NC reports northern district.

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Northern District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
Contact: Brian Melott October 26, 2009
For the 2009 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.

Report a tagged fish

Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)

A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.

Spotted Seatrout - new size limits went into effect October 5, 2009 - See Rec. Guide
Snapper/Grouper - new rules effective September 18, 2009 - See Rec. Guide

Ocean: Offshore fishing was good, with high volume catches of yellowfin and blackfin tuna making up the bulk of the catches. Large wahoo were caught along with a few Atlantic bonito, dolphin, amberjack, little tunny, and skipjack tuna. Billfish catches improved slightly. Mid-range anglers had a slow week and there was very little to report with except a few striped bass around 16-18 miles off shore. Anglers fishing on artificial reefs caught black drum, tautog, sheepshead, triggerfish, and blueline tilefish. Inshore anglers had good luck with red drum in the near shore surf zone with, sand fleas (mole crabs) being the bait of choice.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Activity in these waters was concentrated around the Oregon Inlet bridge due to high volume catches of red drum, with most anglers catching a legal keeper in the 18"-27" legal slot limit and releasing many more. Spotted seatrout catches improved throughout the area. Roanoke Sound, along with Swanquarter and Rose Bay yielded the bulk of the catches. Striped bass catches continued to improve, with Manns Harbor and Croatan Sound anglers having the best luck.
Piers/Shore: Red drum catches continued to be very good. Spotted seatrout were mixed in on a few occasions, along with flounder, Spanish mackerel, puffers, croakers, bluefish, black drum, kingfish, sheepshead, rays, skates, and assorted sharks.

General Overview: Success rates were moderate-good in all modes when weather conditions were favorable. Water temps in the surf throughout the area are in the mid-60s.