Anyone ever try magnet fishing?

kevinstang · April 4, 2017 10:57AM

I've been watching a lot of videos this winter on people doing this (especially love the ones in Europe where they pull out old helmets and sub machine guns etc..) thought I might give it a try this summer. Bought a neat little magnet off ebay- sucker will lift a 12 pound cannon ball or two foot section of train rail like nothing. There are a lot of old bridges and small streams in my area of upstate NY, who knows what might be in them. (I've also got a Garrett GTpro if I need to explore further I guess).So anyone here have any tips or success stories?

pcgs69 · April 4, 2017 1:06PM

seems like it'd be interesting to see what comes out. I'd be worried about getting it stuck to an old washer, or car that was disposed of

1630Boston · April 4, 2017 1:10PM

May need a winch to hoist it out...and a strong cable attached to the magnet...but it could be interesting, keep us posted

ricko · April 5, 2017 7:27AM

I have never tried that.... certainly a lot of streams here in the Catskills, NYS.... Let us know what you find. At least you will not be pulling beer can pop tops... Cheers, RickO

metalmeister · April 5, 2017 8:57AM

Please post pics of items you find. I worked at a reservoir for a while during the summers as a teenager. Open to the public. Fishing only. One year they drained the entire lake! Cars, guns, you name it were pulled out. I believe several crime cases were closed after the discoveries.

kevinstang · April 5, 2017 1:46PM

I'll have to wait till the water goes down after the spring floods are over but I'm adding spots to try it as I drive around-lots of small creeks with old bridges over them. Instead of beer can tops I wonder what the most common item will be? People will probably think I'm nuts out tossing a rope over and over into water...or thinking I'm a jumper ...lol. I've even thought about a small kayak to get into more isolated spots along river bank. Will update with any finds....unless I drown...then you probably won't hear back.

zippcity · April 5, 2017 2:48PM

sounds interesting ,

ricko · April 6, 2017 7:15AM

A kayak or canoe would be a great idea..... Kind of limited doing it from the shore... Cheers, RickO

Cakes · April 6, 2017 11:04AM

@kevinstang said:
I'll have to wait till the water goes down after the spring floods are over but I'm adding spots to try it as I drive around-lots of small creeks with old bridges over them. Instead of beer can tops I wonder what the most common item will be? People will probably think I'm nuts out tossing a rope over and over into water...or thinking I'm a jumper ...lol. I've even thought about a small kayak to get into more isolated spots along river bank. Will update with any finds....unless I drown...then you probably won't hear back.

I think you might be better off concentrating on highly populated water spots instead of small creeks with bridges. In northern VA we have Great Falls, it has a couple of spots that people like to soak, etc...there is also a waterfall.

AUandAG · April 6, 2017 9:46PM

Might find a boat load of steel pennies.

I cannot image anything of value being found that was not all rusted to heck.

bob

ricko · April 7, 2017 7:12AM

I have a friend who pulled two outboard motors out of a lake with magnets.... He also found a lot of junk as well...Cheers, RickO

kevinstang · April 10, 2017 9:21AM

My best outlook for success might be some cannon balls- a 3 day siege lasted near me on the St. Lawrence river during the French and Indian War. It saw a French fortified island with around 400 men hold off a small British fleet and some 12,000 soldiers until their final surrender. Thousands of rounds were shot off and several British Ships sunk (later re-floated). There was also action in and around the time of the war of 1812 and the Finnian raids on Canada. . Also during prohibition a lot of smuggling of alcohol-who knows what was dropped. Never thought about outboard motors-but I've heard of them falling off before and I know from experience there are probably a few boat anchors!

1630Boston · April 10, 2017 9:32AM

Keep us up to date please

ricko · April 11, 2017 8:00AM

I have found cannon balls along the Hudson River... not in the water, but not far from shore... there were battles fought in this area from the Revolution and later... Lots of history here... Cheers, RickO

WhiteTornado · April 13, 2017 1:06PM

Look on Treasurenet, they have a forum for magnet fishing:

treasurenet.com/forums/magnet-fishing/

1630Boston · April 13, 2017 1:09PM

That is an interesting thread on magnets, thanks for sharing

kevinstang · April 14, 2017 10:19AM

Definitely thanks for that treasurenet link! Weather is getting nicer and I'm thinking of maybe getting ready for a few trial tosses at the local boat launch after seeing that lost prop recovered- I've heard of a lot of them falling off boat motors too.

ricko · April 15, 2017 8:07AM

If only there were such a thing as gold/silver magnets.... Cheers, RickO

kevinstang · April 17, 2017 8:41AM

Well went out for a couple of hours yesterday, anyone want to guess what the first find was? Went to a small backroad with shallow little creek-surprisingly even now the current was stronger than it looked and took away possibly best find of the day.

ChrisH821 · April 17, 2017 11:39AM

@kevinstang said:
Well went out for a couple of hours yesterday, anyone want to guess what the first find was? Went to a small backroad with shallow little creek-surprisingly even now the current was stronger than it looked and took away possibly best find of the day.

