then to what it’s all about—
artifact hunting. I love recover-
ing objects, whether it’s digging
deep into the earth or sweep-
ing the surface using a metal
detector. I’ve excavated burial
mounds and precontact villages
and metal-detected battle-
fields. Sometimes you get lucky,
but sometimes you can spend
hours prepping and days scav-
enging 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 pur-
chased right from Amazon, or
one of several dedicated magnet
fishing websites run by enthusi-
asts 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 profes-
sional 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.May/June 2022 59WHERE ARE THE BEST PLACES
TO FISH? → 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 accessibil-
ity 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.MY MAGNET GOT STUCK. SHOULD
I CUT THE ROPE? → 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.I CAUGHT STUFF I DON’T WANT.
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH IT? → 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.FISHING
MAGNET
FAQS
The author
pulls a rusty
firearm
from the
Monongahela
River in
Pittsburgh
using a clamp
magnet.CO
UR
TE
SY
BE
N^ D
EM
CH
AK