When Minnesota’s Favorite Pastime Becomes a Threat to our State Bird
By Baylee Bessingpas, Minnesota GreenCorps Member
Describing Minnesota as simply the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” doesn’t do justice to the abundant aquatic resources found here – Minnesota is in fact home to 11,842 lakes, 16,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams, 13,136,357 acres of surface water, 12,000 common loons, and 141 native fish species! For loons and humans alike, fishing has been an integral component of life in the Northwoods for millenia. Thin, inch-long, J-shaped artifacts thought to be stone fishing hooks have been unearthed at archaeological sites in Minnesota dating back as far as 11,500 years ago! While the tools and strategies used to catch fish have certainly evolved since then, Minnesota remains a place where fishing plays a central role in culture, the economy, and our shared history. The MN DNR estimates that 26% of the MN population above the age of 16 fishes at least once per year, and that each year, 2 million anglers will drop a line in the water and spend nearly $6 billion on trip and equipment costs!
History of Fishing in Minnesota
It would take thousands of pages to thoroughly cover the history of fishing in Minnesota, but here is a brief timeline covering some notable eras and milestones.
To better understand our state’s vibrant fishing history, I visited the Minnesota Fishing Museum & Hall of Fame in Little Falls. As I perused the vast collections of 20th century outboard motors, classic boats, decoys crafted by families whose creativity spanned generations, personal tackle collections featuring handmade and self-designed pieces, and more, I was struck by how much human spirit came through in these artifacts – fishing is about so much more than the act of catching a fish. It means something a little different to everyone that participates: it is art, it is meditation, it is family legacy, it is food on the table… It is an experience that everyone relates to in a personal way. The museum’s founder, Al Baert, had a vision to preserve and showcase collections of artifacts that represent the history of freshwater fishing across Minnesota, to recognize and honor the people, organizations, and companies that have contributed to the sport through the decades, and to provide educational opportunities for people of all ages.
A common theme began to emerge as I made my way around the museum’s beautifully presented collections, best summed up by the following display quote: “Almost every angler has an idea for some piece of fishing equipment to make the fishing experience better.” Minnesota’s fishing culture is one of innovation and evolution to keep pace with advancing technologies and create new fishing opportunities. Pictured below are a few examples of novel tackle ideas brought to life by Minnesota anglers! To most, a better fishing experience means catching more fish, catching bigger fish, and doing it more easily. However, there is a lake resident that has been fishing these waters for over 1 million years, and their distinct voice has long been absent from conversations about creating equipment to make the fishing experience better – the common loon, who relies on clear, clean, cold lakes well-stocked with fish to survive through the summer while hatching and raising chicks. From the loon’s perspective, fishing equipment designed to improve the fishing experience would likely include a new generation of rigs and tackle that prioritized avian safety!
Fishing-related Threats to Loons
While fishing is not inherently harmful to loons, there are a suite of fishing-associated risks that have impacted loons across their global range. In the United States, lead poisoning is still the number one cause of mortality for adult loons, with an estimated 25% of adult loon deaths being attributed to the ingestion of lead fishing tackle. There are several common pathways for lead to end up inside of a loon: the first is through the accidental ingestion of sinkers (particularly round split-shot sinkers) while loons are collecting pebbles to aid their digestion. Like many birds, loons cannot chew their food, and the mechanical breakdown of their food occurs in an organ located in their throat called the gizzard. Loons will collect pebbles to store in the gizzard that serve to grind food into smaller pieces as it passes through. When sinkers end up on the lakebed, whether they fell overboard from the tackle box or were lost when a fish snapped line and got away, it is not uncommon for a loon to mistake them for pebbles and swallow them.
The other ways loon ingest tackle come along with the territory of being the original Northwoods fishermen: just like an angler hoping to bring home filets for a fish fry, loons are always on the hunt for their next catch. When anglers and loons are fishing the same areas, sometimes a loon will take advantage of a fish struggling on a line and use their sharp bill to bite it right off, swallowing the attached tackle along with the fish. Sometimes, a shiny fish-like lure moving through the water can be enough to trigger a loon’s instincts and incite a strike; with the loon not realizing their mistake until the lure has already been ingested. Another thing anglers and loons have in common? Sometimes a fish will win the battle and get away before it can be landed! If a fish breaks off a line and the tackle remains embedded or in their stomach, a loon can end up catching that same fish and ingesting the tackle.
