Rivergoat Outfitters, LLC

04/16/2026

Smallie spawn is in full swing on the Shenandoah and that means it’s only a matter of days before the sunfish and LMBs to move up out of their wintering holes by the masses.

We’re also not far out from topwater season and late spring and summer floats can be full of almost non-stop action in all columns of the river.

If you’re not sure about booking a trip yet, feel free to send a message here or via email through the website or directly at rivergoatoutfitters@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing you out there and to

04/15/2026

Come on out and meet some of the guides and great people servicing the community on and around the river!

04/10/2026

Always be LEARNING!
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As a guide, I’m always looking for better ways to help my clients learn on the water. That means I have to take practice, teach and most importantly continue learning.

We had a great session at our chapter meeting for Project Healing Waters and both volunteers and participants worked on the fundies for casting.

I am looking forward to seeing less whippy whippy in the future from some of these guys along with advancement in casting accuracy and technique!

04/05/2026

Glad my hype held up for the homie and her crew that went out for a week of training in Montana with Sweetwater Guide School.

I’m sure Ladyfish would be happy to tell you all about her experience at the spring class and I’m happy to tell you about my two weeks of attendance in the fall. I’ve also got some references for summer training if that’s what you would be interested in.

If you’re a veteran with education/training benefits available, this is a great opportunity if it interests you. The application process has been streamlined over the years by the excellent staff at the Sweetwater Travel Company.

03/29/2026

New blog post is up and some exciting news to finish off the 1st quarter of 2026.

I started 2026 with a bright outlook on guiding the Shenandoah River and another year of hard work and growth continuing to build Rivergoat Outfitters, LLC.SO, here I am wrapping up the first quarter of the year and that outlook has gotten brighter. The last 3 months have provided learning moments o...

03/28/2026

Huge shout out to Jake's Bait and Tackle for taking us in for tying, rod building and helping with chapter fundraising efforts for PHW Wi******er.

If you’ve been to Jake’s you understand it’s a shop for anglers by the anglers. If you’ve haven’t been and find yourself in the area, go check out the shop. Their conventional fishing selection for targeting species in the area is second to none and their fly section can get you squared away from behind the vise the the water!

03/24/2026

Late winter, early spring or “2nd Winter” are a great time to get out for a shot at what could be your biggest fish of the year.

The musky are pre-spawn and getting ready to do their thing and the smallmouth are starting to move out of their wintering holes getting ready for their spawn.

Coming out of winter, these fish become more active as water temps begin to rise and have their feed bags on to store up energy to reproduce.

Targeting them blind is tough, so optimize your chances and time on the water with me!

Personally, my biggest fish on the Shenandoah have been in the March-May timeframe (with only a couple exceptions).

Book your trip here:
https://www.rivergoatoutfitters.com/charters

02/22/2026

02/12/2026

Staying out of trouble 1 evening a month. If you’re a veteran in the area and looking for a fishy network, come check us out.

02/01/2026

Still working on figuring out my voice in text format.

This blog post goes over my experience of starting the year at a training event which turned in to memories I hope never fade and a fish of a lifetime without ever leaving the state of Virginia.

Similar to the smallmouth masterclass I attended in March of 2025, Blane Chocklett co-hosted a musky school with Mad River Outfitters (Josh and Rob) that was supported by Virginia Trophy Guides. Over a 5 day period we sat down to learn about some of the most effective methods for targeting river mus...

01/09/2026

Always be learning!

What a great time with some really cool dudes!

If you happen to be presented with the opportunity to attend one of these classes/schools (or similar), I’d encourage you to go. Regardless of your position in the industry, there’s something valuable to take away for your future success on the water.

You might even get a chance on a fish of a lifetime.

12/24/2025

Last minute shopping is the worst for the holidays!
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Let me make it easy for you and that special angler in your life.
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Linked below are a variety of gift card options that can be used towards all services on the website.
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Bookings are also available in to next year.
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Give the gift of fishing the Shenandoah this year.
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Merry Fishmas!

Give your loved one what they really want: a discounted or covered trip on the water with us!