Take precautions for Irene's arrival

With Hurricane Irene bearing down ferociously on the East Coast, fishing may end up being the last thing on anyone's mind this weekend. That's a shame, because the action across much of Long Island has been about as good as it gets in recent days.

Assuming the forecasters are right, there may be a small window of opportunity to get out Friday and Saturday, but let discretion be the better part of valor. Fish fast, fish close to port and be aware that rough seas and big swells are likely to arrive at any minute as they can push hundreds of miles ahead of huge storms like this one. Before you even consider spending any free time you might have on the water, make sure to batten down the hatches.

Consider pulling small boats from the marina and putting them in a protected area. A study by MIT following Hurricane Gloria, which struck Long Island in September 1985, showed that boats moved inland had a better chance of escaping damage than boats left in marinas.

If you do leave your boat in port, give a call to your marina and check to see that a game plan is in place to deal with torrential rains and severe winds. Double and triple check your tie lines, place bumpers along the gunwales, and make certain that any boat left at the dock has enough rope to accommodate the extremely high tides and storm surge that most assuredly will arrive even with a near miss.

In the event we dodge a bullet with Irene, it is likely you'll find the fishing to be unsettled for a few days. The super sea bass, porgy and triggerfish action that has been taking place over South Shore wrecks and reefs from Fire Island Inlet east to Shinnecock, for example, is likely to falter as the winds and heave push fish off structure and out over open bottom in deeper waters.

On the bright side, once the storm is past and the waters have settled down, the fish should find their way back to the popular hot spots with the deck reshuffled, so to speak. After a few days off from fishing pressure, and having been moved away from their traditional summer feeding grounds, they should return with a hungry vengeance.

Expect a similar pattern in Long Island Sound, where scup have been relentless in Smithtown Bay, outside Port Jefferson at Cranes Neck, Eaton's Neck Triangle and Hortons Point. Robins Island in Peconic Bay and Greenport, on the North Fork, have also produced.

Fluke action is likely to follow suit as well. The past week has seen super catches off Montauk, Orient, Shinnecock and Moriches with quite a few mini-doormats in the 4- to 6-pound class and a fair number of 8- to 10-pound bruisers. The best action has been in 50 feet of water. Expect the schools to briefly shift out to 70-foot depths before they regroup.

Larger predators like bluefish and striped bass, being able to more easily to cover water, are likely to reestablish their bites sooner than the bottom feeders. That would bode well for anglers hoping to target them at Montauk, Orient, Long Island Sound Middle Grounds and Eaton's Neck.