Maine lead ban?

[jbmaine]

Hi All,

If I understand this correctly, any jig, hook, weighted with lead less than 1 oz. and less than 2 1/2 inches long will be banned from use.

Is this how you read it? If so I'm going to have to replace a lot of my tackle.

                           Jim

[WestBranch]

LD  730 bans the sale and use of lead fishing sinkers one ounce or less, as well as bare lead-headed jigs 2.5” long or less. The law is phased-in with first phases beginning this fall (2013)  with the ban on the use and sale of lead sinkers and ending September 1, 2017 with the ban on the use of lead headed jigs 2.5” or less in length.

[Crestliner2008]

Same as what we have here in Mass.

[Will Wetline]

Massachusetts enacted the same restriction in 2012 and it is a major inconvenience at considerably greater expense than a lead equivalent.

Do a Google search for "lead free fishing tackle" and follow up on related searches. Also check out what Siebert Outdoors has to offer and get cadman's catalog.

I use tungsten bullet weights for T rigging and mold my own jigs. My source for lead free metals (bismuth, tin and pewter alloys) is:

www.rotometals.com

 

[Master Bait'r]

Seatbelt:  on

 

Popcorn: popped

[jbmaine]

So does this also apply to weighted swim bait hooks etc.?

                              Jim

[frosty]

Ah the government... Screwing up your everyday lives since 1776

[S. Sass]

12 minutes ago, frosty said:

Ah the government... Screwing up your everyday lives since 1776

Yup can't leave a free country free. 

[*Hootie]

This one is going to go down real quick. 

Hootie

[frosty]

8 hours ago, jbmaine said:

So does this also apply to weighted swim bait hooks etc.?

                              Jim

Sorry for derailing the thread. 

I believe, assuming I'm reading it correctly, if it's an uncoated lead weight it will be banned. I'm wondering if a quick coat of paint would make your existing weights "legal"!

[Master Bait'r]

2 hours ago, S. Sass said:

Yup can't leave a free country free. 

 

Lol yeah because America was definitely free before 1776! 

 

[S. Sass]

13 minutes ago, Master Bait'r said:

 

Lol yeah because America was definitely free before 1776! 

 

Compared to today it's not even a question. 

[jbmaine]

1 hour ago, frosty said:

Sorry for derailing the thread. 

I believe, assuming I'm reading it correctly, if it's an uncoated lead weight it will be banned. I'm wondering if a quick coat of paint would make your existing weights "legal"!

   I wouldn't mind doing that, if it would make my tackle legal.

  I'm not trying to start a controversy , Just trying to find out what I can and cannot use.

                           Thanks

                                       Jim

 

["hamma"]

Painted lead is still lead, and illegal,... believe me I checked,..and Im still looking for someone to pour "eco friendly" jigheads in 1/4 oz and specific jigheads like stand-ups, weedless, and darters. 

living in lead free states bites if you fish, this ban is all about the loons swallowing  pea gravel to aid in their digestion, they will swallow anything this size even the deadly lead,.. if you get caught with a lead based "banned weight/jig"  tied on,..you will be dealt with, and yes, they do check if they approach you.

[Jaw1]

I really think this is ludicrous. This is just some politicians who got the biggest (contribution) from some organization like PETA or some other poorly informed or dilusional group. Such a shame that good clean pastimes such as fishing will be poisoned by the highest bidders and possibly taken away from our children altogether.

[Siebert Outdoors]

We do sell Tungsten Jigs and weights.  Most of our sales of our Football or Arky jigs do go to the North East due to the lead bans.

[roadwarrior]

4 hours ago, Siebert Outdoors said:

We do sell Tungsten Jigs and weights.  Most of our sales of our Football or Arky jigs do go to the North East due to the lead bans.

I might try some just because I like tungsten so much. Can you feel a difference?

 

[Catt]

11 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I might try some just because I like tungsten so much. Can you feel a difference?

 

Times 2!