Once swallowed and present in the gizzard, the grinding motion and acidic environment cause the lead to erode and enter the bloodstream and organs of a loon. Even a tiny split-shot sinker is enough to fatally poison a loon, and will result in the loon’s death within 2-4 weeks of ingestion. Lead isn’t just toxic to loons either: birds are especially sensitive to lead poisoning, but lead is also toxic to living creatures of all shapes and sizes. In addition to entering the food web through ingestion, lead can also break down and leach into a lake or river’s water over time – this is especially likely when the lake experiences acidic conditions. When the carcass of an animal that succumbed to lead poisoning is consumed by another animal, that same piece of lead can lead to the deaths of that scavenger too. According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, 10-20 million animals die from lead poisoning each year in the US. Most of this lead enters the environment through the use of lead fishing tackle and lead ammunitions.
Lead has a long history of use by humans that dates back to 6500 B.C. in Turkey, where archaeologists uncovered evidence of lead mining. Lead has a lot of qualities making it easy to work with: it is abundant, easy to shape, very dense, has a low melting point, and is inexpensive. Lead also makes paint colors appear brighter and more vibrant, making it a popular choice for elaborately decorated decoys or jigheads. Despite all of these desirable traits, the fact remains that lead is toxic, and most human uses have been discontinued or outlawed over time. Humans have used lead for things ranging from material for cooking vessels, to makeup, to a wine sweetener, to paint, to a gasoline additive! With the passage of the Clean Air Act and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the 1970s, lead was gradually eliminated from gasoline, and in 1978 lead paint was finally banned in the United States. According to the EPA, there is no safe level of exposure to lead – if humans living in a home with lead paint is an unacceptable health risk, then surely subjecting our lakes and their inhabitants to lead exposure is an unacceptable health risk as well.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Another fishing-associated risk to loons is fishing line entanglement. Loons can come into contact with fishing line in similar ways they might come into contact with lead – biting off an active line, coming across a fish with line attached, or encountering loose line that made its way into the lake. When loons encounter fishing line, it is often accompanied by pieces of tackle such as hooks or lures that may become stuck on the loon’s body, especially around the face and mouth. Sometimes, line or tackle may be attached in a way that does not inhibit the loon’s ability to move, eat, or raise chicks – in these circumstances, the line and/or tackle may persist on the loon and eventually become dislodged on their own. More often, when a loon is entangled, their ability to swim and fly can quickly become impaired. Loons often attempt to remove the fishing line with their most dextrous body part; the bill. Unfortunately, this can lead to the line becoming tangled around the bill, effectively wiring it closed. Without the use of their bill, not only are loons unable to catch food, they are unable to preen their feathers to keep them waterproof. This lack of food and insulation can result in a loon’s body condition deteriorating very quickly. A severely entangled loon can succumb to this problem within a few days to a few weeks without human intervention. The good news is that with early intervention by trained wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators, tangled loons have a good chance at making a full recovery!
If you observe a loon that appears to be in some kind of distress, entanglement or otherwise; the first step you can take is observing and documenting what you notice about the loon. Capturing photo and video evidence of the loon’s behavior is very helpful for professionals to determine if the loon is indeed distressed, or is exhibiting behavior that is typical despite appearing strange. You can access the National Loon Center’s guide to normal vs. distressed loon behavior here. If the loon is determined to be in distress and in need of help, the next step is to locate a licensed wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator near you. The NLC website houses a directory of these certified facilities across the range of the common loon, which can be found here. If you need assistance with determining whether a loon needs help or locating professionals to help with rescue and rehabilitation, you can contact the NLC or the MN DNR (if located outside of MN, your respective state wildlife agency) for assistance.
Fishing Loon-safe
Despite the threats posed to loons by fishing, there are simple steps any angler can take to make their fishing practices safer for loons. The first is straightforward and applies to almost any recreational activity: give loons space! If you have scoped out a fishing area and a loon pops up right when you are ready to cast, it is a good idea to hold off on casting until the loon has moved further away or to move to a different location. Fishing right next to loons puts them at risk of tackle ingestion, line entanglement, and being hooked; as well as putting you at risk of losing your catch or tackle to a loon! The next principle of loon-safe fishing is another one that applies to most recreational activities: clean up after yourself and leave no trace! Keeping loose fishing line and tackle out of the lake is extremely important for the safety of loons and other wildlife. A good precaution to take with used fishing line is cutting it into small pieces – this way, even if it ends up in the lake, there is not a long enough piece to entangle wildlife. Many types of fishing lines are also recyclable in specialized facilities that can be found at some sporting goods or fishing stores, public fishing accesses or boat ramps, and local fish & wildlife offices.
