Gecko Sportfishing invites you on offshore and nearshore fishing charters on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. Here you have the chance to get away from the crowd and get closer to the fish and the marine world. The charter is operated by Captain Ernest Doshier who has a lifetime of fishing experience and has been serving the Ocracoke Island for more than 25 years.

His boat is a 46’ Scarborough offshore sportfisher that runs on twin 980 HP Cummins engines. This spacious vessel has plenty of room for up to 6 anglers to fish in comfort, so you’re more than welcome to bring some friends along for the ride.

Gecko Sportfishing can take you fishing in the nearshore waters for Cobia, Red Drum, Bluefish, and Spanish Mackerel. If you’ve got more time to spend on the water, head to the wrecks where Amberjack, Black Seabass, Triggerfish, and Grouper can be found, or go offshore. The offshore waters are abundant with Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, Blue and White Marlin, Wahoo, Sailfish, and Mahi Mahi.

Capt. Ernest and his mate will provide you with the necessary fishing gear that includes rods, reels, tackle, live and artificial baits, and a fishing license. They can accommodate seasoned fishermen that fish several times a year as well as the first time fisherman. So come on down for a day to remember!



Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Private trip
    Half Day Trip – Nearshore
    Low rate deposit non-refundable
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
    US $900
    This short but exciting trip is all about targeting nearshore species such as Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Cobia, Red Drum, and more.
  • Private trip
    Half Day Trip – Wrecks
    Low rate deposit non-refundable
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
    US $1,000
    This trip focuses on going to the local wrecks that are home to the likes of Amberjack, Seabass, Triggerfish, Grouper, and Cobia.
  • Private trip
    Full Day Trip – Offshore
    Low rate deposit non-refundable
    11 Hour Trip, starts at 5:30 AM
    US $1,800
    This trip will take you to the offshore waters where you can target a variety of big game fish like Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, and more. It's always a good idea to dress in layers, bring lunch and drinks for the day, and wear polarized sunglasses.
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FAQs about Gecko Sportfishing

Gecko Sportfishing offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $900 per group - Half Day Trip – Nearshore (4 hours)
  • US $1,000 per group - Half Day Trip – Wrecks (4 hours)
  • US $1,800 per group - Full Day Trip – Offshore (11 hours)

When you book a trip with Gecko Sportfishing, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Toilet
  • Fighting Chair
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Bed
  • Flybridge
  • Live Bait Well
  • Outriggers
  • Ice Box

Trips booked with Gecko Sportfishing include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Live Bait
  • Lures
  • First Mate
  • Fishing License (included in price)

Gecko Sportfishing offers the following types of fishing:
  • Inshore Fishing
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Offshore Fishing
  • Wreck Fishing
  • Backcountry Fishing

Gecko Sportfishing offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Heavy Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging
  • Deep Sea Fishing

Top targeted fish species with Gecko Sportfishing include:
  • Cobia
  • Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
  • King Mackerel (Kingfish)
  • Marlin (Blue)
  • Marlin (White)
  • Sailfish
  • Seabass (Black)
  • Triggerfish (Gray)
  • Tuna (Bluefin)
  • Tuna (Yellowfin)
  • Wahoo

Meet the Captain

Ernest Doshier
Ocracoke, North Carolina, United States
1 Fishing Report
ID & license verified
21 Customer reviews
Response time 9 hours
Member since March 2017
Captain Ernest is a member of the Charter Boat Association and has served with the United States Coast Guard for over 3 years. You can count on him to always give his best to put you on the most desirable fish that you have dreamed of catching and to selflessly share his knowledge and experience with you.

About this listing

Targeted species

Cobia Cobia
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
King Mackerel (Kingfish) King Mackerel (Kingfish)
Marlin (Blue) Blue Marlin

Boat specs

Scarborough (Sportfishing) originally built in 1980, and restored in 2010. Powered by 2 980HP Cummins engines, with a maximum cruising speed of 20 knots.

Length
46 ft
Capacity
6 persons

Types of fishing

Inshore Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Offshore Fishing
Wreck Fishing
Backcountry Fishing

Fishing techniques

Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Spinning
Jigging
Deep Sea Fishing

Amenities

Toilet
Fighting Chair
GPS
Fishfinder
Bed
Flybridge

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
Lures
First Mate
Fishing License
included in price

Cancellation policy

Deposit non-refundable

If it is unsafe to travel, you may still cancel free of charge or change the date(s) of your booking.

Listing policies

Pickup included in price
Transfer from hotels or jetties in Ocracoke to departure site is available and included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed
Disabled Accessible

Payment

Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 5% charge will apply.

Ocracoke Fishing Calendar

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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.9 / 5
out of 5 stars from 21 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (10)
Awesome Trip
Awesome Trip
Awesome Trip
+7
Angler rating
17
2
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
88%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
90%
Appropriate for children
81%
Satisfied with the boat
94%
Caught fish
79%
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Showing:
5 of 21 reviews
Thomas S.
New Bern, NC
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

3/4 day trip with Captain Ernie

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on May 3, 2021
Great experience. Ernie was flexible on timing based upon changing weather forecasts. Boat was much larger than we expected...
Thomas S. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Thomas S. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Glenn P.
Winder, Georgia
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half day wreck fishing

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip – Wrecks on May 26, 2021
Captain Doshier and his first mate Daniel were awesome. We caught our limit of amber Jack in about 30 minutes and wrestled...
Glenn P. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Glenn P. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Craig R.
Virginia Beach, VA
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Offshore trip on the Gecko

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip – Offshore on July 5, 2020
There is no guarantee of what one will catch, but this was a perfect trip.  Great captain and the mate, Daniel O’Neal was...
Craig R. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Craig R. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Robert S.
Wilmington, NC
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full day rough seas

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip – Offshore on May 8, 2021
Perfect trip great captain and mate. they told us it would be rough and still let us go. We caught a few but had a great time...
Robert S. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Robert S. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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Brent H.
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half day near-shore trip

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip – Wrecks on August 9, 2017
We’d initially booked a half-day wreck fishing charter, but opted to stay closer to shore to fish for blues and mackerel...
Brent H. recommends Gecko Sportfishing
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  Ernest Doshier Captain replied