I'm a hard sell on jigs

[MassYak85]

Same ban in mass, it blows. I've never even seen a loon in the state but oh well, got to save the minuscule non-native population we have I guess. I transitioned all my bullet weights to tungsten this year. It sucks though because some things just aren't made in lead-free alternatives. I have yet to find a ned-rig jig in tungsten yet, and stuff like *** jigs are only made out of lead. I'm pretty sure if any bird swallows a 3/4 bass jig with a 5/0 hook on it, whether it is lead or not is not going to matter too much, it's probably going to die. If they wanted to cut down on the lead poisoning issue they should have only targeted sinkers with the ban IMO. 

Also, does anyone know how they actually check whether it is lead or not? Pretty much all weights I have, lead or not, are painted. I would assume they would need to damage or destroy the lure/weight in order to test it, and if they are wrong and it wasn't lead....I'm guessing they are not going to reimburse you. 

[jbmaine]

7 hours ago, Siebert Outdoors said:

We do sell Tungsten Jigs and weights.  Most of our sales of our Football or Arky jigs do go to the North East due to the lead bans.

Looks like I might be giving you an order. Do you sell non lead weighted swim bait hooks?

                                                                     Jim

[boostr]

Great, I'm going to Maine in August. Yo Mike I'll be placing an order.

[boostr]

Can somebody explain this then: 

Seems to me you can still use bare lead jigs.

Lead Sinker Law/Interpretation

1) The Department will interpret the definition of lead sinker to include any tackle that is permanently manufactured to the lead itself. When measuring for a minimum of 2.5 inches, the manufactured tackle will be included in the measurement. This will not include any additional items that have been added to the original manufacturing device.
2) Please read the manufacturer’s label carefully to determine the weight of the lead sinker. If the lead is manufactured as part of other fishing tackle, the entire piece of equipment needs to be more than 1 ounce in weight.
3) The definition of a lead sinker DOES NOT include artificial lures, weighted line, weighted flies or jig heads.
4) If a lead sinker is over 2.5 inches in length or it weighs over 1 ounce or both it is legal to use and sell or offer for sale.
5) We will interpret the law to mean that it applies to Inland Waters NOT Tidal Waters.
6) If a sinker contains any amount of lead, it will be considered illegal if it doesn’t meet the length and weight requirements.
7) Reminder: Currently the law only prohibits the use and sale of lead sinkers that do not meet the length and/or weight requirements. The sale of bare lead jigs and use of bare lead jigs not meeting the length and/or weight requirements is currently legal but will be prohibited in September of 2016 and September 2017 respectively.
? If you have additional questions relating to this topic feel free to look at Maine Audubon’s website 

[frosty]

10 hours ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

Painted lead is still lead, and illegal,... believe me I checked,..and Im still looking for someone to pour "eco friendly" jigheads in 1/4 oz and specific jigheads like stand-ups, weedless, and darters. 

living in lead free states bites if you fish, this ban is all about the loons swallowing  pea gravel to aid in their digestion, they will swallow anything this size even the deadly lead,.. if you get caught with a lead based "banned weight/jig"  tied on,..you will be dealt with, and yes, they do check if they approach you.

Have there been any confirmed cases of lead poisoning in loons? Seems kinda far fetched to me? 

[Will Wetline]

On 6/27/2016 at 3:02 PM, frosty said:

Have there been any confirmed cases of lead poisoning in loons? Seems kinda far fetched to me? 

Here are the Massachusetts regulations. There was an extensive study done on loon mortality and you can read about it here:

http://www.mass.gov/

All the serious fishermen I know were more than a little bit agitated in 2012 about replacing their weights and baits with tackle that's considerably more expensive but there's no other way to comply. I've made the switch and I'm catching fish legally and not noticeably poorer than before.

For those who don't mold their own jigs and weights here, again, are sources of legal supplies:

http://www.siebertoutdoors.com/

http://cadmansjigs.weebly.com/

http://www.leadfreebassjigs.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html  (The Ned Head appears to be from the Worm Nose Jig Mold that Do-it Molds manufactures.)

http://www.magslureco.com/about-us.html

You may turn up more if you do a Google search for "lead free fishing tackle."

["hamma"]

Thanks Will, I checked the sites and found cadmans states they have eco friendly products but I couldnt find any in their catalog, Not blaming or complaining to you, just a fyi,.. Thanks again