What is magnet fishing?

Charlie Fripp, BestReviews Staff

2 years ago

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Introduction to magnet fishing

There are plenty of ways to go fishing. It is one of the oldest methods of bringing a meal ashore, from standing on the shore with a 10-foot rod to wading in calm waters while whipping a fly fishing rod back and forth.

But one type of fishing has become more popular over the last few years: magnet fishing. However, there is a big difference between catching fish and magnet fishing. There is only one rule: If you manage to hook and reel in a scaled aquatic creature, you’re doing it wrong.

What to know before you go magnet fishing

The basics

While you still have a fishing line, no hooks or bait are on it. In fact, you don’t even use a fishing rod. Magnet fishing is the term for searching ponds, lakes and rivers for metallic objects with a powerful magnet attached to a durable rope.

You can either stand on the shore and fling the magnet as far as possible or take to the water on a small boat and trawl the magnet until it attaches to an object. Once it snags something, you must pull the rope to retrieve what’s attached to the magnet.

Equipment you’ll need

The two most important pieces of magnet fishing are the long, high-strength nylon rope and the magnet. But this isn’t the type of magnet you use to stick photos on your fridge. It is industrial-strength, made from several protective layers and can lift a few hundred pounds. There are different varieties of fishing magnets, and the size and strength depend on what you are hoping to find.

The rope is similar to rock climbing rope, as it has a high weight limit that would exceed anything you could find in a lake. The length of the rope isn’t crucial, but it does have to reach the bottom of the water. This is less important when magnet fishing from the shore, as the magnet will always sink to the bottom, but the length is vital when fishing from a boat.

Biggest finds

Plenty of videos online show all kinds of objects that lucky fishers pulled out. Especially popular around battlegrounds or areas of historical value, some treasure hunters have retrieved World War II weapons, ancient coins, medals and other valuable items.

One of the most amazing finds was an ancient dagger from the Middle East, found in a river in England in 2017. Another struck it rich in 2020 by finding two safes in one day that contained bracelets, necklaces, a pocket watch and even some gold.

But magnet fishing comes with a few risks, too. Not only are the magnets powerful enough to crush your fingers, you might bring something to the surface that can be deadly. This happens regularly in areas that saw heavy WWII fighting, as German magnet fishers regularly bring up live grenades, loaded weapons and rounds of ammunition.

Most common finds

Before you get into magnet fishing, remember that you’re not going to get filthy rich on your first try — or ever. It takes a lot of dedication and knowing where to hunt, and you might never find anything valuable.

For all the fantastic objects, there are thousands of mundane pickups. The most common objects retrieved from water include nuts and bolts, screws and nails, cutlery and tools. Occasionally you might find scrap pipes, or modern coins if the magnetic content is high enough.

In an ironic twist, the chances are good that you bring in discarded fishing tackle, such as hooks and lures.

What you need to buy for magnet fishing

AnglerMag Magnet Fishing Kit

Perfect if you are just getting started, this kit contains a 2.9-inch magnet with a pull force of 1,250 pounds and a 60-foot nylon paracord rope. It also comes with a three-prong hook to bring non-magnetic items to the surface, cut-resistant safety gloves, a plastic scraper and a microfiber cloth.