Fishing with Magnets

Fishing with Magnets

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

-by Glenn W. Henning As many stories go, it all started with a thought, by way of losing my favorite needle nose pliers to the murky depths of a tributary of Lake Winnebago while fishing for spring crappie. After an exhausting search with every spoon in my tackle box dragged along through the area, another idea hatched, a better one: fishing with magnets!

First thing I needed was a magnet and rope, so off to Harbor Freight I went. 20 minutes later, $11.00 lighter, and a stop at the hardware store for a 1/4 inch diameter by 1 inch long eye bolt (for fixing the magnet to a rope) and voilà. I not only got back my own pliers, but a lot of other things, too, like hook removers and so much more.

No, I didn’t invent the use of a magnet to retrieve things lost overboard or … in my case, off a bridge wing wall while fishing … but for me it was a first. Since that day, I’ve gone from a low-cost rig to more expensive gear. If spending money on a whim is a problem, a person could go to You Tube, type in “magnet fishing,” and start looking there.

Magnet Fishing Gear

My gear consists of a double-sided magnet bought off Amazon, which’s rated for 400 pounds. The main drawback, echoed in the reviews, was the eye bolt loosening up. A small tube of permanent thread locker solved that problem. I selected the magnet due to its carrying capacity. Magnets are rated in Teslas, for reference, a refrigerator magnet has a pull of 0.001 T; those tend to hold up report cards great so my 400-pound one ought to be just fine for magnet fishing. There are a variety of choices and manufactures out there, however, mine is made by KJ Magnetics. I chose this particular magnet based on price; note that sometimes, when fishing with magnets, they will get stuck for good.

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The choice of rope is a personal preference. Pair it with your magnet’s carrying capacity. I prefer a rope that won’t stretch, is warm and cold water resistant, and can withstand abrasive environments, as who knows what lies beneath. If, for whatever reason, there is debate on what’s needed or what to get, check into one of the many premade kits offered by a handful of companies. This will take all the guesswork out of it. Had I had the money at the time, I would have done this instead of buying the magnet, rope, and a grappling hook; the kit even has the eye bolt and thread locker included.

Best places for fishing with magnets

Pick a good spot; and by “spot,” I mean one that gets a lot of use. Bridges that people are always fishing from are a good start, and a boat launch should never get overlooked regardless of age and usage. Another good area to drag your magnet is off the wing walls of a bridge, those will usually have something to offer. If you can get permission, try some old farm ponds. I have pulled horseshoes, tractor parts, barbed wire, even old square nails. Every train trestle I encounter, I throw my magnet in. I’ve found rail spikes, tie plates, and two to three feet of rail itself, which is a heavier find.

Note: if one is going to do this, one may want to look into bringing something with wheels, like a wagon, because a couple of bike frames plus gear when fishing with magnets adds up weight in a hurry.

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The only thing I didn’t bring back home with me after fishing with magnets was a park bench. My son and I checked out a popular fishing/boating area, I tossed my magnet off of the side of the dock in about five feet of water. I felt my magnet hook up, and I pulled out a six-foot city park bench. It wasn’t old or broken, likely an act of a vandal. Unknowing where it came from, we left it there.

Another way to magnet fish is from a boat. I go along the shoreline, looking for fishing lures stuck in the rocks or submerged structures of some sort. I never thought I’d enjoy doing anything like this, but it gets me out of the house and I’m helping the environment. Good luck!

A word of warning when fishing with magnets

Be aware of the possibility of finding an unexploded ordnance (UXO or UXBs) and/or firearms. If you were to find one, alert the authorities, let them handle it.

fishing-with-magnets-sometimes-turns-up-bad-things

High school dropout turned author, Glenn W. Henning has done it all. Wrestled black bears, swam in the Mississippi, and once owned the first four “Hot Wheels.” Glenn has been married for 42 years and has been published in numerous magazines (Ohio Valley Sports Man, defunct East Coast magazine, Outdoors, as a senior trapping expert, and Fur, Fish, Game, to name a few). He’s helped raise over 90 dogs as well as numerous other animals (rabbits, ferrets, birds, raccoons, and a few aquarium fish). He has a son who has gone on to become a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Counselor. Glenn comes to Countryside with a wealth of knowledge on the outdoors that comes from ages before him by way of his father and grandfather.


Originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

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