Hurricane Earl's effect on fishing is anyone's guess

We'll know for sure later Friday whether Hurricane Earl hammered our shores or simply brushed past with tropical winds and heavy surf. Assuming Long Island lucks out and damage is minimal, it still might take a few days before the seas settle down and anglers discover if the monster storm has stirred the proverbial piscatorial pot.

"I'm not convinced big storms tilt fishing prospects one way or another,'' said Richard Siberry, proprietor of The Camp-Site Sport Shop in Huntington Station. "What they really do is slow down our pursuit.''

True enough. Time may be needed to clean up the mess, and even once boaters are able to get back out on the water they'll want to proceed carefully on the way to the fishing grounds while watching for shoaling, dislodged dock pilings, flotsam and other debris.

"Still,'' Siberry said pointedly, "the fish have to eat.''

Alberto Knie of Lindenhurst, owner of Tactical Anglers, Inc., believes surf fishing in particular might actually improve several days after the storm.

"I don't think stripers and blues feed in the surf much when the pounding is relentless,'' said Knie, "but they should be hungry after missing a few meals.''

The problem for surf fishermen, of course, is that the beach might not look like it did even Thursday.

"It's a whole new ballgame when a storm tears up the coast,'' continued Knie. "It's like [Mother] Nature pressed the reset button. You have to find new sandbars, breaks and ledges. If the storm was brutal, you may need to start from scratch.''

Tony Salerno, a retired electronics technician from Patchogue, believed a near miss from Hurricane Earl might be beneficial in some respects.

"Black sea bass, porgies and triggerfish will temporarily vacate their wrecks during the storm,'' he theorized. "That allows a reshuffling of the deck, so to speak, before they return.''

The heavy winds also should wash plenty of skimmer clams onto the shore at Jones Beach, where Salerno plans to gather a bunch for bait.

Offshore anglers, too, will be anxious to see if mighty Earl has brought changes. During the past two weeks a solid bite of bluefin tuna had developed at Compass Rose and slightly southwest of the Coimbra. Those fish settled in because baitfish have been abundant. Captain Harry Weinblatt of the Freeport charter boat, Blue Marlin, worries that winds exceeding gale force strength might bust apart the schools of prey.

"If the fishing is off following the storm,'' said Weinblatt, "consider searching for fresh action 10 or even 15 miles downwind from the pre-storm hot spots.''

The idea is to figure out where the baitfish schools will regroup, which is exactly what the tuna will be trying to do.

"Expect to cover a lot of water,'' said Weinblatt, "and network with other vessels during your search. It's a big ocean and that spirit of collective cooperation is needed to succeed in this game.''

If nothing else, fluke fishing is certain to change after the storm. That's because the season officially closes Tuesday. At that point your only option will be to hop aboard an open or charter boat that possesses a Research Set Aside (RSA) permit. In the silver lining department, you'll be able to keep four fluke per trip with a slot size of 17 to 20 inches.

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