Your Thoughts???

[Guest]

I think the manufacture's of alternative sinkers are behind this. They are not selling enough of their product so ban the lead & sales will increase. It will be a bunch of $$$ to replace the lead in my box!!!!!

Later.... Dugan!!!

Here is the skinny:

Bill introduced to ban small lead fishing sinkers
Associated Press

Published Jan. 11, 2003
SINK11

DULUTH, Minn. -- Small lead fishing sinkers, which some studies show kill loons, would be banned in Minnesota under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

The bill would prohibit the sale and use of lead sinkers 1 ounce or less in size.

Studies show that loons are dying when they ingest small lead sinkers and jigs. In some studies, up to 80 percent of loons died from lead tackle.

The bill, introduced Thursday, is sponsored by Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, DFL-Duluth, and Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, among other lawmakers.

``They are our state bird, and we are losing them from lead poisoning,'' Prettner Solon said.

``There is no question that we have a loon reproduction problem,'' Bakk said. ``How much of it is from mercury and how much is from lead, I'm not sure. But this will get a good public dialogue going.''
Lead sinkers may soon be outlawed.
Tom Wallace
Star Tribune

Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, said he was considering sponsoring similar legislation in the Minnesota House.

The lead efforts affect many of the state's 2.3 million anglers, most of whom use lead sinkers and jigs to catch walleyes, crappies and other species. It also will affect the state's multimillion dollar fishing tackle industry at the manufacturing and retail levels.

Alternatives to lead are available, so the lead ban isn't expected to dramatically change how people fish in Minnesota. More than a dozen manufacturers nationwide use other metals such as tin, iron and bismuth to create sinkers.

Still, unleaded tackle hasn't caught on fast and is often hard to find on store shelves.

Pam Perry, Department of Natural Resources Loon Watch program coordinator, said it's critical that more retail outlets carry more varieties of unleaded tackle.

She said it's a vicious cycle with manufacturers claiming that there isn't a market for the lead alternatives and anglers saying they would buy the alternatives but can't find them.

Minnesota has about 12,000 loons, the most of any state outside Alask

[Guest]

I read that yesterday and already wrote them a letter explaining my thoughts on this topic. I don't want to see animals killed needlessly but a mortality rate ranging from 3.5-80 percent? That is not even valid data! Can you imagine being asked how much is in your checking account and you answer somewhere between $3.50 and $80.00? I was wondering how long this would take to hit us after they banned lead shot for duck hunting. It took alot longer than I thought it would. My letter wasn't so much against the bill but rather the importance of it right now. I think a 4.5 billion dollar budget shortfall is more important than this little slice of heaven. Sorry to turn this forum into a political nightmare, just my $.02. Enjoy the outdoors while ya can people, at the rate things are going they'll have us all sitting around knitting one day talking about "the good ol' days"

[GullGuide]

If that many Loons are dying, then there wouldnt be that many left!

The problem I have is ok, they ban small lead sinkers...whats next? Jigs? Then maybe spinnerbaits and buzzbaits? Where will it stop?

[SuddenlySummer]

The noise from your transducer bothers the fish!

Ban all fish finders!

BLAH!

[PUTZ]

Remember you have A (CHOICE) you can buy A
new propane tank ? or we will not fill your
old one. So it looks like you will be hanging
up your lead sinkers in your DEN
Hey kelly do you want to come and see my
splitshot collection hanging in my den?
PUTZ

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just cross this line------

[This message has been edited by PUTZ (edited 01-12-2003).]

[BarryG]

You could always use your old lead sinkers to make downrigger balls! Think a loon could eat one?

[Surface Tension]

Ohh Gesze the Loon story again. One sided report on a flawed study. I like loons too but I dont exploit them in a BS study to further an agenda of mine. I dont doubt a loon ate a jig and died. Big Deal, how often does that happen? I would say rarely. Since loons and Cormorants are close relatives, why are there so many cormorants around if theres all this lead in the water? Instead of there numbers exploding wouldn't they be going down if they were being poisoned?

[PUTZ]

Look at all the people that get killed by
cars? look at all the cars on the road yet.
I guess we wont be able to wear our lead suits any more?
PUTZ

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just cross this line------

[This message has been edited by PUTZ (edited 01-12-2003).]

[THE GAMBLER]

****! what a devastating thought

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PLAY THE HAND YOUR DEALT

[emtbucket]

What is all the hoopla about the lead sinkers? Most of us can replace all those sinker for less than most of you spend in beer for one trip fishing. It's not like you need to go out and buy a new boat or truck!!!! Drink water from home a couple of times and those darn sinkers will be payed for. Just like anything else in this country, if you want to do it you will pay the price!!!! What happend to the lead in gas,paint?? look at lead shot, where is it now? Sounds like some of you ate to much lead paint when you where kids. Now let's get back to talking fishing!!!

[Slugo]

Want to see the checks I from my Insurance Co. for stolen tackle? you might be supprised how much $ sit in those boxes!!

[kelly-p]

The scary part is what are they going to do about jigglestick's lead body suit?

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[GullGuide]

emt,
That is not the point here. The point is, WHERE WILL THEY STOP WITH THIS?

