Hopewell
Instant Confirmation
Trips from
US $300
Captain
Captain Dan Szajta
Hopewell, United States
10+ reviews
As a teacher, I enjoy showing people how to catch trophy catfish on the James River. I have a lot of availability in the summer and a fair amount on weekday evenings and weekends year round.
Charter
Rating
5.0
11 reviews
5.0
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
4.9
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (22)
All reviews (11)
Showing 1 – 5 of 11 reviews
Jess EllisRepeat angler
Iowa, US•Member since 2024•2 trips5.0VerifiedNEWwe uad a very good time on our fishing trip! Definitely would do it again!!!!
4 Hour Multispecies Fishing Charter - 4:00 PM • 4 adultswe caught several smaller catfish. it was a beautiful morning to be on the water!!!! Definitely recommend!!!!
Reported catch:
Response from CaptainThank you for choosing to spend your day on the water with Goober Time Guide Service. We're glad you enjoyed it!
Mattia PekanyandeVirginia, US•Member since 20264.7VerifiedNEWBeautiful day on the water
4 Hour Catfish Fishing Charter - 7:00 AM • 5 adults • 2 childrenCpt Dan was communicative, knowledgeable, and felt part of our group. It was hot early and the fish weren't biting, but the adults had a great time and the kids had great sleep.
Response from CaptainGlad you enjoyed your morning on the river. Not much we can do when the river is pushing 90 degrees and the fish are feeding heavily at night but not during the day. We worked our tail off and ran all over the river looking for fish.
James StewartVirginia, US•Member since 20265.0VerifiedGreat morning of fishing
4 Hour Multispecies Fishing Charter - 7:00 AM • 2 adultsCapt. Dan kept the action flowing and exciting for our crew. zCaughr several species of fish , perch crappie catfish. The boat was inviting and confortable. What a great day!
Response from Captainthanks for joining us for an awesome morning on the lake
David EricksonVenice, FL, US•Member since 20255.0VerifiedThe Best Catfish Experience
4 Hour Smallmouth Bass Float • 5 adultsI booked a 4 hour catfish charter for my brother-in-law’s bachelor party who lives in the area. It was scheduled for 7am at the boat ramp. I’m from Florida and the boat ramp was super easy to find. There was plenty of parking and even restrooms to use before and after the trip. The trip ran on time as scheduled. We started catching catfish within minutes of Capt Dan setting up the rods. He is a very professional and knowledgeable charter captain. Always helpful and guided us on what to do. One of us in the group even caught a trophy catfish and received a trophy chip for the catch! They even have merchandise to purchase! We picked up a bunch of hats and shirts after the trip. It was an excellent experience and a great adventure. Great memories made on this trip! We will be back and recommending Goober Times to everyone! Can’t wait for the next trip Capt Dan and keep up the great work! 🫡
Kenya WilliamsVirginia, US•Member since 20255.0VerifiedBest Fishing Experience Ever!!!!
4 Hour WEEKEND Catfish Guide Trip • 4 adultsMy 2 sisters and I booked this trip for our mother's birthday and we ABSOLUTELY enjoyed every moment spent on the water and with Captain Dan!!! We highly commend and recommend Captain Dan for his wealth of knowledge and commitment to ensuring his customers are provided with everything they need for a successful and fun experience. Thank you again Captain Dan! We are looking forward to chartering another trip with Goober Time Guide Service in the near future!
Response from CaptainThank you for the kind words! It was a fun morning on the water
Real catches shared by our community
- Goober Time Guide ServiceHopewell, VA
- Goober Time Guide ServiceHopewell, VA
- Goober Time Guide ServiceHopewell, VA
- Goober Time Guide ServiceHopewell, VA
- Goober Time Guide ServiceHopewell, VA
Fishing reports
Trophy blue catfish
Aug 9, 2025 • Hopewell
2 trophy catfish on the James River
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Fun day of fishing on the James River
Mar 8, 2025 • Hopewell
We had Tori, Austin, Kayden, and Bentley on the river for a return trip. We spent the day chasing the bit big while filling the cooler along the way. The big fish we marked weren’t interested in coming in the boat but big fish of the day went 22lbs! Enjoy those eaters!
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Unforgettable day of catfishing on the J
Mar 3, 2025 • Hopewell
It was an incredible day on the James with Norris and Nathan. We caught more 20lb fish than we could count, sent the guys home with a bag of fillets, and set new personal bests for both guys. Big fish of the day was a very spunky 44lb trophy blue catfish.
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They won a rod with their trophy fish
Mar 2, 2025 • Hopewell
We had Philip and David on the boat for a full day of fishing. After a slow start, we keyed in on the fish and tore them up. The guys went home with a bag of fillets, two trophy fish, and caught our first flathead of the year. The big fish of the day weighed 28lbs and 47 lbs. since they caught trophy fish on an 8 hour trip, they went home with a patriot hellcat rod from catchthefever. Thanks for coming out guys! Can’t wait for the next trip!
Read the full fishing report here: **hidden content**
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James River giants bite at night
Feb 28, 2025 • Hopewell
Trevor and Joey took advantage of a last minute cancellation to hit the water Friday night. They were on a trophy hunt and the James River did not dissapoint. The river was, most certainly, not on fire, but we were still able to make it happen. Biggest fish of the night were 26, 42, and 49lbs! Welcome to the trophy club!
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Catfish nuggets and personal beats
Feb 24, 2025 • Hopewell
We had **hidden content** on the water today looking to put some meat in the freezer and break his blue catfish pb of 6 lbs. we spent the first few hours of the morning catching eaters then switched over to trophy fish later in the day. His first big fish was 31 lbs and that stood as his new pb for 10 minutes when he hooked up with a 40 lb fish.
Since he caught trophy fish on an 8 hour trip, he went home with a hellcat rod from **hidden content** Welcome to the trophy
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