Magnet Fishing: What to Know Before You Dive In
If you’re wondering what lurks beneath that murky lake or languid lagoon near you - you’re in luck.
Welcome to the wild, wonderful and mysterious world of magnet fishing. All you need is a long rope and a strong magnet - along with a body of water, of course - and you’re in business.
So what’s the attraction? Most avid fishing magnet enthusiasts will tell you there’s a huge rush of adrenaline each time you drop that magnet into the water.
What’s down there hidden in those deep dark depths? What will you find? Will it be trash or treasure? Riches or rubbish? You never know. You could strike it rich or score a once-in-lifetime find.
Magnet Fishing Basics
- Magnet fishing is a little like metal detecting. You will find yourself trying to cover large areas with a small sensor. Some days may go by when you don’t find anything or anything valuable. But you never know what tomorrow will bring. And therein lies the attraction.
- No matter how strong your fishing magnet is - it will only attract and pick up ferromagnetic objects. This includes rusty old pipes, brackets and other metal junk. It will not attract anything made of aluminum, brass, copper, glass, gold, ceramic, plastic, or silver. No jewels or gems either, unless they’re in a metal safe or lock box.
- Your fishing magnet will only pull up the approximate weight of its listed pull force. But remember, things that are underwater will weigh a lot more than they do on land. This is due to the resistance the water presents when you try to pull them up.
- Another factor to consider is that there’s a lot of stuff sitting on the bottom that could trap a magnet on a rope. So, in addition to being careful, you may want to be prepared to lose a magnet or two.
- If you’re pulling your fishing magnet along in a kayak or rowboat, it is easy to back up and work the magnet out of being caught. In a motorized craft, you’ll probably just snap the rope and lose the magnet to the deep. (You might be able to find it and pull it back up with another fishing magnet though.)
- You will have to learn to be very patient. Most bodies of water are big and your magnet is very small, so you might not find much very quickly. There's also lots of iron junk on the bottom of many lakes, rivers and ponds. Rusted bits of metal, steel cable, and many rocks that contain iron often stick to the magnets.
- You may have to periodically scrape off iron-bearing dirt and rocks from your fishing magnet. That’s where a sturdy pair of work gloves will help you scrape the mess off without cutting yourself on something rusty.
- Most people who use fishing magnets for treasure hunting will tell you that finding something valuable is very rare. While you may not find anything exciting on most trips, magnet fishing is still a great excuse to get outside and be on the water for a while.
- It is extreamly important to clean, dry, and put your magnet away immediately after you’re done magnet fishing. Put it back safely in its foam cube once you’re done trolling for treasure. Otherwise, you may inadvertently put your fishing magnet down somewhere ferromagnetic and have a difficult if not impossible time pulling the magnet free.
So if you’re determined to delve into the watery depths to find hidden secrets, historical artifacts, snappy souvenirs, lost tools, trinkets, or other unknown treasures - be sure to check out our array of high-powered neodymium fishing magnet kits. You’ll find everything you need to prowl the deep, dark depths and pull up your underwater prizes with panache. Good luck!