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OUR GUIDES

AARON GRAYBILL

Aaron founded Lake Hopatcong Guide Service in 2019. Since then he and his team expanded to their other favorite lake and started Greenwood Lake Guide Service. His love of introducing and teaching fishing to youth   and has worked as a full-time guide ever since. A lifelong diehard angler, he originally moved to Lake Hopatcong in his early 20’s with the sole purpose of being able to fish every day. And he did. For nearly 10 years prior to ever starting the guide service, Aaron fished Lake Hopatcong almost daily. He takes the most pride in his knowledge of all of the gamefish and experience with all of the best bites on Lake Hopatcong throughout the year. The pictures and reviews speak for themselves. With literally thousands and thousands of hours put into fishing Lake Hopatcong, there is simply nobody who knows the lake better or catches more big fish than Aaron and his team of guys. Aaron has written multiple fishing articles, authors weekly Lake Hopatcong fishing reports for a number of online and print publications, has been featured in On The Water magazine, won bass tournaments, and is proud to be a Trustee in the Knee Deep Club. He is also a proud family man with two amazing children, River and Brooke! 


KEVIN COOL

Kevin Cool was the first person brought into the LHGS family when the business expanded and has played a major role in our success ever since. Since beginning his guide career in 2021, Kevin has firmly established himself as one of the most well-respected fisherman on Lake Hopatcong and surrounding region. His tireless work ethic, creativity as a fisherman, and uncanny instincts on the water are what sets Kevin apart. He  owns Lake Hopatcong's all-time LAKE RECORD for hybrid striped bass! The fish (pictured above) was a 12 lbs 4 behemoth. 

The countless hours that Kevin has dedicated to fishing Lake Hopatcong have led to Kevin being as dialed in as anyone with the fishing on the lake. He has earned himself a reputation for producing a lot of big fish. And in addition to being an awesome fishermen, he is as nice of a guy as you will ever meet and genuinely enjoys sharing his passion for fishing with everyone around him. Kevin is an active member of the Knee Deep Club. 

DAN DACEY

Dan is a seasoned LHGS veteran and has been an important part of our team for a number of years. His relentless dedication to fishing Lake Hopatcong has paid off and customers can rest assured that Dan has the experience and knowledge to turn even the toughest of days into a great day of fish catching! 


DANIEL GOYKHMAN

Dan Goykhman is a highly skilled and accomplished professional bass angler. With two decades of fishing experience, he has established himself as a serious competitor in numerous tournaments and events. Dan is known for his tenacity and persistence, which has helped him secure high placements in competitive events. His passion for bass fishing has led him to become a respected figure in the angling community, and his knowledge and skills continue to inspire and influence anglers of all levels. 

MATT CALIFANO

Matt grew up on Lake Tamarack in Sussex County NJ; the last of a generation that was given a pole and told to "just be home before dark." Matt has been very fortunate to experience fly a flats slam in the Florida Keys, a backcountry slam in the Everglades, bull redfish in Homosassa and the Outer Banks, striped bass of the Hudson Bight, Coho salmon, trophy rainbow trout and dolly varden on the Kenai River in Alaska, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi in the deep blue fathoms off Hawaii, sea-run brown trout of the Kennebec in Maine, wild rainbows and cutbows in the Gunnison River, wild browns in the headwaters of the Arkansas River in Colorado, monster rainbows of the San Juan River in New Mexico and even a few native, European browns in Ireland.  Still to check off on the bucket list in the near future: Patagonia and New Zealand.

Closer to home, Matt still loves to fly fish the Flat Brook and Delaware Rivers. When the water temperature is below 68 degrees, you will find him nymphing with his own, hand tied flies in the morning and throwing dry-droppers in the afternoon and evening.  When the water gets too warm to safely release trout, you will find him either on Delaware River tossing streamers or stonefly nymphs at the remarkable smallmouth bass population or helping throw a bright pink 1 weight with his 4-year-old daughter to catch dozens of panfish in their backyard.

COLE SWANSON

Cole was born and raised in Hopatcong and has been fishing the lake his entire life. He is an extremely versatile angler who enjoys targeting all species of fish from panfish to walleye, though his 5 tournament wins in recent years have cemented him as one of the top bass fishermen in the area. An active member of Byram Bassers Tournament Club, he was won tournaments on Lake Hopatcong (2022 Club Championship), Greenwood Lake, Swartswood (2023 Club Championship), Wawayanda, and Merrill Creek Reservoir. He's always eager to share his passion of fishing with those around him and brings a great energy to the boat every time you fish with him!