Homemade fishing weights

[Reelmaster]

I was wondering if anyone uses weights other than store boughts. What works well. I usually fish were there is alot of current so I need big weights. i also realize lead will be a thing of the past soon enough.

[Skiff]

There are some good suggestions in the forum "Fishing Equipment - Rods, Reels and Tackle " near the bottom of the website home page.  I'm going to make some of the molds suggested.   
     I'm hoping that Canada adopts a lead-use stance similar to that of New York state, which basically bans lead used in smaller jigs and split shot that may be picked up by birds needing gizzard grit.  Lead ingestion seems to be the primary reason that bird  lovers are pushing for the ban.  A small size ban would still permit the use of larger lead weights for sinkers.  I'm also hoping that only the manufacture, sale and distribution is banned, but that current tackle would be "grandfathered", and it's use still permitted.  That would let me use what I've got for some time before having to buy new bismuth or tin gear.

[Chuckles]

 Stop by your friendly tire repair shop or junk yard and buy some used wheel weights. Melt them down and make your own jig heads, sinkers, ect. 

[DIRTBALL2]

Chuckles has the right idea. I used that method to make downrigger balls. Most of those discarded weights just get thrown away anyway. They melted fairly easy using a Bernz-omatic torch. Another plus is that those weights are not 100% lead. There is usually some tin and antimony mixed in with the lead. Molds for whatever size sinker you want can be bought at almost any outdoor supply site. You will need a ladle in which to melt the weights. Just a fun project that can save you beaucoup bucks!

[fishin_musician]

Old spark plugs make fine weights for heavyduty when catfishing.
FM

[Redneck]

I go to all the local rifle range you can pick all the lead plus you can get copper and brass. For a mold I use 2 pieces of 1 inch steel clamped together. I than drilled 3/4 in holes between the 2 pieces. I made sum deeper than others. Than I take fence wire and make a loop and stick it in the holes and pour in the melted lead.
Redneck

[USMC130FE]

Cabela's, Gander Mountian, and Bass Pro have molds at a reasonable price. 

Mono Phil, yes NY's stance on the small sinker might make a difference to a couple birds per year but tell me if they limit the size of a jig does it really matter?  I think the hook that is molded into the lead is going to be a bigger problem for it.  Hey I think we should ban fish hooks also    and the anti's are probably working on that as we speak 

T/L
Steve

[Smelt1]

I have been making my own weights for years now and have had No problems finding lead to melt down in my Lee production smelter.I have used the lead flashing that contractors use around chimneys,I have also used car wheel weights,as well as the old window weights used in homes back in the 1800's.Up here in New England finding old homes is not a problem.I have bought Do-it molds from Janns Netcraft for bank sinkers,pyramid sinkers,as well as jig head styles,and even a downrigger ball mold. So try it out you'll like it but please remember that lead fumes are highly toxic so allways use a fan at your back when melting lead.

[Mr. Rig]

Getting the lead out - interesting concept as applied to fishing instead of hunting.  Where I hunt, I know the shot comes down and rests in the same area as the migratory birds feed.  Fair to replace, and it's been there for a long time.  In that case, the results of testing are conclusive.

Where are the tests relating to consumption of lead from fishing weights or jigs?  Read recently that out of 10,000 ducks tested, only one had a fishing related lead issue - ie they found a weight or jig head.  Where I fish, the birds don't usually feed.   So - is the problem that the lead is leaching into the water or are they concerned that the migratory birds will actually ingest the lead.

i'm a doubter on this one.......

[Mudbug]

Last week, the NY Times had an article about the politicians and law makers in New York. The article said they were all dysfunctional.  So is the lead law.  Since I am a law abiding New Yorker, I stopped using lead. I now make my sinkers and jigs out of refuse uranium. It seems to be a little heavier than lead.

[OTIS]

Maybe you could send some of your new weights to our New York politicians!

[Chuckles]

Mudbug.....Your the only guy I know that has jig heads that glow in the dark and don't require charging.

Later.....Chuckles

[missfishylicious]

I think the state is simply banning something that is extremely poisonous.as much as they can .ciders right about the shooting range theres one near here we just sift the bullets out of the sand bank theres a lifetime supply.
I think the leaching into the water might make some sense because there making the cities replace a lot of the old lead water pipes ,but if any of you have ever seen the inside of an old water pipe theres usually a good layer of sediment in there.So who knows.Of course theres a good layer of silt and sediment on the bottum of most palluted lakes to but it doesn't stop the state from stirring it all up,and calling it a clean up. if it helps clean up the environment I'll use steel it shouldn't be that big a price hike.

[Bigfish57]

The only thing I dislike about the tin weights is that they need to be bigger than led to get the same weight. Price...Bah who uses more than 10-20 splits a year anyway? And if you do mabe you should save money buy getting heavyer line anyway.  Besides if the fishing comunity embrases it mabe the d**n stuff will ome down in price for us shot gunners too. Bismouth ain't cheep 

[Mudbug]

The only people, and animals, who were ever effected by lead poison, were the Romans, and their live stock, and Shackleton. The piping in the Roman aquaducts were fashioned from lead, the word plumber means worker of lead in Latin, the Atomic symbol for lead is Pb.. Shackleton and his explorers were poisoned by lead, as it was used to solder the tops on tin cans used for food at the turn of the 20th century, they ate cases of tainted food for months. They carried useless objects like writing desks, and other useless junk across the arctic cause their brains were toxic with lead. Otherwise, a person would have to eat a few buckets of lead paint chips or B-B's to get any toxicity. Mercury is far worse than lead. The twenny buck Honeywell thermostat that hangs on the wall of most homes has mercury in them, and is usually tossed in the trash after it's replaced, instead of properly disposing of them..... I feel that the law passed here in NY, was passed by a handful of so called "do gooders", who don't fish or hunt, who hang out in Manhattan, looking at the skyline drinking latte. There is more lead dust in the air of an indoor shooting range after a day of blasting targets, than in Lake Ontario. As far as drains, and water pipes being made out of lead in the older homes; holds no comparison to the lead cylinders that were used to hold and chill water in every drinking fountain or water cooler ever invented, that we all drank from everyday when we were in school or work. These weren't removed until the late 80's....The so called lead poisoning of birds or fish from splitshot, jigs, or shot, is a political scam, used to create big money for the commies that run New York. A relative of one of the people who lobbied the hardest to pass the lead law, owns a bizmuth, and tin smelter. It's all about cash, those people don't give a crap about ducks, fish, or humans.