walleye with jig in stomach- eating

[andrew chadwick]

Today Me and my girlfriend went out walleye fishing. She ended up gut hooking a small walleye, and after unsuccessfully trying to release it we ended up keeping it.

When I cleaned it, I found a 1/8 oz jig in the stomach. all the paint was still there. is it safe to eat, or would you throw it?

thanks

[AlwysFshn]

I know their stomachs begin to break things down quickly, so if the jig was still fully painted I doubt there is any way that lead would have been able to make its way into the meat. Enjoy the meal!

[Pickelfarmer]

I know their stomachs begin to break things down quickly, so if the jig was still fully painted I doubt there is any way that lead would have been able to make its way into the meat. Enjoy the meal!

I wonder if a fish could ever brake down a whole jig and have it fully digest? If so wouldn't you think that there would be some fish out there just full of lead? I wonder if there would be some tell tale sign of that.I've never caught a fish with a jig or anything like that in it but I sure have been bit off alot. Makes you wonder...

[hhguide]

Thats the reason people want to get rid of lead jigs. haha I think its a joke but they want to because they think fish eat those jigs those walleyes get eating by loons and such and then the loons get lead posioning. In my opinion if it ever happened that a fish had a jig in its stomach (which I have caught) and that exact fish being eatin by a loon will be rare. I would eat away!

[TonkaBass]

I just caught a smallie that had half a jig sticking out of its you know what, and it was still fully painted.

[Hoffer]

True story.

We were in canada in september. Took some time off to soak a few suckers under a bobber for some norts.

My buddy had a nort on and it had something down its throat. We took a closer look and we delicately removed a full steal leader with a large hook attached. Only the end of some frayed line was sticking out its throat - the rest was down its gullet. We released the nort after the "surgery" and it easily swam away.

A little later my buddy had another nort on that broke his line - just above the steel leader. He then took the steel leader and hook that we had removed earlier and replaced that on his line and caught another nort a little while later! what are the odds on that!! true story.

[wplatehunter]

I would not have a problem eating it.

[nofishfisherman]

Thats the reason people want to get rid of lead jigs. haha I think its a joke but they want to because they think fish eat those jigs those walleyes get eating by loons and such and then the loons get lead posioning. In my opinion if it ever happened that a fish had a jig in its stomach (which I have caught) and that exact fish being eatin by a loon will be rare. I would eat away!

Actually they want to ban lead weights under a certain size becuase loons ingest them directly not by eating fish with the lead in them. Loons will dive down to the bottom and ingest small pebbles to help digest their food. Scientists have found some loons to have ingested these lead weights instead of pebbles causing issues for the birds.

[Bob/Mn]

Quote:

Actually they want to ban lead weights under a certain size becuase loons ingest them directly not by eating fish with the lead in them. Loons will dive down to the bottom and ingest small pebbles to help digest their food. Scientists have found some loons to have ingested these lead weights instead of pebbles causing issues for the birds.

When the ban the lead bill first surfaced a few years ago it was based somewhat on the above statement.

After giving it some thought lead is not lost in pebbles but lost in rocks and wood. The lead is lodged tight enough to break the line. It really doesn't seem logical that a loon would be able to dislodge the lead that is that tightly stuck.

I can except that loons and waterfoul are scooping up lead shot,deposited back in the 80s, along with the gravel but not the theory that much lead is lost in gravel.(MHO)

[wplatehunter]

Then its a good thing we are not eating loons.

[nofishfisherman]

Quote:

Actually they want to ban lead weights under a certain size becuase loons ingest them directly not by eating fish with the lead in them. Loons will dive down to the bottom and ingest small pebbles to help digest their food. Scientists have found some loons to have ingested these lead weights instead of pebbles causing issues for the birds.

When the ban the lead bill firsh surfaced a few years ago it was based somewhat on the above statement.

After giving it some thought lead is not lost in pebbles but lost in rocks and wood. The lead is lodged tight enough to break the line. It really doesn't seem logical that a loon would be able to dislodge the lead that is that tightly stuck.