Small ice jigs/flys?....GONE
Spinnerbaits............GONE
Buzzbaits...............GONE
Small diameter jigs.....GONE
Many other lures........GONE, GONE, GONE

Anyone who fishes knows that many times you need a finese presentation to get fish to bite, without the smaller, micro-sized jigs oftentimes you would go fishless. The new materials also have much less mass, making it virtually impossible to create lures that will be equal in wieght and size.
I personally would be spending as much as a new truck or boat if I had to replace all of my tackle that has lead in it with new material that is oftentimes 2-5 times more expensive than the original item. Of course the tackle companies are going to be all for this, they will make a killing in sales when everyone has to buy lead-free items. It's all money driven here.
I believe like Surface Tension has said, that the data is flawed and based on ONE or maybe a FEW instances in which a loon did die. If it were such a chronic problem, do you really believe there would be as many loons out there today especially with as much lead has been lost by anglers?

[jigglestick]

i'll tell you what this is really about. it's another rung up the ladder of success for the anti's. the people who feel the need to control other people and what they can and cannot do. they are getting more and more efficient at what they are trying to do. they have learned more tactics, and avenues to accomplish their agendas, and we just sit back and watch it happen. the three wheelers are gone. you can't hardly ride your atv out of your own property now(though they still want the same amount for license fees).they kill one way of life for us, things we have been doing all our lives. for christ sake i have chewed on more darn lead sinkers than any loon. i'm still here. now they want to take away my lead suit!!??
maybe it's our own fault for getting to soft and tollerant. or just plain chicken$#!t to stand up and tell em' where to stick it.i know this country would have never been established in the first place with this kind of attitude. and to tell you the truth i don't think we can sustain with it either.
i'm going fishing before they say it's cruelty to animals or something.

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keep a firm grip on your jigglestick!......jigglestick

[Slugo]

Jigglestick

It has been my opinion that folks like us are to busy doing things to have the time to try to control others...soo....I guess we need to start the mantra...save our lifestyle drag along a do gooder....Na theyed probley take the fun out of it somehow!!

[Dancing Bear]

Next they'll be making us shoot plastic bullets cause the lead ones are polluting the atmosphere, and then we'll need silencers for our guns cause the noise of their report is distrupting the mating habits of the spotted horny toad owl.

Remember to hunt and release!

DB

[NINETOE]

Dancing Bear , nope they'll only make you shoot plastic bullets! Thats all you'll need to down Boo Boo next year! In fact I bet you could use a sling shot and still get him down!

[emtbucket]

Gullguide,
The question where is this going to stop? It won't stop till the do-gooders have are guns, tackle with those sharp painful hooks. How are we going to catch fish when they band hooks with those unhumane points on them or deer hunt without a gun? Animals are here to look at and enjoy not to hook with sharp hooks or harvest a fine trophy!!! What are we as sportsman doing to prove them wrong? Complianing on this forum will not change anything. Take my frickin lead sinkers & lead heads I'll find somthing else to catch fish with. Maybe it will be tugsun jigs or heavy shot jigs? I'll just have fewer of them. I'm sorry it will cost more for some of us than others but i'm not making up the laws. Where are the studies supporting lead? GullGuide, can you complete a study in time to save our lead sinkers or on bear baiting? They want to take that away also!!They have studies on the crippling of ducks from duck hunters using steel shot and want to band duck hunting if we cannot reduce the cripple rate to 20% or less. Who is conducting these studies?, because i've never seen anybody in the marsh. C.W.D what better way to get them dumb hunters to stop killing deer than give them the impression they will get sick and die from eating infected deer. This has been around for who knows how long, Finaly named it around 1967. Do I agree with banning lead, NO!!! Can we change the fact that they will take it away? Now that they have are focus on the little things, They the anti's are busy working on the big picture. Taking hunting and fishing rights away. They have more money and resources than you can shake a fish at. jigglestick, you hit the nail on the head!! The anti's are all around us trying to save something, maybe we can talk them into saving your lead body suit. slugo, I to have a tackle box belive it or not and know just how much it cost to fill it!!! but I'm not here to brag about how much money I have stuck into it. So over all be happy you can still fish and hunt.

[jwilli7122]

Maybe these people would be more sympathetic to us if we explained to them that they are "oppressing" our "cultural heritage" and being close-minded to "diversity". God knows there's nothing a tree hugging liberal likes more than a victim - and they sure aren't real responsive to logic.

[Fish-on]

This has been going on for a long time. It first came to prominence about back in about 1990 or 1991 and I think there were a few bills in several states at that time. I think only California actually passed the bill and I'm not sure about that. I have read the study this is based on and it seems very far-fetched. Lead is a problem with ducks, there's no disputing that. Ducks eat seeds and can mistake lead shotgun pellets for seeds. However, loons eat fish. This in my opinion is based on Junk science and I hope our legislature doesn't fall for it. This whole thing is showing signs of resurecting in several states, it just won't seem to go away.

[Slab]

http://www.outdoorsweekly.com/

Better quit fishing we are killing the lake's !!!!!!!

WAY TO GO DEMOCRATS

alway's trying to make people happy

[swamptiger]

Funny they would use LOONS for a study like this. Seems FISH would be much more at risk than LOONS.

You don't suppose they could garner more public SYMPATHY for LOONS than FISH, do you?

I really have to wonder how many DUCKS actually died from lead poisoning by mistaking lead shot for seeds, too.

Seems the ANTIS are AT IT AGAIN....

[WALLYWORLD]

I wonder why I'm not falling over dead yet? I've been putting sinkers in my mouth for 20 sum years. I think I'm going to open a new company today (Steel Sinkers Inc.) This issue is crap.
Good Luck and God Bless the USA!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

It is turning out to be true. Minnesota is the state where NOTHING is allowed.People your having way too much fun ! We cant have that!Pretty soon they'll try to ban hooks because there too sharp ,they hurt the fish.