Sometimes in the fall, Jim Hackett went fishing for muskellunge in Lake of the Woods. A day's journey from Chicago, this vast body of water encompasses thousands of islands and sheltered bays. Lots of bootleggers operated in Lake of the Woods, transporting alcohol across the lake in the wilderness between Ontario, Canada, and Minnesota.
Muskies perk up at the beginning of autumn, after summer sluggishness, and look around for something to eat. Anglers sought the big 'lunge, warrior fishes lurking in the glacial waters, grown to greater proportions than anywhere else. Lake trout had been known to grow to over thirty pounds. The black bass could chew the bottom right out of your boat, the muskies would gnaw the bark off of trees, and pike had a strong habit of gobbling up spoon lure like candy. It was a sportsman’s haven as well as a hub of criminal activity. No wonder when Jim took his son George up there for a little hunting and fishing he brought along bodyguards.