In case you haven’t heard already, on July 2, 2013, Governor Maggie Hassan signed into law, Senate Bill 89 (SB 89) which is a ban on lead fishing tackle. This should not come as a surprise to anyone here in New Hampshire as we have already been primed for this law by Senate Bill 224 which appeared just one year ago. As far as I can tell, there does not seem to be any differences in this new bill, now law.
SB 89 clarifies the definition of lead fishing sinkers and jigs which are subject to the prohibition on sale and use in the state. The bill also provides that the penalty for a retail sale of a prohibited lead fishing sinker and jig is a separate violation for each day of sale.
Ok, so what this basically means for us anglers is that we cannot use lead in any of our sinkers or jigs that weighs 1 ounce or less. Likewise for tackle shops in NH it means that they cannot sell any sinkers or jigs of 1 ounce or less that contains lead. Keep this in mind when ordering your tackle online or if you are buying your tackle out of state.
Sinkers, as you can see in this photo can come in many different shapes and sizes and jigs come in a multitude of different shapes, colors and sizes, so make sure you understand what your using or you will end up on the wrong side of a fine from the NH Fish & Game.
One thing though, if I am reading Senate Bill 89 correctly, this law does not apply to lead core line, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, spoons, poppers, plugs, or flies of any size that contains lead. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this point.
The following is a statement that was released by Gov. Hassan regarding her signing of SB-89.
“Ensuring a bright economic future for New Hampshire and maintaining our high quality of life means protecting our wildlife and preserving what makes our state special. This commonsense, bipartisan measure will help protect our fragile loon population from deadly lead poisoning, preserving an important part of the natural beauty of New Hampshire that drives our tourism economy. I thank the Legislature, advocates and all involved for their efforts on this measure, and I am happy to sign this bill into law.”
To see the new law in its entirety, just click here http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2013/SB0089.html
Tight lines, the Amateur Angler
The Amateur Angler 