Outer Banks Anglers Club

10/06/2026

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary's Outer Banks Flotilla is pleased to offer a one day Boating Safety Course. The course is designed to make boating fun and safe. The course also meets all the requirements to obtain a North Carolina Boating Safety Card. That card is required to operate a boat for anyon...

10/01/2026

A big thank you to Doug & Blake Milner for a great presentation on the history of their new boat sales dealer and various service and maintenance functions!! If you need anything on your boat from major or minor repairs, or any service, they are here for you!! Thanks again - always welcome back!

09/29/2026

09/27/2026

Attention Anglers!!

The Outer Banks Anglers Club will be holding our next meeting on Monday, September 28, 2026. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm. Doors will open at 615pm.

Our September 2026 Guest Speaker(s) are:

Blake Milner and Doug Milner, Owners of OBX BOATS.

OBX BOATS is a relatively new dealership in the heart of Kill Devil Hills and situated in the heart of North Carolina's Outer Banks and right on the Rt158 bypass.

They will discuss the various options of buying a new or previously owned vessel and how their services including warranty programs can make boat ownership easy and fun.

This should be an interesting meeting especially as we enter the final months of boating season and how they can assist us with our winterizing needs.

All meetings will be held again this year at the Kerns P. Pitt Center, Southern Shores Town Hall, 5377 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Southern Shores, NC. unless otherwise noted.

Please plan on arriving 15 minutes early to allow for check in. Doors open at 615pm.

Hope to see everyone at the September meeting.

As usual, “Guests are always welcome!!”

For more information see us on our website or Facebook:

Outerbanksanglersclub.com
Outer Banks Anglers Club

09/25/2026

Ready Set Drum Roll

September marks the start of the legendary run of big drum on the Outer Banks. The autumn air brings a crisp northeast breeze, cooling water temperatures and the highly anticipation of fall big drum migration.

Anglers wait all year for a chance to catch one of these trophy giants. North Carolina big drum are well known for their huge size and ferocious fight. Anglers travel many miles to experience this phenomenon.

These remarkable creatures originately known as puppy drum, can grow 40 to 50 inches or more in a matter of couple years. Once they reach full size, they are referred to as “bull” or just big drum.

Big drum are originally targeted early on in the surf. But as the conditions change, anglers have their best chance to land one on the ocean piers. The best bites occur with rough churning seas and constant winds up to 20 to 30 miles per hour.

Most pier anglers focus on the deep end but many different sizes of fish, along with the big drum, are caught along the entire length of the pier. So proper location is imperative.

To catch these giants, specialized gear and rigging is required. Heavy conventional or spinning surf rods of eight to ten feet or longer rated and reels designed to hold 17-20 lbs of monofilaments or 30-50 lbs braided line are the standard set up. Caution using braid lines on piers or near other anglers. And don’t forget that 50 lbs mono shock leader.

Rigging and baits are personalized. My favorite rig is the "Fish Finder" with short leaders and circle hooks. This rig helps prevent deep hooking and is the one most frequently used. The second one is a standard drum or cannon ball rig. This rig uses a heavy sinker slide attached to a weight on the main line swivel then a short leader with your preferred circle hook. Either way, these rigs work well.

Cut pieces of menhaden, mullet or spot are the baits of choice. Large chunks including bait heads with lots of scent attract these big drum. Anglers are known to use chunks of finger mullet or other oily smelly baits too.

The key to catching them is placing your baits where the drum are. While you may have the tendency to long cast, big drum will stay near structures. So while under the pier is perilous and can result in snag or being cut off, this area holds drum.

Every angler has their own strategy. Some anglers position themselves directly at the end of the pier, others will start at the shallow part and move to cover each side, just moving and looking for another opportunity. Another strategy, the big drum moves around to find a food source, so the anglers should too.

Regardless of your strategies. The passionate drum angler watches the weather and knows the migration signs.

Remember all red drum over 27 inches must be safely released in North Carolina, handling them with care is paramount. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible, minimize their time on the dry sand or pier deck, snap a quick photo, and support the fish in the water until it swims away under its own power.

Joining the elite fraternity of anglers who have landed an OBX autumn giant is an unforgettable experience, and protecting the fishery ensures the tradition continues for generations to come.

For more light tackle shore-based fishing, see walkingangler.com

Until next time - Tightlines - Capt Tony

09/22/2026

CONGRATULATIONS DAVE!!

Dave Taylor, member of the OBAC and caught this beauty on Thursday 9/17/26 on light tackle (20lb test).

He didn’t have a scale big enough (only went up to 30lb), so they estimated between 45-50lbs and 45-50” long. Safely released.

09/01/2026

We want to hear from you about Kingfishes (Sea Mullet)! The scoping period begins today through September 30th, providing fishermen and other stakeholders an opportunity to provide input about stock and fishery issues, and share ideas on management strategies.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/46xHXZD

08/28/2026

Attention Anglers!!

The Outer Banks Anglers Club will be holding our next meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm. Doors will open at 615pm.

Our August 2026 Guest Speaker is:

Tom Mattingly - U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Tom will be showing a few videos and discussing how the Auxiliary trains with the Coast Guard for at-sea rescues including helicopter transfers of vital equipment AND how a helicopter can rescue passengers or people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries. None of this happens without rigorous training, which is done in many cases right here in our sounds.

Come and watch what goes into the things we too often take for granted.

All meetings will be held again this year at the Kerns P. Pitt Center, Southern Shores Town Hall, 5377 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Southern Shores, NC. unless otherwise noted.

