"Get the lead out"

[Stumpalump]

Drip, drip, drip. The end goal is to remove all lead from fisherman and hunters. There is no amount of lead in biology that is good. It makes humans dumber and kills smaller wildlife. What to do? Ban it?


"""A bill, AB 2787, was introduced into the California Legislature recently that would outlaw making, selling or owning most lead weights used for fishing.

The bill’s author, Assemblyman Bill Quirk, D-Hayward, said lead in fishing gear needs to be banned because it is toxic to wildlife.

“Small lead fishing weights, like split shots, are killing California wildlife,” Quirk said in a news release posted on his website.

“Many birds consume river gravel to aid in mashing and digesting food. Often they accidentally ingest discarded lead fishing weights. The lead poisons their liver, leading to a slow death. Water fowl, in particular, are common victims,” he said."""

https://www.redding.com/story/news/...aker-aims-ban-lead-fishing-weights/351684002/

 

[brentbba]

Sometimes you can only laugh at the lunacy of the California legislature.

 

[SigSense]

Sometimes you can only laugh at the lunacy of the California legislature.

This. The directive is irresponsible and driven not out of sound science but unchecked politics.

 

[REDONE]

They used to say the same thing about leaded gasoline. I like it and I hope it succeeds. May not make me popular, but there is no amount of lead that's good for biology. Hopefully we find a better alternative to lithium for batteries soon too.

 

[doug720]

Quote from story - "At one fishing tackle shop in the Redding area a package containing five half-ounce lead weights cost $2.99, while a package of three half-ounce titanium weights cost $7.99."

There are no "Titanium" fishing weights! You want maximum weight in the smallest size, titanium is not heavy for it's mass. I'm sure they meant tungsten, but too dumb to know! Plus, tungsten and steel are not soft and malleable to really work well to clamp to fishing line. Lead works!

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Quote from story - "At one fishing tackle shop in the Redding area a package containing five half-ounce lead weights cost $2.99, while a package of three half-ounce titanium weights cost $7.99."

There are no "Titanium" fishing weights! You want maximum weight in the smallest size, titanium is not heavy for it's mass. I'm sure they meant tungsten, but too dumb to know! Plus, tungsten and steel are not soft and malleable to really work well to clamp to fishing line. Lead works!

Tungsten works. Its actually superior to lead in that its smaller and you get more feedback to tell where your lure is. That being said, it has drawbacks. Its expensive, can cut you line thru abrasion real easy and needs to be rigged different in some cases.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Only lead we really use these days are the downrigger balls, not too worried about a bird or even a bear eating one if lost at the bottom of the lake.

 

[Dalko43]

I get in theory that lead is not good for the wildlife. I do think the real world dangers of lead in bullets and fishing weights are sometimes exaggerated. They made that whole move to ban lead bullets in order to 'save' the Condors; after the fact, they realized there were other sources of lead poisoning still affecting those birds.

And quite honestly, California has much bigger environmental issues they should be focusing on: power sources (they rely increasingly on out-of-state sources); water conservation; fire (due to both artificial and environmental factors); the every increasing suburban sprawl; public transport systems (or the lack thereof); ect.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I get in theory that lead is not good for the wildlife. I do think the real world dangers of lead in bullets and fishing weights are sometimes exaggerated. They made that whole move to ban lead bullets in order to 'save' the Condors; after the fact, they realized there were other sources of lead poisoning still affecting those birds.

And quite honestly, California has much bigger environmental issues they should be focusing on: power sources (they rely increasingly on out-of-state sources); water conservation; fire (due to both artificial and environmental factors); the every increasing suburban sprawl; public transport systems (or the lack thereof); ect.

The left hates sportsmen, and definitely hate anything gun related so its an easy target for them.

 

[Rallyroo]

I need my lead weights on my weight belt for scuba diving in my 7mm wetsuit or I'd end up stuck on the surface of the water. So that ban would effect all scuba divers.

 

[Toyman01]

Weightbelts are not fishing tackle.

That depends on what you are fishing for...

 

[Rallyroo]

Weightbelts are not fishing tackle.

Banning lead for use in one particular use will result in future banning in other uses. Then another ban and another ban and so forth.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Banning lead for use in one particular use will result in future banning in other uses. Then another ban and another ban and so forth.

 

[waveslider]

Banning lead in rifle bullets due to its (supposed) impact on the surrounding wildlife in the context of the multitude of practices, chemicals and other things that are commonplace and known to cause issues to critters feels a lot like hunters are being singled out.

There's a reason for that feeling, its because they are being singled out.

If you ever want a shining example of why it is not advantageous to give a single inch in this debate (guns and/or hunting), you need look no further than the Kali lead ban. It has been PROVEN that the condors were dying from others things and they simply shrugged their shoulders and said "So what? We will keep the ban".

 

[shifty98]

I understand banning lead, in theory. I would just like to see some data on how many more birds were maimed by steel shot, where they would have been killed cleanly by lead shot.