Dangers of Lead

The Problem

Lead sinkers are still the number one choice amongst fisherman. Their low cost makes them easy to replace when lost, Over hundreds of millions of lead sinkers being produced and sold in the United States each year.

With still little research done to estimate the amount of lead added to our waters each year, it is not easy to say what the direct environmental impact is from the loss of sinkers. According to a published report made by the EPA in 1994, over 2,400 metric tons of lead sinkers are lost in our waters each year!


So what harm does this cause? Lead is toxic for birds and humans. Birds swallow the toxic sinkers that they scoop up with grit, seeds, mollusks and insects they eat from our contaminated waters, killing thousands each year.

States including New York, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine and Vermont have taken the first steps in banning or restricting the use of lead sinkers in their fishing waters, with other states soon to follow.

The Answer

The fishing public needs to reduce the amount of lead that is lost in the environment. If each angler takes the personal responsibility of using lead free products the problem can be greatly reduced by thousands of tons each year.

Salamander Sinkers is a viable alternative to lead sinkers. Its snag resistant properties are so efficient most of our customers are still using their original purchase! And the design of the sinker allow the bait to stay in the fish strike zone which means more fish are caught.

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