Lead Ban On All Fishing Tackle

[zarraspook]

I don't know / or care how you feel about Cabela's but I just got this email from them and the word needs to get out !!!!!!

September 2, 2010

Dear Cabela's Customer:

Occasionally, an issue of such importance arises we feel it necessary to contact our loyal customers. With our fishing rights at stake, this is such an issue.

On August 23, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was petitioned by the Center for Biological Diversity and others to ban lead from ammunition and fishing tackle, including sinkers, jigs, weighted fly lines and components containing lead, such as brass and ballast in lures, spinners, stick baits and other fishing products.

On August 27, the EPA denied the petition regarding ammunition, but let stand the petition to ban lead in fishing tackle and has opened a short period for taking public comment.

Such a ban would cause prices of fishing products to skyrocket. Alternative metals can cost from six to 15 times more than lead, and most do not perform as well. For many, fishing would no longer be the affordable sport it is now.

Please join Cabela's and Keep America Fishing in opposing this ban by submitting your comments to the EPA no later than September 15, 2010. You can easily do so by clicking here.

It is a fast and easy way to assure your opinion is heard.

Cabela's is working in conjunction with the American Sportfishing Association and Keep America Fishing to protect our tradition and heritage of fishing.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Cabela's

[Gilly]

Follow the links and make our voices heard.

Same with the upcoming elections. We can whine all we want but the only thing that matters is your vote.

[Bubfisher]

Boy I remember as a kid biting the lead sinkers to put them on my line and nobody thought twice about it. we've certainly have come a long way since then. I don't think prices would really go up that much and it would probably be a good thing to look at other materials to use for sinkers and jig heads, heck i've even seen small rocks being used for sinkers in some of my fishing mags. speaking of prices though how did wooden/plastic lures get so high. I went to BPS to get a Rapala the other day and it cost $9.45 thats too much for one lure.

[straw hat]

I worked with lead toxicity for many years so just for your info; All metals exist in three states; pure metal (such as a lead split shot), reduced (such as lead sulphate) and oxidixed (such as lead oxide). The oxidixed and reduced forms are based on the number of electrons attached to the lead atom.

The metallic form of most metals dissolve slowly in the stomach and usually require long-term exposure to be a significant threat. This normally is very unusualy.

The reduced form is the most serious threat. It is much more readily absorbed in the digestive tract and can reach toxic levels in relatively short time. It can even be absorbed through the skin in significant amounts. Luckily this form of lead is typically insoluble in water and is not often used in commerce.

The oxidized form is slightly toxic through digestion. Its use is typically in the electronics industry.

There is one exception to this toxicity info. Children are very susceptible to lead poisining in nearly all forms.

The primary threat to wildlife is the consumption of lead shot by ducks which can consume large quantities in a short time. I have never seen any reports of signicant risk to fish. It has been a few years since I have worked this issue so when I get a chance I will review the recent research to see if there are any new studies out there. If I find something I will post it. The ban on lead in the fishing industry is not a new one. I remember at least twice before when this legilation was attempted. Both times it was defeated by republicans who were in control then. Now with a democratic administration it may be different. In order to successfully defeat this legilation we not only need to elect officals who are sympathetic to our position but we also must write our congressmen. They will listen but any communication MUST contain the HB # (House Bill #) of the legislation.

Tin is the standard alternative to lead however tin is not near as dense as lead so in order to get the same amount of weight it is necessary to use a much larger piece of tin. The only compound that is even close to lead in density is gold. I don't think I need to explain why it is not used.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

I made the mistake of getting on the pomme forum and responding to this topic. You guys have fun if it gets out of hand like pomme, I've decided just to stay on the lake and fish.

If it passes, somebody call and let me know so I can change weights. Don't need to get in trouble!!

See ya on the water

[eric1978]

Both times it was defeated by republicans who were in control then. Now with a democratic administration it may be different.

Well they better do it before Nov. 2nd, because after that it's party over for the dems...or so it looks that way now. The next two years of federal government is gonna be one worthless gridlock.

[straw hat]

A quick note on what I found regarding the toxicity of lead to fish. First of all, I have attached an article that really does a good job of summarizing the issue. When reading it you might want to know that the tailings from mines are oxidized lead that is why it is so much more toxic than the solid metal lead like split shot.

I also found several references to lead compounds that fishery biologists use to inject into fish as a tagging method. Lead deposits in the scales and the bilogists can then remove a scale at a later time and determine if that is one of the tagged fish. There is MUCH evidence that this injection of lead does NOT harm the fish. I also found a couple of articles showing that the oxidized lead from snow mobiles accumulates in the snow during the winter. In spring this lead is released into the lakes and does contaminate the rainbow popualtions leading to increased mortality and decreased production of fry. Hmmmm, I wonder if they are going to try to ban snowmobiles too?

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2188/do-lead-fishing-sinkers-threaten-the-environment