I’ve been on several fly-ins ranging from tent camping to as nice as they get. There are a lot of great options.
This year I went with my dad (73), my brother, and three ten-year-old boys. We chose Rusty Myers because it was relatively easy given the group – drive to Fort Francis (we stayed in I-Falls the night before), fly to the lake, and they provide the groceries. Had hot water, solar lights, and the cabin was in excellent shape. The groceries they gave us were actually great, and more than enough. All we brought was some favorite fish batter, some seasonings like hot sauce, and snacks.
You’ll want to bring your own fishing equipment on any trip. Some people think one piece rods are a mistake, but I’ve never had an issue. I use a Plano telescoping rod tube, which is a must (the jumbo one, but their “airliner” is just as good only smaller). You’ll also want to bring a portable locator with GPS and enough batteries to get you through (lithium helps). FWIW, this is the best portable open water transducer bracket I’ve ever used: https://a.co/d/3MNsrUw
The outfitter will tell you your weight limit. I bring a lot of stuff and have never run into an issue, partially because in my experience they combine the weight limit for your group.
One thing we brought this year for the first time was a gravity fed (bag) water purifier. Super handy! Not expensive on Amazon.
Every kid is different, but I do think four is too young for a fly-in. Too many things could go wrong. Seven might too young but again, every kid is different. I have an eight year old daughter who could totally handle it. My son at 7-8 probably couldn’t have. You’ll know best.
For whatever reason I never thought much of Rusty Myers before we took this trip. That turned out to be totally unfair on my part. They have lots of lakes to choose from and the their operation was super well organized. Price was fair and I was very impressed with everything. We’re doing the same exact trip in 2025.
