Lake Erie is always unpredictable. So is the fishing on the big lake.
A waterspout emerged from dark, ominous storm clouds Friday morning and touched down on Lake Erie, just east of Huron. Lake Erie is always unpredictable. So is the fishing on the big lake.
Steve "Het" Borowski, an itinerant angler from Akron who follows the good Lake Erie fishing from Oak Harbor to Conneaut throughout the year, strolled over to the launch ramp on Friday at the crack of dawn. It was decided that since the walleye fishing has been pretty good a few miles east of Huron, we'd launch close to the action at Cranberry Creek Marina.
Borowski, 44, of Hetfield Charters got the invitation because of his angling expertise, and because of the snazzy paint jobs he applies to production lures, primarily minnow-style diving plugs and spinner blades. The spinner blades are an integral part of the nightcrawler-tipped rigs a legion of fishermen are trolling to catch walleye, the glamor fish of Lake Erie.
Steve Borowski, an Akron fishing guide who fools walleye with custom paint jobs on spinners and lures, shows off a favorite spinner blade he uses on rigs designed to catch Lake Erie walleye. We were facing a bumpy ride over waves kicked up by a northwest wind. We didn't know we'd get a unique show, as well.
Ominous clouds danced along the shoreline. The type, someone said, that spawn waterspouts.
Less than a mile offshore, a huge waterspout dropped from the dark skies.
Described as tornados over water, few waterspouts put boaters in peril. We weren't going to take a chance, but were mesmerized by the massive funnel cloud and the huge spray created as waterspout met Lake Erie.
As the black clouds headed eastward and the waterspout slowly began to dissipate, we had a great fishing story.
The parade of weather fronts, though, put the walleye in a bad mood. Only a few were willing to strike.
I was willing to bite, though, on Borowski's talent with an airbrush. His spinner blades, both Colorado and hatchet blades, were gaudy enough to turn a walleye's head. His minnow-style diving plugs offered a kaleidescope of colors, the ones Borowski says will turn a walleye's head.
"I rely on chartreuse, orange, purple and pink," he said. "The experts may say walleye can only see shades of orange, but I know color makes a big difference."
The custom-painted lures have worked for Borowski and his friends. He doesn't sell them, but does use them on his unique guide trips. Borowski takes out anglers on a small 20-foot Ranger boat, limiting his charters to a maximum of three anglers. His 8-hour trips cost $350, $300 for one or two fishermen.
"I like fishing from a smaller boat," he says. "I like to be close to the water, to feel the spray in my face once in a while."
Borowski is also a moderator for the popular Ohio Game Fishing web site, and dabbles in tournament fishing. "But only small, low-cost, friendly tournaments," he said. "I want to compete when I know a lot of people in the tournament."
Lure painting has become a passion.
"My old home office, from when I was in real estate, is now an airbrush studio," Borowski said. "I have painted thousands and thousands of spinner blades, and too many diving lures to count."
Spinner rigs, which use two spinner blades, lots of beads and both a single hook and a treble hook, have become a mainstay for Lake Erie trolling fishermen. Tipped with a nightcrawler, the rigs work when walleye disdain spoons and diving plugs .
Borowski has three tips for walleye fishermen.
- Be versatile. Learn a few walleye-catching techniques instead of relying on just one method for success.
- When tackling a new technique, taking it slow and thoroughly learn the technique. Then experiment to improve your skills.
- Keep it fun. A good day of fishing isn't judge by everyone getting a limit. It's all about having fun.
Borowski's goal is to create a can't-miss color pattern.
"It's exciting, when something you've created catches walleye for you and your friends," he said. "It fires my desire to keep on painting."