Please plan on arriving 15 minutes early to allow for check in. Doors open at 615pm.

Hope to see everyone at the August meeting.

As usual, “Guests are always welcome!!”

For more information see us on our website or Facebook:

Outerbanksanglersclub.com
Outer Banks Anglers Club

08/22/2026

FF-35-2026

PROCLAMATION

RE: SPANISH MACKEREL – COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL – COMMERCIAL HARVEST PERIOD WITH 500 POUND POSSESSION LIMIT

This proclamation supersedes FF-15-2026 dated February 25, 2026. This proclamation establishes a harvest period for the commercial Spanish mackerel fishery in North Carolina Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters and implements a 500-pound possession limit. The fishery will close by proclamation once the total stock ACL (annual catch limit) is projected to be reached, or 8:00 P.M. November 13, 2026, whichever occurs first. The commercial fishery in federal waters remains closed.

Michael S. Loeffler, Interim Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the following restrictions shall apply to the Spanish mackerel fisheries:

I. SIZE LIMIT
It shall be unlawful to possess Spanish mackerel less than 12 inches fork length in a commercial operation or for recreational purposes.

II. COMMERCIAL HARVEST PERIOD AND LIMITS
A. The Spanish mackerel commercial fishery in Federal Waters will close from 12:01 A.M., Tuesday, August 25, 2026, until March 1, 2027. In North Carolina Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters, the Spanish mackerel commercial fishery will remain open until 8:00 P.M., Friday, November 13, 2026, unless closed earlier by proclamation.
B. During the commercial harvest period for North Carolina Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters referenced in II.A. above, it shall be unlawful to possess aboard or land from a vessel, or combination of vessels that form a single operation, more than 500 pounds of Spanish mackerel in any one day or trip, whichever is more restrictive.
C. It shall be unlawful to possess aboard or land from a vessel, or combination of vessels that form a single operation, more than 3,500 pounds of Spanish or king mackerel, in the aggregate, in any one day.

III. FOR-HIRE VESSEL (While engaged in a For-Hire Vessel operation as defined by G.S 113-174) HARVEST LIMITS
Charter vessels or head boats that hold a valid National Marine Fisheries Service Coastal Migratory Pelagic (Charter Boat and Head Boat) permit shall comply with the Spanish mackerel possession limits established in Section IV. when fishing with more than three persons (including the captain and mate) on board.

IV. RECREATIONAL HARVEST LIMITS
It shall be unlawful to possess more than 15 Spanish mackerel per person per day taken for recreational purposes.

V. GENERAL INFORMATION:
This proclamation is issued under the authority of N.C.G. S. 113-134; 113-134.1; 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-182.1; 113-221.1; 143B-289.52 and N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rules 15A NCAC 03H .0103 and 03M .0512.
B. It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the Fisheries Director under their delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03H .0103.
C. The intent of this proclamation is to allow harvest of Spanish mackerel in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics.
D. The Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils approved Amendment 20A to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagics prohibiting the sale of king and Spanish mackerel caught under the bag limit without a valid federal commercial permit. This prohibition on sale also applies to charter vessels and headboats that hold both valid federal charter/headboat and commercial permits, when operating as a charter. An exemption was made to allow sale of fish from state-permitted recreational fishing tournaments that donate all money from the sale to charity. The amendment also eliminates the income qualification requirements for Commercial King and Spanish Mackerel Permits. The amendment and final rule implementing the regulations is located at: https://safmc.net/fishery-management-plans/coastal-migratory-pelagics/.
E. Vessels holding both a valid National Marine Fisheries Service Atlantic Charter/Headboat Coastal Migratory Pelagics Permit and either a valid National Marine Fisheries Service Commercial Spanish Mackerel Permit OR Commercial King Mackerel Permit are considered to be operating as a charter boat/headboat when fishing withmore than three persons (including captain and mate) onboard (see 50 CFR § 622.2).
F. Provisions for individuals onboard a charter or headboat to possess multiple daily bag limits may be found at 50 CFR §622.382(2) and state that a person who is on a trip that spans more than 24 hours may possess no more than two daily bag limits, provided such trip is on a vessel that is operating as a charter vessel or headboat, the vessel has two licensed operators aboard, and each passenger is issued and has in possession a receipt issued on behalf of the vessel that verifies the length of the trip.
G. The federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is defined as waters of the Atlantic Ocean from three to 200 miles seaward of the shoreline.
Spanish mackerel harvested as part of a licensed recreational fishing tournament may be sold in accordance with N.C.G.S. 113-168.4(c) and N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Rule 15A NCAC 03O .0102.
I. In accordance with N.C. General Statute113-221.1(c) all persons who may beaffected by proclamations issued by theFisheries Director are under a duty tokeep themselves informed of currentproclamations.
J. Contact N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557; 252-515-5500 or 800-682-2632 for more information or visit the division website atwww.ncmarinefisheries.net.
K. This proclamation establishes a harvest period for the commercial Spanish mackerel fishery in North Carolina Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters and implements a 500-pound possession limit. The fishery will close by proclamation once the total stock ACL (annual catch limit) is projected to be reached, or 8:00 P.M. November 13, 2026, whichever occurs first. The commercial fishery in federal waters remains closed.


By: _______________________________
Michael S. Loeffler, Interim Director
DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES


August 21, 2026
3:00 P.M.

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06/30/2026

Thank you Ryan White for sharing some of your expertise on rod building, your favorite gear and lures but essentially your various experiences traveling and fishing in a variety of places. Fascinating conversation!! Thank you again, and as always come back and visit anytime!!