Before buying lead, you might want to check your state's fish and game regulations first. Some states have banned the use of lead fishing sinkers. This ban is an attempt to stop lead poisoning of wildlife from inadvertent consumption. The fear is that some birds and wildlife inadvertently eat lost and abandoned sinkers when eating their natural food - and are thereby suffering from lead poisoning.
Some states now require all fishing sinkers and jigs to be made from other non-poisonous materials such as tin,bismuth, steel, and tungsten-nickel alloy. Other states require only prohibit lead in certain size sinkers.
New Hampshire is one of the states with a lead ban in effect. Lead sinkers weighing 1 ounce or less are prohibited Jig heads made of lead which are 1-inch or less in size are also prohibited.
Maine, New York, and Vermont prohibit the use of lead in sinkers weighing 1/2 ounce or less. Jig heads are not included in the ban. Vermont also intends to implement a program beginning January 1, 2007 where angler can exchange their lead sinkers for non-lead ones.
Massachusetts prohibits the use of lead sinkers in Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs. Lead sinkers can be used in other waters.
Lead sinkers have also been banned in Yellowstone National Park, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Even if you plan on making lead sinkers, you might want to experiment with some of the other metals mentioned above as well.
Getting Started ...
Before making your own sinkers, you need to have a few items. Most of these items are one-time purchases (and they make great gifts too!).
- Melting Pot
- Lead (or other metal)
- Sinker, Jig & Shot Molds
- Knife, file or lead cutting tool
- A ladle for tranferring hot lead from the melting pot to the mold
- Thick gloves
The BassPro shop sells all of these items at very resonable prices. Since you will need a different mold for each size of sinker or jig you wish to make, you might want to suggest these as gift ideas to loved ones! If you do any saltwater fishing, you might also like to start collecting the saltwater sinker molds too!
Lead is classified either 'hard' or 'soft'. When making fishing sinkers, you want to use 'soft' lead. The BassProshop also sells sticks (called Ingots) of lead for this purpose.
Step 1 for Making Sinkers, Jigs, and Shots ...
Once you have all of the components, you're ready to go. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL when working with lead. Not only do you want to avoid getting burned, but you don't want to let any water touch the hot lead!
When making sinkers, I prefer to do it outside on the cement driveway. That way, I have plenty of room to work and I can't damage too much else.
Put the lead in the melting pot and then heat it up til it melts. Be very careful not to get any hot lead on you.
Once the lead is melted, use the ladle to fill the mold and close the lid. Let the mold stand a few minutes so the lead can cool and set.
After the lead has sufficently cooled, open the mold and remove the sinkers. Be careful, as the lead may still be a bit hot.
There is always excess lead left over on the sinker which needs to be cleaned up. Depending on your comfort level, you can use a pocket knife, file or lead cutting tool. The idea is to shape the sinker or jig head back into it's natural shape. Any lead you cut off, can be placed back in the melting pot and reused. Just be careful putting it back into the melting pot so you don't splash any hot lead on you.
The last thing you will need to do is make a small hole (if there isn't one already) for the fishing line or swivel. You can use a small drill bit for this.
Now Repeat the Process ...
That's pretty much all there is to it. You can repeat this process for each sinker mold you have in order to get a variety of sinker and jig head sizes. You can use various paints to add color to your jig heads.
For more trout fishing tips, click here.
Digg This!
No comments:
Post a Comment