Black_Blade Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) I recall exchanging much of my existing supply of sinkers a few years back while camping with the family at a provincial park and they had some drive going on. Has the government banned the use of lead for fishing lures? Just wondering, for was just looking at the molds etc to cast your own jigheads and sinkers, but if you can't use lead...well I guess that idea is out the window! Note: Found a reference to lead sinkers in the Regs... Lead Sinkers and Jigs – It is illegal to use or possess lead fishing sinkers or jigs in Canada’s national parks and wildlife areas. Further information is available at http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/flf-psp/ Has anyone found any sources for an alternative to lead for making your own jig heads etc? Edited April 10, 2009 by Black Blade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskieman Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Tungsten!!.....or Glass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Bismuth/tin alloy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishing Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) "Lead is identified as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and fishing gear now accounts for 18 per cent of the lead entering and polluting the environment." ...... "Anyone who possesses leaded fishing gear can continue to use it. However, it is preferred that leaded gear be taken to local hazardous waste disposal facilities to be disposed of properly." http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/english/iss.../feature3_e.cfm "The Canadian Wildlife Service estimates that up to 500 tonnes of lead in the form of lead sinkers and jigs is lost in our environment every year," said Minister Anderson. "That's the equivalent weight of dropping some 500 cars into our lakes, rivers and streams each year." http://www.ec.gc.ca/media_archive/press/2004/040217_n_e.htm Edited April 10, 2009 by fishing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walleyejigger Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 dont recall seeing different types of jigs out there, but sinkers yes, i make my own jigs and still use lead, got a couple battery boxes full of ingots from the mine, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black_Blade Posted April 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 As far as the bismuth/tin combo for making jigs etc...where do you get this combo of metals? When was thinking of doing this, originally, was just going to go to a scrap metal place and get tire weights or something from them and melt them down. To specifically get bismuth/tin...do you just for this stuff at the scrap yard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish1965 Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 "Lead is identified as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and fishing gear now accounts for 18 per cent of the lead entering and polluting the environment."...... "Anyone who possesses leaded fishing gear can continue to use it. However, it is preferred that leaded gear be taken to local hazardous waste disposal facilities to be disposed of properly." http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/english/iss.../feature3_e.cfm "The Canadian Wildlife Service estimates that up to 500 tonnes of lead in the form of lead sinkers and jigs is lost in our environment every year," said Minister Anderson. "That's the equivalent weight of dropping some 500 cars into our lakes, rivers and streams each year." http://www.ec.gc.ca/media_archive/press/2004/040217_n_e.htm I love all this hullabaloo. There is only one problem with the statements made..lead is inert in fresh water...chemistry..know it, embrace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thgen Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 I love all this hullabaloo. There is only one problem with the statements made..lead is inert in fresh water...chemistry..know it, embrace it. Loons eat them as gizzard stones. A loon's stomach is a bit more acidic than fresh water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jace Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Loons eat them as gizzard stones. A loon's stomach is a bit more acidic than fresh water. Yep, it's same reason why mitratory bird hunting allows only steel, tungsten or bismuth shot. Birds and animals pick it up from the lake beds and eat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) dont recall seeing different types of jigs out there, but sinkers yes, i make my own jigs and still use lead, got a couple battery boxes full of ingots from the mine, Bismuth/ tin is not easy to find at a scrap yard. Usually found at a specialty metals supplier. More expensive than lead. I use lead for all my moldings. Last year the price of lead was up to $1 a lb. It has since come down. Edited April 11, 2009 by bigugli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdad Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 This lead thing for lures and sinkers is all Bull, the Cdn Tackle people have proven the science backing the claim that lead kills loons is flawed and inconclusive. I've been on the water for over 60 years and NEVER seen a dead loon..... Just my .02 on this issue David aka Superdad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish1965 Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 The loons found and used in this study had jigs..full hook jigs..wedged in their stomachs. They were doomed no matter the material. Birds pick up pebbles close to shore which is the least likely place to find lead sinkers...but lead shot from hunting was found to be a factor since discharge in areas that the fowl regularly use was obvious. That caused the ban on lead shot and lead poisoning has since not been tied to Canadian waters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) Lead is not good for us or the environment, period. Are the other options better? I don't know. Should we always be looking for ways to make things better? I think so. Are we arrogant to think we know all there is to know? Yes. Edited April 11, 2009 by kickingfrog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 I've never seen a dead loon on the lake either... but I've seen some DEAD cormorants! ..and lead was the cause of their demise ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 I've never seen a dead loon on the lake either... but I've seen some DEAD cormorants! ..and lead was the cause of their demise ! I was involved with the Trumpeter swan program. We had the same problem. Sometimes it was acute lead piosoning...sometimes chronic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jace Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 I've been on the water for over 60 years and NEVER seen a dead loon..... In all my years of hunting in northern ON, i have yet to see a dead bear, red fox, wolf, or moose on the forest floor. and yet i know they're there and do die. I adapted this from a show on finding sasquatch. LOL. the statement is true, nonetheless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCTFisher9120 Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 If people think we should be making the switch from lead then why not, my only question is do they sell non lead tube jigs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_614 Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 My only issue with the other options is the size for the same weight. Now if tungston were to be used, jigs would be smaller for the same weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) I was involved with the Trumpeter swan program. We had the same problem. Sometimes it was acute lead piosoning...sometimes chronic. So was I Rob.. who do you think flew them stewardship gals around till they puked.. counting nesting pairs in the spring and signets later on! I had the original wild release, Pigpen, living on my property with her family..... until some ass ran her down with a boat or PWC at the mouth of Sucker Creek. Now does anyone know just how deep a loon or swan can dive down under water????? Edited April 11, 2009 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted April 11, 2009 Report Share Posted April 11, 2009 Ah Pig Pen. I haven't heard that name in years. Swans don't really dive at all, just "tip-up". Loons on the other hand can dive quite deep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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