Found under big oak tree 20 feet from trout stream (North west NJ), what is it?

[BenFrankOG]

Found this metal detecting at a park in Califon, New Jersey directly under a big oak tree limb extremely close to a trout fishing stream. Drop/flat shape. Any clue what it is?

Previous suggestions from Reddit were

- Fishing weight
- Tree Tag
- Key ring (such as hotel room or locker)


Thanks to all who respond.

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Looks like a key tag for a motel room, but I can't explain the gap.....

 

[firemanphob]

its a fishing weight that didn't fill out completely when molded probably because the mold was not hot enough yet.

 

[1KBlueTuber]

It’s a decoy weight.

 

[Daltontribe]

For sure it is a 7oz fishing weight, they are molded like that for not getting caught up on the rocks, I have a few for fishing in the PNW.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Trezurehunter]

I believe its a fishing weight.

 

[Silvermonkey]

Cool find.!

 

[A2coins]

Good I'd Careful of fishing lures

 

[gunsil]

It is a "drift" sinker, it was made thin and flat like that to better bounce along the bottom while drifting. I have a mold that makes smaller ones I use in more shallow slow currents. A big boy like that would be for deep swift currents.

 

[BenFrankOG]

Thanks and thanks to all who commented. This makes sense with the area right next to a deep, rocky trout stream. I think it's an interesting find, even though it isn't worth much at all, it's just an interesting piece.

 

[BenFrankOG]

Any clue on how old it may be? I don't view it as treasure, but I still consider it interesting or something just may be wrong with me haha.

 

[gunsil]

This is a more modern style of sinker but I don't know when they came to be. I had never seen one when I was little (1950s-60s) and I fished a lot, still do. I bought my mold for making them in the 1980s. Sooner or later most of us will dig plenty of old sinkers, I just melt them down to make new ones like all the more modern bullets and broken lead toys I dig.

 

[BenFrankOG]

Thanks gunsil! Good luck fishing + metal detecting!