Dad takes an unplanned detour during a family vacation to Winnipeg. He is lured by the Canadian lakes he fished as a young boy with his stepfather Cal and Uncle Joe. The rediscovery renews a dogged pursuit of the rare and elusive, freshwater monster -- the muskie. With single-minded fixation, three generations of Hawkins men (and an assortment of neighborhood kids) escape from civilization to focus annual fishing adventures on capturing a world-record muskie. Motivated by the enthusiasm of his young sons Z and Buck, Hawkins embarks on fishing expeditions to Big Bluff, the special lake of his youth. Grandpa Cal is invited to join the party and remains the grumpy skeptic based on past fishing experiences: "You knuckleheads couldn’t land a big one if it jumped in your pants." But for Hawkins and eldest son Z, no storm is too fierce, no forest too mosquito infested, and no boat motor too undependable to derail their dream. Comical predicaments and sometimes dangerous circumstances pepper the long hours and special moments the men share fishing on the intricate system of beautiful lakes that connect to Big Bluff.

Early morning trips to the camp outhouse and greasy, dirty-dish-producing breakfasts prepared by Grandpa Cal fuel many extended days on the sacred water. Beyond fantastic speculations of giant fish and murderers, descriptions of fishing reel the reader into the ebb and flow of each day’s adventures. Roscoe, the boisterous, quirky camp owner, and muskie mentor Jasper, are just two of the colorful characters who inhabit the wilderness setting where the Hawkins men establish their tradition. Through a dense haze of evening mosquitoes and whisky breath, Roscoe tantalizes the boys with tales of "ji-uhnd" muskies as big as his "laig." Roscoe reveals treasured “secrid” directions to a hidden muskie promise land that will require navigating cluttered creeks, pushing heavy boats over multiple beaver dams, and a boatless portage through the forest.

Years pass and normal life ensnares each of the men. Hawkins sees his fragile marriage with wife Abbey erode, watches his boys grow into men, and witnesses the unforgiving aging process claim vitality from his mother, Cal, and Uncle Joe. A strong desire to fully understand the people closest to him gives rise to a personal philosophy for Hawkins that probes and questions normally accepted "truths." Respect grows for his strong-willed mother, and Hawkins learns to cherish every occasion spent with Cal, Uncle Joe, and the boys. His marriage eventually ends and forces a difficult transition to a new life away from Z and Buck. But Hawkins gratefully learns that setbacks are not permanent. He discovers love for a spirited woman who often challenges his "simple-minded" male values. Can she accept the baffling worldview of this family of fanatical fishing nuts?