LHGS Founder/Full-Time Guide, Aaron Graybill, has been obsessed with fishing since he was in diapers. Born into a Navy family, summer trips to Lake Wallenpaupack, Pa is where his love-affair with the sport started. Since then, his pursuit and love of fishing has only grown and grown. Following his college days, Aaron landed a job with AOL in NYC and lived in Hoboken. While working in the city his burning desire to be on the water tugged at his heart so strongly that he eventually moved to Lake Hopatcong. The 4+ hour daily round-trip commute was totally worth it - simply because he got to fish every night and all weekend! After doing that for a year, Aaron eventually found work closer to home and truly dedicated himself to mastering Lake Hopatcong. Following a decade of fishing the lake on a daily basis and around the clock, Aaron decided to pursue his dream of fishing full-time and founded Lake Hopatcong Guide Service in 2019.  

Aaron was born and raised in Cherry Hill, NJ. Attended East Carolina University/Rutgers University. He is a sports nut and pulls hard for all of his hometown Philadelphia teams. Today he is active in youth sports - coaching both football and baseball in in his hometown of Lake Hopatcong (Jefferson Twp). He is a loving father to two amazing children, River and Brooke! 

Kevin Cool was the first guide brought into the LHGS family when the business expanded. Since then, Kevin has played a major role in the success of Lake Hopatcong Guide Service. 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. Kevin also owns Lake Hopatcong's all-time lake record for hybrid striped bass! The fish (pictured above) was a 12 lbs 4 behemoth. 

In addition to being an awesome fishermen, he is an incredible person and truly passionate about sharing his love of fishing with everyone around him. Kevin is also a custom rod builder. His "K-Cool Custom Rods" are meticulously hand-crafted, offer unmatched performance and visual appeal, and are used by a number of our guides for their personal fishing.  When he's not on the water, chances are, he's on a hockey rink. Kevin is a huge hockey fan and plays in multiple leagues in the North Jersey area. He is an incredible guide who has gives everyone in his presence a great fishing experience every time they leave the dock.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Brendan has spent his life chasing fish all over the state. His experience on a multitude of different types of fisheries in our region have turned him into an extremely well-rounded, versatile angler. He is a highly-skilled multi-species angler who has won high-level bass tournaments while simultaneously proving himself to be one of the top Walleye and Hybrid Striper anglers on Hopatcong. His ability to understand his surroundings, read the fish, and make proper adjustments each day is special. As a guide, you can't ask for much more! Brendan is a great guy, fishes hard, and consistently puts big fish in the boat!

Brendan is engaged and lives in Stillwater, NJ. Outside of fishing, Brendan is a hockey fanatic and diehard fan of the New Jersey Devils. He plays in mutilpe leagues in North Jersey so his nights typically consist of hockey games, night fishing, or  both. When he's not fishing on the weekends, chances are he's in the woods looking for his tee shot! He's a better golfer than we give him credit for and a great guy to spend a day hanging out with. Brendan has an uncanny ability to put big fish in the boat and has proven himself to be an elite member of our Lake Hopatcong team.  

Nick is great times, big fish, and a dedicated blue-collar work ethic all wrapped into one awesome package! He grew up along the New Jersey bayshore chasing striped bass, bluefish, and flounder before taking his passion inland to Lake Hopatcong. These days, he’s all about tracking down hybrid stripers and walleye, whether under the midday sun or the glow of dock lights at night. He guides from his 18’ 2023 Lowe Fishing Machine Dual Console, outfitted with cutting‑edge electronics and forward‑facing sonar—giving every client a high‑tech edge in their pursuit of Lake Hopatcong lunkers. 

When he’s not putting clients on fish, Nick trades his fishing hat for a hard hat in the ready‑mix concrete industry. Off the water, he’s a proud husband and father of two, often found coaching football or lacrosse, or announcing local games on the weekends.

Craig McGuinness has a history of fishing that has brought him all over the county. From a young age he has always been a self taught cold water fisherman with a focus on trout and steelhead. That led him all over New York to Alaska chasing steelhead with a Summer spent working on a charter board in Sitka, Alaska. Over the years the Delaware River stole his heart and our favorite "River Rat" he has earned his spot as one of the top walleye, smallmouth bass, striped bass, and shad anglers out there. He is licensed, insured, and has been guiding on the Delaware since 2023. Craig is also a member of our LHGS Youth Fishing Club guide-staff. He is also a loving husband and father to a super-cool and up-and-coming fishergirl!

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. 

• 12th BFL Angler of the Year Standings in Northeast Division - 2021

• 3rd Reynolds Boats Northern Bass Tournament Trail / Tournament of Champions - 2022

• 8th Reynolds Boats Northern Bass Tournament Trail / Team of the Year - 2022

• 13th BFL St. Lawrence River 2 day Super Tournament - 2021

• 15th BFL Lake Champlain - 2021

• 21st BFL Upper Chesapeake Bay (Flats) - 2021

• 60th AOY Standings MLF Toyota Series Northern Division - 2022

AKA "DKAM Fishing" on social media/YouTube, over 400M views, one of the most well-respected musky fisherman/influencers  in the country.

Born into a musky fishing family, Chuck began his pursuit of muskies in 1996 at a young age and it quickly became a lifelong passion. He serves as the President of Muskies Inc. Chapter 50 - Pa/NJ and has over 850 registered Muskies to his name with Muskies Inc., along with countless others. Of those fish, he has exceeded the 50"+ mark 13 times! In 2024, he caught and released a Pennsylvania unofficial state record Musky, measuring out at a massive 53" length x 33" girth.

Chuck grew up outside of Philadelphia fishing the Schuylkill River, targeting bass, carp, and catfish. However, since his introduction to Muskies in 1996, his focus shifted to solelyMuskies by 2001. Today, he spends an average of 200 days x year on the water chasing only Muskies! His immense knowledge and experience catching muskies is extraordinary. In addition to being an absolute Musky hammer, Chuck is a super laid back and a great guy to spend an day fishing with.

AKA "Musky Addict" on social media/YouTube, regarded as one of the top musky guides in the country, mentor to DKAM 

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.

Justin was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, giving him an intimate knowledge of the local lakes, rivers, and streams that have shaped his lifelong love of fishing. With a Master's degree in biology and years of experience as a college professor at William Paterson University, Justin brings a unique and high-level scientific understanding of aquatic ecosystems to every guided trip. 

Justin has been a valued member of the Lake Hopatcong Guide Service team since 2023. He serves as a lead fly fishing guide and youth fishing camps counselor in the summer.  An Eagle Scout and a licensed boat captain, Justin combines his expertise with a commitment to safety and education, ensuring that every outing is as informative as it is enjoyable. With decades of fishing experience, Justin has perfected his techniques and is passionate about sharing them with others. 

Fly tying is a passion of Justin's and all of his customers will be using his own, unique hand-tied flies. Likely due to his extensive education in biology, Justin has shown an extraordinary level of creativity and understanding of New Jersey's aquatic ecosystems while at his vise. And the results for him and his customers speak for themselves.

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! 

Aaron's son and LHGS guide-in-training. Claims to catch more fish than the rest of us combined! Book him now for the 2034 season!