I can except that loons and waterfoul are scooping up lead shot,deposited back in the 80s, along with the gravel but not the theory that much lead is lost in gravel.(MHO)

I would agree that lead shot is probably a bigger culprit then fishing tackle. I was just repeating the research I had read and heard. I know that I have seen xrays of loons with hooks and weights in their stomachs. Not sure how common that is, my guess is that its a pretty small number of birds. I'm not even sure if they have seen a decline in numbers of the birds. Every lake i go to seems to have loons so the population appears healthy to me.

Once they can get non-lead tackle to match the size and cost of lead tackle I will make the switch, I don't see a reason not to.

[A.W.Wolfram]

You actually ingest more lead by torching unpainted jigs and sinkers then you can by eating a fish with a ingested sinker.

Think about it. AND THEN WASH YOUR HANDS

[Pickelfarmer]

You actually ingest more lead by torching unpainted jigs and sinkers then you can by eating a fish with a ingested sinker.

Think about it. AND THEN WASH YOUR HANDS

So I guess I better stop biting my sinkers closed!!! Aw well if that doesn't get me somthing else will. Keep your eyes on the obituarys guys. you'll See me there sooner or later. Trust me it won't be worth the wait to see my ugly mug!!!!!

[Double D]

Well, even if you do get sick, at least you got a free jig out of the deal.

DD

[Phred52]

chadwick, I'd eat the fish, what else do fish ingest that hasn't been linked to something or other? The jig was in the intestinal tract, the paint wasn't gone, so the acids hadn't started digesting the jig(lead) yet. I'd give you 100/1 odds, that fish wouldn't test positive for lead. Enjoy, Phred52

[7outof10]

wow never knew that

[paul pachowicz]

You'd be amazed at some of the stuff that gets in a cow's gut. Gotta love the gov't protecting our self FROM ourselves with that no lead terminal gear. Wish they would find a way to protect us from the lead-head politicians. EAT THE FISH!!!!

[Bob/Mn]

I keep thinking where is all this lead coming from. Then I started thinking about lead shot that was used back in the 80s.

(FYI)

A stantard lead field load of 1 1/4 once of # 5 shot consisted of 215 lead shot.

A 3 inch mag load of 1 7/8 once of # 5 shot consisted of 318 lead shot.

If one hunter pass shooting ducks would shoot one box of 25 shells. 1 1/4 = 5375 shot in the lake and 1 7/8 = 7950 shot in the lake.

(IMHO) This is where the lead came from and what the birds are mostly injesting.

Now I am one of the hunters that deposited lead in the waterways durning the 80s. I never shot much more than a box of shells durning the water foul season but I was only one hunter, do the math.

[ddsbyday]

Lead is a naturally occuring element that is often a by product of diamond mining. It has many uses and is safe as long as reasonable precausions are taken. Don't eat it. If you find a shard in your venison spit it out. I have yet to see a study that I can follow up on to justify the histaria that people have about lead. Some questions to ask your legislators(because the ban is coming)Are painted lead lures dangerous? I do use non painted jig heads from time to time. I would be ok with making them chrome or nickle plated if need be. The 17 year study that I received from the minnesota get the lead out organization took place in England I believe. It stated percentages of loons that died from lead poisoning. I could not get access to the study but I did get fom the numbers(percentages) it came out to 2 loons per year over 17 years. The info I was given did not state what was the cause of death.(only that lead was present). No mention was made of how old the loons were. The study did not even say if they were shot. I will follow up on any links that can give me any reason to get on the anti lead band wagon. I just have not been able to find them on my own. If unpainted jig heads and sinkers are a problem, I won't use them. I just think that science not histaria should dictate drastic measures. You will soon see it in your expensive electronics. The inferior solder is causing problems. I am looking forward to the forthcoming valuable resourses. My request for information pertains to fishing only. I know that some kids ate paint chips and jewelry made out of lead and did not make it.

[bassislife]

I've caught bass with worm hooks sticking out their behind before.