Fish-Hawk.Net

So anyone opinionated on this one wrt fishing?

Generally I agree with being environmentally friendly but I think lead really only impacts specific sensitive areas. For the most part I do not think that lead would be a top concern in the Ottawa, Rideau and St. Lawrence given all the other things those rivers have going. Maybe some of the lakes are more sensitive to lead? I can understand it being restricted in parks like Algonquin and such.

I use a lot of lead in my fishing but switching to the alternatives is a very pricey and I am not sure if it would have a significant impact?

Any other opinions out there?

I have read reports on the amount of lead lost, and each angler would have to lose a massive amount every year, like in the 1/2 tonne range, to match the amounts listed in these reports. AS usual some have twisted facts to match their wants. Now I do agree that lead use needs to be minimized, but I don't think a total ban is the answer. I would like to keep track of the lead that I go through every year. I don't think it would be very much.

I have semi switched to tungsten as well, not so much for the environment, but for the increased feel. Originally it was to be used in tournaments only, but it keeps sneaking into my pre and fun fishing. Lol

While I do not have a spreadsheet of the amount of lead based weights I purchase each year, I do know what I purchase on a regular basis.

As I do not throw jigs, I have not lost any in the past several years (1/2 ounce and heavier). I do go through about 10 panfish size jigs. These are mostly cut off and replaced at home.

The other lead weights I use are drop shot weights. In the past 10 years I have purchased from Charles Sim. I buy 50 each of: 1/4 and 3/8 and 20 1/2 ounce. I have done this twice in ten years.

Spinner baits/ buzzbaits: Probably broke more than I lost and that amounts to very few.


Doing a search on lead fishing weights/lead poisoning in birds etc, I found old studies (circa 1991 through 2004) ststements of 400-500

"Reference 5 cites a figure of 2,700 tons of lead sinkers made per year in the United States, adding that "400-550 tons" of lead sinkers are made in Canada each year (500 according to reference 7). "

5) Sanborn, Wendy. 2002. Lead poisoning of North American wildlife from lead shot and lead fishing tackle (draft). HawkWatch International, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT 84155.
7) Scheuhammer, A.M., Money, S.L., Kirk, D.A., Donaldson, G. "Lead fishing sinkers and jigs in Canada: Review of their use patterns and toxic impacts on wildlife." Occasional Paper Number 108, Canadian Wildlife Service, March 2003.

So if we take the 2700 tonnes and put that into ounces and the 500 tons for Canada we get
1 ton = 32000 ounces
2700 tonnes = 86,400,000 ounces
If we take a sinker at 1/2 ounce - we get 172,800,000 1/2 ounce sinkers. That's 172.8 million, 1/2 ounce sinkers produced every year in the United States.

in Canada that would be 500 tonnes = 1 million pounds
1 million pounds = 16 million ounces of lead sinkers or 32 million 1/2 ounce sinkers.
In 2010 there were 2.7 million Canadian anglers and 554,000 foreign anglers for a total of 3.2 million anglers.

Canadian anglers average a total of 14.4 days on the water while foreign anglers averaged 7 days or to put it in perspective:

2.7 million CDN anglers fished for 38.8 million days (yes including ice fishing dammit)
554,000 foreign anglers fished for 3.878 million days or a total of 42.678 million days.
Divide the number of 1/2 ounce sinkers by the number of anglers and then by the number of days and we get:

172 800 000 sinkers / 3287603 anglers = 52.56 1/2 ounce sinkers purchased by each angler every year? I don't buy 26 ounces of lead every year.
That's every year

So:
1) where are they getting the manufacturing numbers from? It does not compute.
2) How many lead sinkers are purchased every year in Canada?
3) how many birds a really dying from ingesting lead from fishing sinkers and not from other lead sources if lead shot was banned in Canada in 1999.

survey results from Canada done every 5 years as of 2010 (2015 is not finished yet)
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/rec/can/ ... n4-eng.htm
http://www.jeffsundin.com/Article_Lead_ ... _Loons.htm

I'm not opposed to a ban on lead in fishing products as there are many good alternatives but I do think a full on ban would be excessive.

I use tungsten weights a lot already. Where it would hurt the pocket book the most for me would be in terminal tackle. Tube jigs and DS sinkers would be the priciest thing to replace. Not up front but overall since these are pretty much consumable and get broken off quite often.

I do not lose jigs, spinnerbaits/buzzbaits or any other bait with lead in it as often as I lose terminal.

I have read and seen many reports. But as mentioned in another post, the other stuff being dumped in the rivers and lakes is probably a lot worse.

I use very little lead now, but at times that is all the store have. So you have to go with what you can get.

Most of all my fishing is done on the St.Lawrence or a connecting water way most of it is all jigging except Carp. Most of my all my fishing uses lead from terminal tackle like tube jig heads, jig heads, dropshot to ice fishing jigs with some tungsten for icejigs.
I lose more topwater baits to Pike when throwing for bass in the summer then anything else...usually the more expensive ones at that!
A total ban would definitely be a hit to the wallet which based on above I'm not sure is required.

What are you guys using for pouring your own jig heads if not lead ? (those of you who do poor their own jigs obviously )