Summertime has come to Wabasha, Minnesota, and mosquito-slapping in canoes has replaced shivering in ice shanties as the local fishing ritual. Even the decades-old battle of one-upmanship between next-door neighbors John Gustafson and Max Goldman has mellowed. With John happily and newly married to Ariel, Max is left without a sparring partner. Until the arrival of Maria Ragetti who has taken over Chuck's legendary bait store and has the unspeakable, sacrilegious notion to threaten the cherished fishing hole and its rustic way of life by converting the store into a romantic Italian ristorante. To keep that from happening, John and Max begin a strategic campaign of innuendo, gossip and sabotage that spreads quickly through town. But the pair aren't prepared for the fortitude of Maria, who has no intention of surrendering so easily. As she returns their volleys, insult-for-insult and prank-for-prank, not only does she threaten to win the war, but to win Max's heart as well.

Summertime has come to Wabasha, Minnesota, and mosquito-slapping in canoes has replaced shivering in ice shanties as the local fishing ritual. Even the decades-old battle of one-upmanship between next-door neighbors John Gustafson and Max Goldman has mellowed. With John happily and newly married to Ariel, Max is left without a sparring partner. Until the arrival of Maria Ragetti who has taken over Chuck's legendary bait store and has the unspeakable, sacrilegious notion to threaten the cherished fishing hole and its rustic way of life by converting the store into a romantic Italian ristorante. To keep that from happening, John and Max begin a strategic campaign of innuendo, gossip and sabotage that spreads quickly through town. But the pair aren't prepared for the fortitude of Maria, who has no intention of surrendering so easily. As she returns their volleys, insult-for-insult and prank-for-prank, not only does she threaten to win the war, but to win Max's heart as well.