On 7/20/2018 at 12:10 PM, tholmes said:

Lead is not water soluble.

 

Tom

So why are people against using lead, and instead use tungsten?

On ‎7‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 11:33 PM, Mottel said:

So why are people against using lead, and instead use tungsten?

Waterfowl (bottom-feeding ducks in particular), and other wildlife can ingest small pieces of lead. They can get lead into their system through their digestive tract. It's the same reason that lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting.

 

Tom

39 minutes ago, tholmes said:

Waterfowl (bottom-feeding ducks in particular), and other wildlife can ingest small pieces of lead. They can get lead into their system through their digestive tract. It's the same reason that lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting.

The species that gets highlighted by a certain group are loons.  However, many times the question arises: has the banning of lead increased the loon population?  The answer is always no, or we don't know.  Nine documented dead loons in NY, and suddenly there is a ban on the sale of lead sinkers.  There has been a huge increase in loon populations here, but that preceded the ban, and I attribute it to cleaner environments, and plentiful bait fish.  The loons are almost a nuisance when fishing.  I haven't actually hooked one, but it seems inevitable, with them actively hunting where many are fishing.  At least NY was smart enough (huh?? lol) to limit the ban to just sinkers, not jigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, etc., and the use of lead is not banned, just the sale.  My guess is they do not have the resources to enforce it or even test for lead.

What I question about lead ban is if da gonna bring up ducks, what about ducks that feed in rice fields, soy bean fields, & other grain fields.

 

These are the same fields we hunt doves with lead shot that are too light to sink into anything.

 

We shot way more rounds at doves than ducks!

5 hours ago, tholmes said:

Waterfowl (bottom-feeding ducks in particular), and other wildlife can ingest small pieces of lead. They can get lead into their system through their digestive tract. It's the same reason that lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting.

 

Tom

So if the lead gets consumed by a fish, is it not safe to eat that fish?

Should be fine.  To be totally safe, become vegan and starve.

 

I use a lot of lead and brass.  Some  tungsten in smaller sizes.

15 hours ago, Mottel said:

So if the lead gets consumed by a fish, is it not safe to eat that fish?

Fish don't typically eat lead.  Loons pick up bits of gravel to grind up food that is in their crop.  Sometimes a lead sinker gets in the mix.  It's usually no problem, but a few end up with problems.

Lead is still legal and available all over in my area. As Catt says , not a huge difference in size so that's what I use. I've been flipping lately- lead is no problem

On 7/24/2018 at 8:46 AM, J Francho said:

Fish don't typically eat lead.  Loons pick up bits of gravel to grind up food that is in their crop.  Sometimes a lead sinker gets in the mix.  It's usually no problem, but a few end up with problems.

A few what?

A few loon.

On 7/22/2018 at 12:33 AM, Mottel said:

So why are people against using lead, and instead use tungsten?

Tree huggers!

On 4/6/2015 at 11:45 AM, J Francho said:

I use plutonium weights. They're very small.

But I heard the three eyed fish have better vision.

8 minutes ago, CrankFate said:

But I heard the three eyed fish have better vision.

Use fluoro.

On 7/24/2018 at 7:46 AM, J Francho said:

Fish don't typically eat lead.  Loons pick up bits of gravel to grind up food that is in their crop.  Sometimes a lead sinker gets in the mix.  It's usually no problem, but a few end up with problems.

 

What are the odds any creature would actually come across a lead weight on the bottom of any body of water?

 

It's just like ducks eating lead pellets from shotgun shells, the only place there's lead pellets is in front of my blind... ducks need to worry about flying pellets!

Slim to none, and since what the loons are using in their gizzard or crop (whatever) is gravel, it's not our stuff that's getting included.

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

Use fluoro.

Got em!

I use tungsten for everything except drop shot and crappie fishing.