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Apr 12, 2023

Beginner’s Guide to Magnet Fishing

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Reel in amazing underwater treasures with these magnet fishing essentials.

It was always a treat when my mother rented movies. I never expected one of them to change my life. In the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, is recruited to recover the long-lost Ark, along the way digging up relics and piecing together the mysteries surrounding them. It was all the inspiration I needed. At that moment I knew what I was going to do for a living, and I didn't need a magic sword or a way to travel the galaxy to do it. All I had to do was learn a craft.

And so, I did. I’ve been a registered professional archaeologist, with an undergraduate degree in anthropology from California University of Pennsylvania and a graduate degree in North American history from Norwich University in Vermont, for over 17 years, and I’m as addicted now as I was then to what it's all about—artifact hunting. I love recovering objects, whether it's digging deep into the earth or sweeping the surface using a metal detector. I’ve excavated burial mounds and precontact villages and metal-detected battlefields. Sometimes you get lucky, but sometimes you can spend hours prepping and days scavenging only to return home with nothing.

So when I saw a YouTube video of a guy using magnets to retrieve submerged objects from bodies of water, I was intrigued. And though none of his haul was the type of stuff I was used to finding during a land excavation—he reeled in a gun—this different style of treasure hunting, called magnet fishing, almost guarantees you won't go home empty-handed. Even though his find ended up having no historical significance, what I found even more compelling was not knowing the gun's backstory: Who owned it? Why was it tossed into the water? Was it used to commit a crime? It was like a modern-day mystery that needed to be solved. The more magnet fishing videos I watched, the more I wondered what else could be buried in our waterways. So I ordered a cheap, generic magnet from Amazon and headed to a local bridge to try it for myself. Pretty soon, I was filling buckets with interesting finds—large bolts, cables, steel plates. I took my newfound passion even further and spent the next year researching magnets and magnet design, and in 2020, I launched my own magnet fishing business, Kratos Magnetics, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Whether this becomes something you do on weekends or it becomes a serious hobby, like it did for me, it really is easy and affordable to get started in magnet fishing.

As I learned, you only need a few important pieces of gear, including a magnet, rope, gloves, carabiner, and storage container. Some starter kits cost as little as $20 and can be purchased right from Amazon, or one of several dedicated magnet fishing websites run by enthusiasts like myself.

As you progress there's the fascinating field of magnets to learn—some of the most powerful neodymium styles can pull 2,000-pound objects out of the water. And you can do it almost anywhere—I’ve met enthusiastic magnet fishers across the U.S. and Europe.

You don't need to be a professional archeologist or historian but it helps to have a little bit of luck and some of Indiana Jones taste for discovery—you never know what you’re going to find when you toss your magnet into the murky waters below.

Do an online search for magnet fishing kits, and you’ll find everything from basic $20 kits to family kits for up to $200 (see recommendations, above). My Kratos 550 Single Sided Neodymium Classic Magnet Fishing Kit includes a 550-pound, single-sided magnet, a 65-foot 6mm rope, cut-resistant gloves, and other accessories ideal for beginners. Whether you start with a kit and add to it, or you buy each piece separately to build a custom kit, these are the essentials you’ll need for your first magnet fishing excursion.

To reel in something substantial, you need a neodymium magnet, a strong, permanent rare-earth magnet made up of neodymium, iron, and boron. The neodymium magnets used in magnet fishing are typically graded from n35 to n52, with the higher number representing a more powerful magnet. They also vary in combined pull force—or how much weight a magnet can hold—anywhere from 500 pounds to more than 2,000. "Combined" refers to total pull force: a single-sided, 1,200-pound magnet has all of its pull force concentrated on one side, while a double-sided magnet with the same pull force has 600 on each side (see sidebar below). The higher the pull force, the bigger the object you can reel in. Beginners should start with a combined pull force of 500 to 1,200 (anything over that requires experience). Before dropping your new magnet into water, apply a thread locker, such as Loctite, to the bolts to prevent them from becoming loose and your new magnet from breaking free.

Because you’ll likely toss your magnet into moving bodies of water where rocks lurk beneath, you’ll want a synthetic rope that's abrasion-, rot-, and UV-resistant. Look for one with a breaking strength that is greater than the pull force of the magnet you’re using. Also consider length: If your go-to spot is off a high bridge, you might choose a 100-foot rope over one that's only 65 feet. The longer the rope and the higher its breaking strength, the heavier it will be, especially when wet. Most quality ropes for magnet fishing have at least one sewn end, which makes attaching a carabiner easier (see below on how to tie a Palomar knot). When shopping for a rope, look for one specifically designed for magnet fishing and never choose one smaller than 6mm. The best place to find a magnet fishing–specific rope is online. The climbing ropes found at sporting goods stores are often overpriced.

