys for BAIT ...
wait a couple of minutes until the females finish unloading ALL of her eggs.The youngest GRUNION drop about 1500 eggs while the 3+year olds unload
about 3500.
BajaWarrior ... Great PIC ......
Cypress ... You are more than welcome ... I've been watching these little guys for some 5 years now.
One more thing ... 90% of the GRUNION run in SD, OC, and LA counties. But that could change if there ends up being lots of reports from BAJA. They are
not sure what happens SOUTH of the border.
These GRUNION along the PACIFIC coast DO have scales and probably would taste better if they were removed.
   
|
|
|
Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
Grunion read the paper? 
|
|
|
fishbuck
Banned
Posts: 5318
Registered: 8-31-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Grunion read the paper? |
Ya, there smart little critters!
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
|
|
|
woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15937
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
i'm all for picking the males out of the crowd after they do their thing.
would someone please point out a male, or a female for that matter. 
|
|
|
Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
Member Is Offline
Mood: Baja Time
|
|
scoop em' up with a bucket....
toss em' in some batter...the whole fish...
and throw em' in a hot pan of oil....
drain em' on some newspaper....
twist the head and pull the entire bone structure away...
pop the rest in your mouth for a really delicious treat...50 years ago we didn't think of wrapping a warm tortilla around em' with some fixin's, as
we'd probably do today!
don't forget the ice cold Pacifico....just plain yummy!
Up here in Northern California, they're called 'Smelt', and the night running variety seemed to have the best taste - we'd do an 'all nighter' on the
beach with a big bon fire and some liquid to keep us going...we used fine meshed nets with poles on each end, wade out in the freezing water and snare
em' as they were washed back into the sea...take what you're going to eat, and leave the rest for the big fish to snag off shore...
we used to take some and load em' in an old wash tub - take em' home and cover with fresh water and put the whole thing in the bottom of the chest
freezer to then thaw and enjoy in a couple of weeks!
Now that a FISH fry!
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
|
|
|
cristobal
Nomad
Posts: 194
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: california
Member Is Offline
|
|
A couple of years ago there was a report of GRUNION spawning around MONTEREY BAY ... then they found some inside SAN FRANCISCO BAY ...
I was watching a handful of GRUNION on the beach a couple of weeks ago and thought ... when the next wave comes in ... they would be heading out to
sea. But when the next surge came in and covered these little guys ... several of them went tail down in the sand to deposit their eggs. Apparently
there wasn't time on the FIRST wave ... so they just waited around for the next one.
Sounds like MEXRAY has done this before ...
Amazing little fishies ...
|
|
|
bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
Member Is Offline
|
|
SAVE THE SMELT MOMENTUM....
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/42237
|
|
|
lizard lips
Super Nomad
Posts: 1468
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: EARTH
Member Is Offline
|
|
Maybe they were not in the mood tonight. Went to the beach close to Home Depot from 10:00 to 11:00 with 15 kids and it was a no show. Maybe better
tomorrow night. It was fun anyway!
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
Baja Grunion..same fun as Smelt
What fun...This thread brings back some fond memories of our Midwest 'grunion runs'.
Where I grew up we have smelt, which are just freshwater counterparts to Baja grunion. The smelt are found all over the inland
landscape, including the Great Lakes and midwest river/lake regions. Very similar, they reproduce in almost exactly the same way as grunion..with
spring runs up the rivers, creeks and bays. People also react exactly the same way as they do in Baja...families on the beaches, nets out, scooping
with buckets, bonfires and hot dogs/fish frys on the shorelines, children laughing, dogs chasing sticks, guys barfing, excitement in the air, a
really fun social event...and not a thing to miss if you could help it.
In our teens from high school and into freshmen/sophmore college days, our favorite place for smelt/grunion was Silver Bay on giant Lake Superior's
northwestern shore. Mi compadre, Bajanomad aguaholic, and I would finish classes on a Friday, throw a couple garbage cans, a
long-handled dip net, and a set of chest waders into my beater station wagon..and then haul burro for 300 miles through the iron range of northern
Minnesota. We had made that trip often enough to get to know some cute waitresses along the way.
The lakeshore drive was alive with fishermen from all over doing the same thing. The Smelt were running! It was a real hoot. The
lakefront drive from Duluth, Mn to Silver Bay was thronged with the wildest collection of fishermen the world has ever known. Everyone was out
getting smelt..and getting them in thier own personal ways. The beach was dotted with campfires and parties..you saw some very strange apparitions
framed in firelight as you drove by..like a gypsy convention. There was a feeling of comradarie amongst all..city and country, foreigners and locals.
We all needed our smelt fix.
What fun that was...naturally, it was pitch black by the time we arrived, and we would have to check a few creeks with our flashlight
to see if any smelt were running there yet..if not, on to the next one. Our cooler always kept a few cold ones handy for those confabs around the
campfires. I also recall some tummy-warming Buttershots to ward off the chilling affects of wading into the 38 degree water.
