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[fengyuanfei]

anyone knows what the regulations are for fishing with led sinkers in Washington state?

[kingpin]

im not familiar with led sinkers, do they have robert plant's mug on them? 

[Dr. Backlash]

i think he's referring to split shots...not sure if they're banned, but I think banning the use of lead in our rivers is a great idea!!

[TheChumWhisperer]

ummmmmm, do you mean lead??

[Robert_G]

I heard they were going to steel, but not sure if it's been imposed yet.

[fletcher]

I live in Washington State and I've never heard of a lead ban in any fishing waters and I fish a lot on the rivers.  Hunting with a shot gun is a whole different story,  maybe the confusion?

[fishyfish711]

If you think about all the lead that gets lost in the Vedder it can't be a good thing. Are the coils really lead or are they a composite of a few metals?

[Gooey]

I think banning the use of lead in our rivers is a great idea!!

you have any ideas on what to replace lead with?  As there are no decent replacements for lead, I doubt if lead will ever be banned from BC's waters.

Lead from buck shot has been proven to cause an issue for water fowl the ingest the pellets while feeding on aquatic plants.  IMO, fishing weights snagged on the bottom do not pose any threats to the wildlife found around a typical BC river.   

Lead is not a reactive element, it is very stable so if a minute amount does leach off a snagged weight it would be so minimal that nothing would come of it. 

[Terry D]

We've had a lead ban in the UK since 1986.  Split shot and all weights up to 1 ounce were banned as this is what the swans were eating and getting lead poisoning and, it was blamed on the amount of lead shot anglers spilt at the water's edge.  Obviously the swans weren't harmed by shooter's shot, only angler's weights.  Funnily enough, after a 20+ year ban, swans are still getting rescued suffering from lead poisoning.  Could be something to do with fuel in powerboats as well.

RFT sell the best split shot on the market - Pro XS, I've used it for many years and would recommend it to anyone.  Anchor shot is very good as well.

[fengyuanfei]

stainless steel is the way to go, ony in bc it will take another 20 years to realize...i thought in the US it's manadatory

[DionJL]

There are no elements out there that will sink as well as lead for equal or less cost. Tungsten is the closest. About 75% more expensive in small sizes, and sinks faster.

[Bhinky]

im not familiar with led sinkers, do they have robert plant's mug on them? 

LOL!

[Gooey]

stainless steel is the way to go, ony in bc it will take another 20 years to realize...i thought in the US it's manadatory

.  now thats a joke, stainless can't replace lead, not in price or functioinality.

Lead's softness allows it to be crimped (shot or hollow core) onto mono without cutting it.  I dont believe there are any other metals out there that have this characteristic/ability and low price point.

In the UK, I wonder if the shot that was a proplem for the swans was dropped on the edge of a lake vs the edge of a river.  Don't think I have ever seen any plant eating waterfowl (mallards, geese, swans) feeding along the shoreline of the vedder or chehalis.

[typhoon]

Canadian National Parks also ban lead:

When angling, it is unlawful to:
Fish with or possess within 100 metres of park waters the following:
   natural bait and chemical attractants;
   any lead tackle (sinkers, jigs, lures and flies) under 50 grams;
   lures with more than 2 gang hooks;
   a line capable of catching more than one fish at one time.

[Terry D]

Shot along the shoreline and in shallow water was blamed for poisoning the swans, as they eat fine gravel to aid digestion.  Anglers got the blame regardless but they can't blame us now.
Non toxic variants have proved OK in the UK and not too expensive.  You get used to it after a few years as that's all you can buy in the tackle shops.