While some magnet fishing purists see the use of a carabiner to connect the rope to the magnet as a weak point in the setup, I prefer it to tying the rope directly to the magnet. A carabiner provides versatility; it allows you to easily swap out different magnets or add a grappling hook to retrieve awkward-shaped items like a bicycle or a shopping cart, or even something that isn't magnetic. Choose a carabiner with the same or higher breaking strength as your rope, and one with a locking mechanism, which can prevent underwater debris from pushing against the gate and opening it, causing you to lose your magnet. While stainless-steel carabiners work for most magnets, it's best to use an aluminum one—I like the Sturme locking aluminum climbing carabiner—when fishing with a 360 magnet, which is magnetic on all sides. Because aluminum is not magnetic, the carabiner won't stick to the top of the magnet.

Once you see the fish hooks, rusty lures, and sharp metal bits that your magnet brings back, you’ll think twice about fishing barehanded. Many beginner kits include cut-resistant gloves, but I recommend getting a pair that also has insulating properties, like the Showa Atlas 660l-09. These triple-dipped, PVC-coated gloves with a cotton liner are the same ones the folks use to pull rope, cut bait, and handle crab pots on Discovery's Deadliest Catch.

The easiest solution for safely storing and transporting your magnet is to keep it in its original packaging in a five-gallon bucket along with your rope, gloves, and other accessories. If you want to keep a kit in your vehicle for spontaneous fishing like I do, a small cooler or ammo box lined with foam (which prevents your magnet from sticking to things) does the trick. To prolong the life of your magnet, use a plastic scraper and duct tape to remove magnetic bits, and then clean and dry it to prevent it from rusting. Before storing, wipe it down with WD-40 to maintain its shine. As for where to keep all your treasures, another five-gallon bucket, available at any hardware store, will do.

Whether you’re tying your rope to a carabiner or directly to the eyebolt on your magnet, use a Palomar knot, the same strong and reliable knot fishermen use to attach their line to a hook.

Double up your rope and thread it through the magnet's eyebolt or a carabiner.

Tie a loose overhand knot with the double line without twisting the rope; leave a big loop at the end.

Slip your magnet or carabiner through that big loop.

Pull from both ends to secure the knot. Many magnet fishers wrap duct tape around the excess rope and their main line. This helps to keep your rope from getting wedged or caught on things while dragging your magnet.

Often called "dipping" magnets, these attract treasures more effectively when dipped up and down off the bottom of a body of water. They’re ideal for dropping off of docks, bridges, and piers in slow-moving water. When lifted, single-sided magnets retain an angle that promotes maximum pull force (because their calculated strength is all on one side), making them better for pulling up heavier objects, like a safe.

Best suited for steep inclines and fast-moving water like streams and rivers, these attract objects on the top and bottom of the magnet. Pull force is calculated by combining the strength of the top and bottom, so a 1,200-pound double-sided magnet has a pull force of 600 pounds per side.

Also ideal for dragging the bottom of a fast-moving body of water, these use one solid magnet secured in a frame, as opposed to two thinner ones like those on the top and bottom of a double-sided magnet. The result is a larger magnetic field (all sides except where the clamp is attached) capable of picking up objects from farther away.

With a shape similar to single- and double-sided magnets, and the larger magnetic field of a clamp, a 360 is the most versatile—and typically most expensive—of the four. Able to attract objects from all sides, a 360 magnet can be used for everything from dragging in fast-moving water to dipping off bridges and piers.

B.D.: Common spots include bridges, piers, and along the edges of waterways such as lakes, rivers, and canals. Google Earth's Street view is helpful when searching for accessibility to potential spots. Another valuable resource is bridgehunter.com, which lists historic and notable bridges across the country. Keep population in mind, as well. More heavily populated cities often correlate with more objects discarded in waterways. Also, never magnet fish on private property without permission, and always check local laws for restrictions.

B.D.: No. Cutting your rope makes freeing your magnet even harder. Use a pry bar—I like the Pittsburgh 18-inch from Harbor Freight—to leverage whatever it is that's holding onto your magnet or to insert into the magnet's eyebolt to pry it loose. If that doesn't work, try a hand winch, like the Haul-Master 2-Ton Cable Winch Puller from Harbor Freight. Tie your rope to one end and attach the other to a stationary object. Be aware of your surroundings—if your rope rubs against something as you crank, it could break. Also note that ropes stretch under strain; if your magnet breaks free, it could snap back and cause injury or damage.

B.D.: It's not uncommon to find yourself with a bucket of scrap you don't want. Turn your good deed of cleaning up our waterways into cash at a scrapyard. Or check out social media for local connections: Dippers & Scrappers is an environmental conservation organization that Kratos Magnetics has partnered with to compile a list of scrappers in the U.S. and abroad.

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