(Buttershots are equal parts of Grand Mariner and Butterscotch Schnapps..do try this at home.)
My compadre (also named Roger) and I would quickly find a good creek run and set up our mini-camp. Rog was in charge of shore duties...set out our
coolers, got the smelt cans ready, made a campfire, and rolled a couple logs over for our seats. I jumped into a set of chest waders, grabbed the dip
net and gingerly explored the creek for the best place to get the most smelt.
Ah, the wading and netting! That was the really fun part. The creeks are swollen and running fast towards to the lake shore..the creek bottom is
never level and easy wading, but always has jumbled large rocks that try to snag your feet. Plus that water is just above freezing, so you
DON'T want to fall in! It usually only took me about 5 minutes to find out what that particular smelt run was like. You waded out
into the dark, freezing cold water, feeling your way with the felt-soled waders, trying not to slide off the slippery rocks..until you got almost
chest level of the waders...careful not to let any of that COLD water into the waders. You knew you were in the right spot when
you felt the little 5-7 inch silver fish hitting your legs and stomach through the waders. (this got somewhat kinky with less serious fishermen who
were out there with no nets.)
Okay, you found the best spot with the most secure footing. You turn your back to the fast current, brace yourself as much as possible, and say a
prayer to the smelt gods.
Now you take the long-handled dip net, which you had just been using as a wading staff, make a long...hard...deep...and quick sweep.
Downstream...WITH the current.
(Now THIS is where you separate the sober smelt fishermen from the not-so-sober. A few greenhorns and some known barflys will scoop 'against' the
current, upstream....for what reason is completely unfathomable?..because the smelt are running 'up' the river, not 'down'....duh? Well, okay, it's
just as much fun 'without' smelt, so maybe reason enough. Those guys always had a big dumb smile going on, so who knows..??)
Anyway, usually I would get too large a scoop on that first netdip into the creek...just because it was so damn much fun! But all
mid-stream dipnetters quickly learn that half-a-netful is best...because dragging 50lbs of wiggling smelt back to the creekbank over those slippery
rocks is going to get you dunked...and that snowmelt water is very COLD.
Well, I never could resist the bulging netful and always fell in the water within the first 15 minutes.
THIS is where Rog came to my rescue...the roaring campfire and the BUTTERSHOTS.
This happened so often my feet became webbed...and I am still addicted to Buttershots to this day.
We could fill those two trash cans in about 10 scoops and figured that was enough for our trip. We usually just needed enough to have a fish fry for
our engineering class back on campus. Now it was time to relax and swap yarns with the other smelt-lovers out here on the lakeshore
creek runs. We made some lifetime friends on those fun trips.
One well-found amigo. Early on we met a charming English professor from UM named Venetta. He was dressed like a country lord in
natty tweeds & tam, always smoking his pipe. He had a small telescoping dip-net that he used to scoop one or two smelt at a time from a creekside
campchair..no patched waders or huge dip net like us. We were enthralled at his finese with the smelt. He'd take the 1 or 2 smelt from the net, open
his spotless cooler, and carefully arrange the smelt in rows next to the others already in there. They looked like silver jewels laying on the shaved
ice. We were impressed...and somewhat ashamed of our smelly station wagon full of fish scales and 2 huge buckets of smelt, but Professor Venetta was
not one to hold airs..or voice any criticisms on our 'style.' And, like us, he grew to love those tasty Buttershots. For many years, our creekside
mentor was with us at Silver Creek for spring smelt and thereafter joined Rog and me at our ND ranch for fall pheasant hunting. A fine gentleman.
Smelt could also augment our pocketbooks.
A couple times we went completely overboard and took a pickup loaded with a 500 gallon cattle trough. We would fill that sucker to the brim with iced
fish and sell smelt to Safeway & Red Owl grocery stores back in Fargo for 10 cents a pound..paid for our fuel, beer, Buttershots, and dates with
the 2 lovely waitresses. The stores sold the fish for 45 cents, so we were all happy.
All hail the grunion...and smelt!
.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
SKIDS
Junior Nomad
Posts: 48
Registered: 3-10-2009
Location: Jamul Ca.
Member Is Offline
|
|
WOW POMP, BADMAN AND ROBIN AND SMELT MOBILE.
|
|
|
cristobal
Nomad
Posts: 194
Registered: 12-16-2003
Location: california
Member Is Offline
|
|
ROGER ..... great story ... engineering class will never be the same ...
Lizard lips ... Thanks for checking last night ...you went down the second night after the FULL MOON ... These little guys make the highest showings
on the THIRD and the FOURTH nights.
I usually go down on the SECOND night ... I have for the past couple of months ... most of the time there is a good showing ...
Tonight and tomorrow are the best two ...
SUNDAY night ..............................................
ENSENADA .................... 10:00 PM ...
BAHIA ASUNCION ......... 11:00 PM ...
Good Luck ....
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
