Fly Fish for Bass on the Wild and Scenic St. Croix! This DIY adventure is designed to grow your skills, build community, and create memories.
What is a DIY Camp with Fishing For All?
Our DIY camps are the perfect way for intermediate-advanced anglers to test their skills, meet fellow anglers, and explore new water. These trips are considered “DIY” because participants are expected to share in the camp experience by cooking a meal or two for the group, help with cleaning, rowing, fishing, and provide their own equipment. FFA guides will be there to coach and advise on the needed skills and tackle, ensure everyone is comfortable, safe, and having fun, but they get to fish too. Because of this, our DIY camps are offered at a greatly discounted rate compared to our all-inclusive, fully-guided camps. FFA will still handle the trip logistics and lodging, you just have to show up with a healthy dose of team spirit and be ready for an adventure.
Who Can Go on DIY Camps?
These trips are best for anglers who are intermediate-advanced with a solid enough foundation in fly fishing to be able to fish independently. This is a good “next step” for anglers who have completed our 201 level class. Before anglers can join a DIY Camp, they have to complete certain 301 level classes as prerequisites. These classes will ensure you have the foundational skills needed to be successful and safe on the DIY Camp, and the required classes will be listed below. Otherwise we welcome anyone and everyone to join us: men, women, BIPOC, LGBTQ, young, and old! Just be ready and willing to share camp responsibilities, grow your skills and self-confidence, and work as a team to create an awesome fishing adventure.
DIY St. Croix Bass Camp
The wild and scenic St. Croix River is the crown jewel of rivers flowing between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Once a pipeline for running logs, dammed and dredged for various industries, the St. Croix was among the first federally protected rivers, and has been restored to a near-wild state. Strewn with boulders and lined by forests, the St. Croix is a smallmouth bass fly fishing paradise. Come explore this awesome river and its fishery on this one-of-a-kind, DIY weekend adventure!
The Fishing
Spend a full day and a half floating and fly fishing from drift boats with our experienced guides. Our main target on the St. Croix River is smallmouth bass. Smallies are hard fighting fish that readily eat flies imitating baitfish, crayfish, and frogs. Affectionately called, “bronze backs” because of their dark bronze coloration. St. Croix smallmouth bass are hungry, packed with muscle, and extremely strong fighters. Our smallies average 13-16”, with many trophy sized fish reaching 18+”. You’ll use 7-8wt fly rods to throw large flies that imitate their prey. Bring your own 7-8wt set up, and we’ll send a detailed list of the best flies and leaders for your trip. Fly fishing for smallies is very visual, physical, and exciting for anglers of all skill levels. Opportunities exist to also catch northern pike, walleye, and muskies on the fly too. The river banks are undeveloped and lined by lush forests that are full of wildlife. You’ll enjoy the scenery as much as the fishing!
The Lodging
An easy, one-hour drive north of Minneapolis-St. Paul, you’ll be staying at our Bass Camp Cabin near Pine City, MN. This humble fishing cabin overlooks the Snake River, a tributary of the St. Croix, and a fantastic fishery in its own rite. The Bass Camp Cabin is freshly updated, and has all the modern amenities of home, including wifi and A/C. Appointed with two shared bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining area, and living room. Each bedroom has three XL twin beds, and all bedding and linens are provided. Enjoy the sunrise on the wrap around deck listening to the rushing rapids, or practice your cast in the yard shaded by giant trees. Heck, you can even try catching some bass from the shoreline below the deck!
The Experience
Day 1:
Arrive at the cabin in the afternoon, greeted warmly by our guides and cabin staff. After unpacking, enjoy drinks and snacks on the deck getting to know the other anglers and guides. We’ll talk about the history, ecosystem, and fishery of the St. Croix before dinner. We’ll enjoy a delicious meal, then hit the yard for casting practice and rod rigging. After dark, we’ll start a campfire or pull out some activities in the cabin like fly tying or cribbage.
Day 2:
Wake up early Saturday, enjoy coffee and watch the sunrise over the river. Eat a hearty breakfast as the boats get loaded for the day. Embark to the river with your guides to fish for 8 hours or more. Have a delicious, have lunch on a sandbar or campsite on the river. Return to the cabin and share your fishing stories around the dinner table and campfire. Take a few casts from shore in the Snake River below the cabin if you want to catch more bass before dark.
Day 3:
Wake after a restful night’s sleep and enjoy another home cooked breakfast. Then you’ll head back onto the river for 4-6 hours of fishing with our guides. Once you get back to the cabin, you’ll munch on a light lunch and pack up your things. Before departing, be sure to leave your mark on Bass Camp by “signing the paddle” on the fireplace mantel.
Required Prerequisites
- One 301 Fly Fishing – Smallmouth Rigging and Techniques Class
- Minimum of two 301 Fly Fishing – Drift Boat Rowing Classes
- Consider becoming a Frequent Fisher Member to get free 301 level classes and more!
2026 Rates and Dates
$800/person, $125 deposit due at time of booking.
(All inclusive price: $1200/person)
- June 26-28
- August 28-30
(Private camps can also be scheduled mid May-mid Sept, contact for availability)
What’s included
- 2 nights cabin lodging
- 1.5 days of fly fishing
- Transportation to and from the fishing area
- Shared camp responsibilities, like cooking and cleaning.
- Opportunities to grow your advanced fishing skills, like rowing drift boats.
What you’ll need
- MN Fishing License
- Transportation to the cabin in Pine City, MN
- A meal or two to cook for the group
- Personal fishing equipment and flies. (A detailed supply list will be provided.)
- Personal gear items, like polarized sunglasses and rain gear
- Gratuity for guides and cabin staff (recommend $100/pp/day)
The Details-
Deposits are due at the time of booking, plus $2 per person booking fee and a 3% processing fee. Our booking software will auto-collect the remaining balance on the first day of the trip.
Hosted trip deposits are nonrefundable within 30 days of the trip start date., but can be applied to alternative trips. In the event that trip is canceled by the guide due to unsafe conditions, etc- the deposit can be fully refunded or be applied to alternative trips.
Equipment needs will vary per trip. We will send you a full packing list and itinerary so you know what to bring/expect. If you don’t have your own fishing equipment, we can provide you some free of charge.
It is advisable to purchase travel insurance for your hosted trip in the event of last minute cancellations. Fishing For All LLC does not provide this service, and it will need to be purchased separately at the discretion of the participant.
Please tip your guides and hosted trip staff, it is greatly appreciated!
Private Custom Camps-
Private camps can be arranged on a limited basis at Troutopia on Trout Run Creek in Chatfield, MN, the Bass Camp Cabin on the Snake River in Pine City, MN, or to other custom areas. We’ll organize all the details for you! Please contact us to inquire about private custom camp options and pricing.
