Magnet Fishing

Any folks on here try it or do it? Find anything cool yet. I just got a 250# magnet. Found basic tools around boat slips and some junk. Best find to me is log dogs and what looks like a peavey in the river at my hunting camp. Hoping for the old gun holy grail under a bridge somewhere.

Have wanted to try magnet fishing, just hadn’t got around to it.

I picked up a 250# magnet at Harbor Freight, that thing got on my tailgate and didn't think I would get it off. I got a wood box to put it in now.

A buddy and I were fishing at C.J. Brown Reservoir once and a guy showed up with a magnet and line. He must have cast it in a few hundred times, working the docks and nearby shoreline thoroughly. He hauled out lots of junk, but nothing of value. He told us he had found 2 guns, a safety deposit, some anchors and lots of metal tackle boxes in the past.

Keith

I got a Tpost, that's bout as good as I found the one time I did it with my brother. It must be catching on because I've saw a few fellers doing it.

Lol.

I remember checking a pocket mink set back in the 1980's under a bridge abutment and when I reached in the water I found a big kitchen knife. Always wondered where/what/how/when/which?

I put it back.
I wiped my prints off it first though.

I got a smaller magnet for work. If you have ever worked with huge piles of sawdust or landscape mulch and drop a tool it's gone. The more you root around the deeper it goes.

There are some cool vids online. They mostly find junk. But a few surprises. If say , they find a motorcycle , police have to be called as the M/C is someone's property and may be stolen.

If they find guns , police must be called too. Of course again , someone's property , stolen. But other issues like has the gun been used in a crime , good chance. Plus 99% of any firearms found will unable to be made operable due to corrosion.

But cool videos to watch.

I bought one off Amazon it's not as strong as they advertised. I used it once. Through it 8 or 12 times and found a .22 stainless marlin single shot. Haven't used it since. I think my boys swiped stuff the bed of my truck.


Sure worked well to recover that rifle. Of course it needed cleaning up.

Good thinking

After reading this thread I thought "that sounds kinda cool". Thought maybe I'd try it sometime. Then I watched this video. If this is a typical day magnet fishing, I'm probably going to find a different hobby.

It must not have been all stainless if your magnet caught it.

A lot of magnetic stainless when you get to the 400 series.

Stainless Rifle barrels are low grade and magnetic. My stainless savage smokeless ml gets picked up with the magnet as well as my little marlin .22.


To be fare the .22 was mine and I lost it when I flipped my kayak. It was under about a week while the magnet shipped and I waited for the ice to get thin enough to bust through with the kayak to get the magnet on the bottom.

I also watched it. I couldn't understand why they kept saying oh wow I can't believe it when it was just the trash you would expect in a creek

My dad and I used to "fish" off the bridge near us when I was younger. One day we pulled up about $500 worth of various tools.

Never found out where they came from.

We had a big electronic magnet hanging over the conveyor belt where coal entered the cleaning plant at the mine I worked at. Mainly, it picked up 6”x6” roof plates and cutting bits from the continuous miner. It was good for a couple pair of Channelock pliers, Visegrips, and a few 6” Stanley screw drivers every week.

I've got 4 magnets now have had two for years. My magnets paid for them selves mostly from picking car keys out of the marina. People catch on fast to that though when they think you have to dive for their keys. Then you walk up take 5 minutes and grab them with magnet. Don't get to many call backs when see you do that.. Last thing I picked out couple months back was 1/2 drive impact tool and hand wrenches. Guy crashed his truck of road into deeper hole in creek flipped big tool box out of the bed. Town ship crew grab tool box with pinch finger on back hoe. But of course in doing that bunch drawers open dumped things. Went there with intentions to dive. Hole was big enough to dive but had barb wire other crap. not worth ripping a dry suit when can chuck magnet in..
Magnets can be fun but most the really good stuff is non magnetic. So you got get in their with a metal detector sort that out. Then all the stuff you picked out with the magnet don't give ya fits.. Years ago couple of us did a dive off handicap fishing dock. Filled the back of a pick up truck with bikes a scooter several other items. I love diving by bridges..I think I have found at least one bike under almost every bridge ever dove under. Unless it was one them really rural ones. Bikes are funny and must rust pretty quick from what I've seen over years. Haven't pulled out to many you could just get on and ride away.

Mac

Me too

There was an old joke about ladies fishing for steelhead trout with magnets. Since they were not using hooks friendly DNR officer didn't cite them for fishing without license.

I so dislike some them people in them video's got turn sound off. LMAO! I like doing it, is fun to fish junk out see what you get..But some them people get so excited.. got them in every thing they make video's of..Funny how thinks that every thing is just What is it that? What is it that? CRAZY! LMAO!

Mac