Skip Waters is an avid fisherman and history buff, who is hell-bent on winning the Big Bend Saltwater Classic Fishing Tournament. Claudia Kilmer is an attractive free spirit who has other plans for Skip. She's hell-bent on finding a buried treasure using an old map she inherited. Skip's Achilles' heel is that he is divorced with a young son, and he needs a loving woman in his life to feel whole.

When Skip and Claudia's paths cross, they have a thrilling four-day adventure on Florida's pristine Gulf shore. The novel incorporates history, comedy, suspense, philosophy, adventure and a touch of romance, culminating in a surprise ending.

Skip encounters two rednecks, skilled fishermen who have traditionally won the speckled trout division of the tournament. They catch Skip in a humorous and compromising situation, and will not let him forget it throughout the story. Embarrassed, Skip becomes obsessed with besting his two rivals, and has focused all his energy on the task, when he sees Claudia, her car broken down, on the side of the road.

What ensues is a sometimes comical, suspense-filled four-day romp through the Florida Panhandle's natural beauty. Skip tries to win the tournament and Claudia's heart. Claudia is willing to risk everything, even their lives, for the treasure that she thinks will bring her independence. Skip catches a monster trout, and buries it under ice in his cooler. As Claudia closes in on the buried treasure, evil characters discover her quest. Skip and Claudia barely escape, with the help of Skip's redneck rivals!

Then, it's Mother Nature's turn to intervene, and prevent Claudia from completing her quest. Skip and Claudia, against the odds, survive. Racing to make the final weigh-in (and avoid the sheriff), Skip is sure he has won the tournament, defeated his rivals, and regained his respect. Little does he know that someone has stolen his prize fish! The novel's surprise ending brings a heartwarming finishing touch to the adventure.

With headlines awash in war, politics, and economic woes, readers get the chance to kick back and forget their hectic lives, and join Skip and Claudia by the sea.