In Minnesota, there are 230 different invasive species that are present and established in our state, with about 100 more species that are present in the state but not established. Many of these species have spread via the boats or bait of fishermen. State law requires that when one is moving aquatic equipment (boats, jet skis, life jackets, water shoes, floaties, etc.) from one lake to another, one must CLEAN any visible debris (plants, zebra mussels, muck, etc.) off of equipment, DRAIN all the water out of equipment and leave any drain plugs open during transport, and DISPOSE of any live bait in the trash, not the lake. If you are fishing with live bait purchased from a tackle shop, there is a chance that it is a non-native species of minnow, leech, or worm. Releasing bait into the lake creates a very high risk of establishing an invasive population! Additionally, you are not allowed to transport water between lakes – if you are using live bait that you would like to keep and use again, you can drain the lake water out of the bait container and replace it with tap or bottled water.
Perhaps the single most impactful action anglers can take to keep loons safe while fishing is to transition from lead to a non-toxic tackle option. While lead is still the default tackle option for many fishing retailers, non-toxic tackle options are becoming more affordable and accessible with each passing year! Some common material alternatives to lead are tungsten, bismuth, steel, tin, brass, and glass – sometimes even a blend of these materials, which is referred to as an alloy. Tungsten performs similarly to lead, even outcompeting it by some standards: it is a denser metal that allows sinkers and jigs to retain a smaller profile compared to a lead product of the same weight, and it is a harder metal that allows for increased sensitivity. This sensitivity allows anglers to get a better feel for what is on the lake bed and detect bites sooner. While Bismuth is not quite as dense as lead, this is also a harder metal that provides the benefit of increased sensitivity. Tungsten comes at a substantially higher price point than lead, but experimentation and innovation with alloy blends is ushering in a new generation of tackle that is non-toxic, high performance, and budget friendly. A list of online lead-free tackle retailers can be found here.
One of the foremost innovators in tackle design is Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Zernov, founder of Dragon Hunter – a business headquartered in Brainerd, MN that specializes in innovative product development, design, and manufacturing. Zernov teamed up with another iconic Brainerd-based business, the legendary Lindy Tackle Company, to develop and expand their line of Lindy-Lead Free products. In 2024, Lindy launched their Lindy-Lead Free line, which offered 4 different jig styles in 144 variations made from a proprietary alloy specifically designed to perform as well or better than lead while being safer for humans, wildlife, and the water it is used in. While the Lindy-Lead Free line is slightly more expensive than lead tackle, there is not a significant cost differential. On May 8th of 2024, Lindy became the first company to sign the NLC’s Loons & Lakes Legacy Pledge! Under this pledge, Lindy committed to making their entire product line lead-free and loon-safe by 2027 – a massive step in the right direction for the Minnesota angling community. Ron Kiffmeyer, Lindy’s sales manager, sums it up well: “This unique blend of materials is a true game changer in the fishing tackle industry… We have made the commitment to go 100% lead free because we can and it is the right thing to do, period.”
In addition to switching to non-lead tackle, anglers can encourage others in their community to do the same. Outfitting the tackle boxes of kids and grandkids with loon-safe tackle is a wonderful way to instill stewardship ethics in the next generation while introducing them to what could be a lifelong interest in fishing. Talking with fishing buddies about the threats lead tackle poses and the successes you’ve had with non-lead tackle could be the push they need to make the switch! Bait and tackle shops are much more likely to carry non-lead options if they know their customers will purchase them – requesting that your favorite shop carries loon-safe tackle helps get these products in front of more people in your community. Until the end of March 2027, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Get the Lead Out initiative has a tackle rebate program that brick and mortar stores can apply for, which reimburses stores up to $3,000 for the purchase of non-lead products to sell in their storefront. Click here to learn more about this program or apply.
Still not convinced that you’re ready to make the switch? Many lake associations, city governments, and non-profits (like the National Loon Center!) participate in community tackle exchanges, where you can swap some of your lead tackle for samples of lead-free options to try out. Not only does this allow you to experiment with different types of non-lead tackle, but it allows you to safely dispose of old lead tackle. Lead cannot be thrown into a normal trash bin, and should be brought to your county household hazardous waste facility or to one of these community exchanges for safe disposal.
Throughout Minnesota’s storied history with outdoor recreation on our incredible lakes, we have seen countless fishing traditions arise. From the Lindy rig, to the AquaVu underwater camera, to portable ice fishing houses, many innovations in the fishing world have come from Minnesotan fishermen. What if the next wave of innovations in fishing technology were centered around stewardship and the health of our lakes? What if we continued down the path of people like Jeff Zernov, striving toward a future where technology not only enabled great fishing, but fishing that is as safe as it can be for people, wildlife, and our lakes? Perhaps Minnesota’s legacy of being a fabulous place to fish has only just begun. A future where our lakes are full of plenty of fish to catch for humans and loons alike, where we do not see our state bird dying from lead poisoning and fishing line entanglements, and where our lakes are not littered with toxic metals is just on the horizon – all we have to do is continue toward it, with stewardship and sustainability as our guide.
