MINNEAPOLIS — With the Minnesota fishing opener just a week away, the state is once again pleading with anglers to get the lead out of their tackle boxes for the health and safety of loons, swans and other birds.
Now, a major fishing tackle company is taking another big step toward that goal.
The National Loon Center has announced that Lindy Fishing Tackle has become the first company to sign the Loons and Lakes Legacy Pledge, vowing to make it's entire product line lead-free and loon friendly within three years.
"I think this is huge," said Jon Mobeck, Executive Director of the National Loon Center. "Lindy is a great, storied manufacturer here in Minnesota. For them to make a commitment, by 2027, to make all of their tackle lead free, is a really significant commitment."
Danger to loons and swans
For years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and DNR have studied loon deaths and mortality linked to lead poisoning.
According to the MPCA, the current national estimate is 25% of adult common loon deaths are due to lead poisoning after ingesting lead fishing tackle.
"Loons typically scoop pebbles and small rocks in order to digest their food," Mobeck said. "If there's a lead sinker in the bottom of the lake and they happen to scoop it up, it's lethal. Just one split shot is lethal for a loon."
It's not just lethal to loons. According to Ramsey County, there have been 26 swans found dead near Sucker Lake Channel since 2019, with tests pointing to lead poisoning. The shallow channel is a popular gathering place for swans and for anglers and the deaths have prompted educational efforts about the dangers of lead fishing tackle.
"We've got to be cognizant of what we're doing."
Though lead-free tackle has been available for years, it has struggled to gain traction with many anglers.
Jeff Zernov, a member of the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame who has designed and patented all kinds of fishing innovations, says he has spent years trying to find ways to protect loons without losing performance.
"I've been making making lead-free lures and jigs for 20 years, mainly using tungsten," he said. "It works really well, but tungsten is tremendously more expensive."
After spending the last year experimenting with new mixes of metals, Zernov says he found a combination to strikes the right balance.
"Our base metal is bismuth, nothing magic there," he said. "But we have other elements that we add to it that makes it a perfect fit for fishing lures. It's harder than lead so you feel your jig better than you do with lead."
Zernov says the new jig also sinks at nearly the same rate as lead, and he says the cost is much, much more comparable than Tungsten.
"What price do you put on poisoning a loon?" He said. "If (anglers) have to pay another 20, 10, 15 cents for a jig, get over it. Lead is killing, lead is a toxin. It's poisoning and it's killing."
Lead-free options
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency offers a searchable list of lead-free tackle options.
According to The National Loon Center, Lindy is currently providing four different styles of lead-free jibs in 144 different variations. The rest of the product line will follow in the coming few years.
"There's a number of different things that have to happen to make this industry shift," Mobeck said. "But it can happen and Lindy's commitment to do that by 2027 is a major step in that direction."
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