Early bird angler gets the muskies on Lake Wausau

RIB MOUNTAIN — The window of opportunity opens at 5 a.m.
"It may not stay open long," warned Joel DeBoer, ignoring my groans of disappointment upon hearing the time of our boat-landing rendezvous.

"I enjoy being on the lake at this time of day in the heat of summer. There's no boat traffic. Temperatures are comfortable. The water is dark and full of shadows so muskies in shallows aren't easily spooked. The fish are unpressured, have had all night to feed and roam … and I've got first chance at them."

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