Old Fishing weights....i think

[jaybird10e]

Here some fishing weights i've found in the river in the past couple weeks. Been metal detecting the river becuase its the only place i can find without a foot of snow.
Does anyone know if these are old and if so how old?
Also the one on the bottom left may not be a fishing weight Thanks for looking.

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

I think everything there are fishing weights, the bottom row except the one on the left are modern,Middle row are modern fishing weights,Top row rolled up lead are home made weights only one on top row is not home made the third from end.The types are 1 sliding egg sinker,2 bass casting or also called bell sinkers,1 round flat sinker,1 pyramid (triangle) sinker,1 split shot (or crimped) sinker, an inline sinker (long skinny one) and 2 bank sinkers.I think everything on top row are your oldest weights the one that isn't homemade they don't make weight molds for, so it goes back in age.I don't see anyway for last one on top to attach to line but that may have broken off, still home made I think.Some of the rolled ones may have been net weights as they look larger than the 3 ounce pyramid weight so they are pretty big for normal fishing weights.Hope this helps.I think you will be able to figure out which are the ones I named as the names pretty much describe them by shape.

 

[t120tr6r]

Very cool finds. I love the history of such utilitaian stuff. Beats digging lincolns any day!

 

[CASPER-2]

the home made ones are usually from guys that cant afford to buy real ones - they could be from back in the depression days -
Ive have found over 2000 sinkers of all shapes and sizes - fresh & salt water
guys will make them from any kind of lead and some times from large nuts and bolts - any thing they can find that is free
lead is worth money - throw in a bucket and save it up - when you get enough - scrap it or find someone that buys lead
many guys will buy to re make into new sinkers or make into musket balls or bullet heads
ive remade new sinkers with new molds and have used to make musketballs yrs ago myself
right now I got about 250lbs saved up - will scrap eventually - it all helps pay towards the hobby

 

[CASPER-2]

this was one years worth

 

[rick67]

this was one years worth

View attachment 1405373

I can relate to that. I got around fifteen pounds from a inlet at low tide in a fifty yard stretch. Sifter was sinking, pouch wouldn't stay up.

 

[maipenrai]

I take my sinkers to the auction house, in 2 lb lots. Not a lot of money, but worth a couple beers!

 

[jaybird10e]

cool, thanks for all the info. yes, ive find lots of nuts and bolts with fishing line tied around it. i will keep the older ones because they just look cool...and the others i have been saving for a friend who melts them down to make more. i have been finding these in tge same area where i have been finding some old bullets too. This is what i found yesterday...

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I find it relaxing wandering the shorelines detecting weights and the fact that I melt and pour my own out of all I find, it's cost effective.