Aloha from Hawaii!

Back in the early 1960s I made my own jigs with split shot pinched onto Limerick hooks tied with feathers & floss. Later I discovered soft plastic lures and started molding my own lead jig heads to attach them. In 1997 I started supplying local tackle shops with my products. Concern about poisonous lead accumulating in the environment compelled me to research and develop less toxic alternatives. Success! Bismuth-tin alloys could be molded into jig heads that handled like lead and caught fish. You now have a choice.

Lead Free Metals

Although all metals can be toxic in high enough concentrations, tin and bismuth appear to be much safer alternatives to poisonous lead. Tin is used for making "tin cans" and bismuth is actually used in health remedies like "Pepto Bismol". Our standard bismuth-tin alloy weighs about 80% as much as lead but the difference is hardly noticeable in use. Bismuth-tin alloys have a much lower melting point than lead and heating for powder paint is not recommended.

Premium Quality Hooks

Hooks are not created equal - often misrepresented as "premium", standard grade Mustad and Eagle Claw hooks can best be described as having mediocre point quality and wire strength. Our true premium quality upgrade hooks utilize superior chemically sharpened points and tempered high carbon steel. With the exception of heavier wire Gamakatsu, our hooks are light wire for easy hooksets and upright balance. Among your choices are Mustad Ultra Point, VMC Needle Point, Matzuo Sickle, and Gamakatsu hooks in black nickel and red colors. We also stock but don't list onsite many sizes of bronze hooks. We can often swap hook brands and sizes so ask us if you don't see what y ou want.

Information on red hooks here.

Hazards of Lead

Simply speaking, lead can accumulate in animal or human bodies to the point of causing damage. Lead has been restricted for use in gasoline, paint, pipes, jewelry, and any product that might end up inside our bodies. Several countries have banned the use of lead shot for hunting and certain lead sinkers. Several US states & national parks, and Canadian park lands currently have some prohibition on the use of lead shot and fishing tackle. Again simply speaking, you won't have to worry about lead restrictions if you fish lead free. For more information, here is an excellent article on lead free fishing.