How do I identify lead fishing bait? I want to weed through our tackle boxes and get rid of it.—Bea Jones, via email
Good call. According to Birds Canada, using lead-free bait is one of the top ways you can help loons. They ingest it accidentally and that almost always results in death.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to ID lead bait by looking at it. But there are a few quick tests. Can you mark up a piece of paper with it or dent it with a pair of pliers? Then it probably contains lead.
You can also buy lead test kits, either online or in most hardware stores, says Margie Manthey, a long-time angler who launched Wolfe Lake’s Lead Fishing Tackle Buy Back Program (“They’re Tackling It As a Team,” Waterfront, Sept/Oct ’22). She’s a fan of the AAwipes Lead Test Swab Kits. “You get results in 30 seconds. I’ve used it to test a few questionable baits.”
6 ways cottagers can help protect common loons
Keep in mind that painted lead bait, or lead bait encased in some kind of rubber coating, is still lead. “Many anglers incorrectly assume that these types of baits are safe, but they’re just as deadly,” says Manthey. The coating breaks down in the digestive systems of loons and other aquatic birds.
If you’re planning to refill your tackle box, don’t make the further mistake of thinking that new bait is lead free. Most sold today contains it, says Manthey. “And a lot of packaging doesn’t alert the consumer.” So ask for lead-free bait when you shop. There are lots of options, including tungsten, steel, tin, and metal composites. But they usually cost more than lead—up to 10 times more in the case of tungsten. (Lead is cheap and easy to manipulate; other materials, not so much.) Still, “Replacing your lead one-ounce-and-under sinkers, weights, and jigs or jig-heads is a great place for anglers to start,” says Manthey.
3 quick tune-ups to help you maintain your fishing gear
That move might not be kind to your wallet. But it will be kind to wildlife.
Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.
This article was originally published in the June/July 2024 issue of Cottage Life.
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