DIY: Turning Lead into…Silver? How To Pour Your Own Fishing Sinkers and Jigs

Warning: working with molten lead can be extremely dangerous. This post is to give insight into how I pour my own sinkers, but be sure to consult an expert prior attempting on your own. Full Disclaimer

If you haven’t noticed, my most recent blog posts have been heavily saltwater fishing focused with my upcoming trip to the coast. This post is going to be focused on making your own terminal tackle.

If you haven’t experienced a shortage in the pandemic yet, its bound to happen. Last year, there was an extreme shortage of 4oz. sinkers and I barely scraped by on my existing stock. This post highlights how I keep myself stocked up without the dependency on finding them in store.

Materials Needed

• Lead Ingot
• Sinker Mold
• Cannonball Sinker Eyes
• Cast Iron Sauce Pot
• Heat Source
• Candle

Step 1: Prepare the Mold

Prior to using the mold, light a candle and run the mold over the top of the flame until the entire mold is black with soot. This will help the lead release from the mold after pouring.

Step 2: Heat Up The Lead (and the Mold)

Depending on the amount of pouring I plan to do, I use a Hot Pot or a simple cast iron sauce pan on a turkey fryer heating element. Working in a well-ventilated area, I heat up some fluxed lead (you can make your own or buy it handily from reloaders) until its molten hot.

Tip: Find A Cheap Lead Hot Pot
My first lead hot pot was actually just a cast iron sauce pan…you can readily find these at World Market and with a coupon no less.

Balance the mold on top of the lead melting pot to allow it to heat up too. A warmer mold will allow the lead to flow better and not “cure” too quickly before the entire mold is formed.

Step 3: Pour A Test Run

Prior to putting any hardware in the mold, pour a few test runs to ensure the mold is filling as expected.

Tip: Pour Vs Bottom-Fill
Many of the pots available are bottom fill pots…they have a small “spigot” to allow you to fill the mold from the bottom of the hot pot I prefer to pour as it seems to more quickly fill the mold so it doesn’t cure too fast…especially noticeable on the jig molds.

Step 4: Place Your Hardware

Using the wire or eyelets that match your mold, insert the hardware and carefully close the pre-warmed mold.

Step 5: Pour Your Sinker/Jig

Carefully fill the mold by pouring directly from the hot pot or sauce pan.

Step 6: Clip Off the Excess

Using side cutters, clip off the excess.

Step 7: File It Pristine

Remove any burrs using a file.

Make ‘Em Beautiful

If you are pouring sinkers, you are done! As you can see, I’m pouring jigs…in an upcoming post I’ll show you how I give them eyes, paint them and clear-coat them.