James River Fishing Charter: Landing Trophy Blue Catfish & New Personal Bests
- Captain Dan Szajta
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Greg and Arthur traveled all the way from Colorado to the James River to chase some legendary trophy blue catfish. We started the morning by sinking our 100-foot gill net to collect fresh gizzard shad.
After just a few minutes, we had all the fresh bait we needed for a full day of fishing.
Finding the Bite: From Ledges to Deep Holes
We took off toward our first fishing spot of the morning. We sat on a channel ledge for about 40 minutes, but there wasn't a ton of action besides a few short strikes. We began scanning the river, looking for active fish. After moving around the river, we finally marked some nice fish deep in a hole.
We set the boat up and started to cook some hot soup to cut the morning chill. Before the water even boiled, a rod went down! We landed our first blue catfish of the morning, weighing in around 8 lbs. While it wasn't the giant we were marking, it was a new personal best for the guys... for the moment.
Joining the Trophy Catfish Club
After releasing that fish, two rods saw action simultaneously. They went down one after the other, and we had an awesome "double up" on our hands. We landed a 25 lb and a 30 lb blue catfish—two new personal bests and our first trophy fish of the day! Welcome to the trophy club, fellas!
We caught two more fish out of this hole before the bite slowed. Having marked five fish and caught five fish, it was time to move on.
Transitioning to Planer Boards
As the temperature warmed up, we found fewer marks down deep. We transitioned to dragging planer boards behind the boat to cover more water. After a lot of patience and covering a few miles, a fish finally sank a planer board and started screaming across the back of the boat.
Arthur grabbed the rod and started the battle. It was a chaotic fight since we were in shallow water with multiple lines out, and this fish was strong enough to swim wherever it wanted. We finally got the fish under control, brought it alongside the boat, and scooped it into the net. This beauty weighed in at 40 lbs—our second official trophy of the day!
Finishing Strong on the James River
As the sun began to set and the barometric pressure dropped, we moved back to the channel ledges. In our final 45 minutes, we landed three more fish. The guys had a great chance to fight fish in a strong current and see exactly how James River blue catfish use that flow to their advantage. One fish was particularly unique, sporting a severe underbite!
Thank you for choosing Goober Time Guide Service for your James River adventure. We love helping our clients land their personal bests, and we can't wait to get you back on the water.
Goober Time Guide Service offers premier guided fishing experiences throughout the James River and key bodies of water across Central Virginia. We specialize in multi-species excursions, targeting trophy Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, and Crappie.
Our versatile fleet includes a fully-equipped main vessel for full-group charters, as well as specialized kayaks, paddleboards, and whitewater rafts to access remote waters and low-pressure fisheries. Furthermore, we offer exclusive light-lining charter trips for elite anglers seeking the ultimate technical challenge and potential record-breaking catches.
Contact us to consult on your group’s goals, and we will expertly design a tailored fishing adventure to exceed your expectations.
Captain Dan Szajta
USCG Master Charter Captain
IGFA Captain
804-592-0456
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