Pliers?

kevinstang · April 17, 2017 12:24PM

Nope.....very first toss and pulled in a bottle cap, not even rusted! Saved it - I think it was a Labatt blue or blue moon something like that. Nothing great to report, about an 8ft section of 2 inch pipe- think it might have been handrail from bridge at one time, a 3 ft section of what looked like maybe natural gas steel pipe, a 55 gallon drum top band- by the large quantity of small nails and tin scraps I'm guessing the whole barrel was probably in there somewhere. Pulled a couple of 12 gauge shells in- including one unfired. A few more bottle caps and car/electrical parts. The best find of the day got lost in the current- it was a road sign still on its pole, but it dropped before either myself or friend could grab it an pull it up. Current was strong enough to sweep it away somewhere-possibly under bridge, couldn't find it and never got a good look at the sign end- it was still in the water when it dropped off. Did open up some potential more finds I had never thought about- old signs. There were a couple of real heavy items that magnet grabbed but couldn't budge and kept pulling magnet off- I'm using a 249lb pull 2 inch magnet, thinking of getting a 400-500lb pull and going back! Oh, and I brought the detector with me, found 1 quarter, 1 dime and 4-5 pennies along roadside, nothing old, but an interesting day. HH

1630Boston · April 17, 2017 12:51PM

Great fun

ricko · April 18, 2017 7:19AM

Very interesting... amazing amount of magnetic material in a small creek... what river does it flow into? Would be really curious to find out what those large items are..... Cheers, RickO

kevinstang · April 19, 2017 8:57AM

Creek flows into the Oswegatchie river which flows into St.Lawrence. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the large objects was a car/truck/tractor motor (rural area). I had a good tug at something and pulled in an old rusty oil filter too. Probably broke it off.

ricko · April 20, 2017 6:10AM

Wow.... did people often dump old motors into creeks/rivers? I agree, based on the apparent size/weight it could be that....may also be an old car I guess.... next you will need diving gear... Cheers, RickO

lordmarcovan · April 25, 2017 8:36AM

Never tried it, but since a lot of Canadian coins (including, I believe, their $1 and $2 pieces) are magnetic, I'll bet this could be profitable around summer swimming areas North of the Border.

ricko · April 25, 2017 8:49AM

@lordmarcovan .... excellent idea.... did not realize they were magnetic... but using a magnet on the Canadian side of Niagara might prove profitable.... Cheers, RickO

AUandAG · April 25, 2017 6:26PM

Hmmmm, do Canadian's really swim with dollar coins in their trunks????

LOL

micromayfly · April 26, 2017 11:32AM

use the magnet find the iron get the gold in the gravel under the old horshoe. My best nuggets
were under old horseshoes. I love finding iron in the river.

ricko · April 27, 2017 6:41AM

Under old horseshoes? Really? That is interesting..... I have done a lot of gold hunting and talked to many other prospectors... and have never heard that one before - but as the old adage goes..."Gold is where you find it." Cheers, RickO

lordmarcovan · April 27, 2017 7:48AM

@AUandAG said:
Hmmmm, do Canadian's really swim with dollar coins in their trunks????

LOL

Dunno, but I'd love to find out! Always wondered about that.

Being a Deep South resident, I've never been to Canada, except for a flyover on the way home from the detecting trip to England.

Come to think of it, I can't recall reading too many accounts of detecting up there, though I know it goes on aplenty.

ChrisH821 · May 5, 2017 2:52PM

Any update on the magnet fishing?

magnetfishing · April 21, 2021 8:38AM

I try magnetfishingusa.com and I used a magnet fishing kit from amazon.

HiBucky · April 22, 2021 4:07AM

Detected the hell out of a fur trade site except for the creek. My buddy has a magnet and said lets give it a try. I was detecting in the field and David threw that thing in the water 100 + times. He found some nails, very old hand forged, and nothing else. So I went down to the creek and took that magnet and threw that thing as far as I could. The first time I dragged that mag across the hard bottom of the creek out comes a musket mechanism. First time, the first time then nothing ! I threw that thing till my arm
was ready to fall off and nothing. See Pic. What a beauty .....

Jimnight · April 22, 2021 4:25AM

Worth checking out!

Namvet69 · April 22, 2021 4:26AM

So I've been carrying a rare earth magnet set up rated at 300 lbs of pull. Most important part of the set up is to use a high tensile rated cord cause you gotta be able to pull the magnet free from a snag or attachment to something really big like a vehicle chassis. Dipping it off any pier usually finds reels, tools, etc. Have fun. Peace Roy

ricko · April 22, 2021 7:57AM

I have not tried magnet fishing.... Have thought of getting one to try in certain areas, since I would expect to find a handgun or two... if retrieved in a reasonable amount of time, they are usually in fairly good shape and just need some cleaning. Often time, punks will discard a used weapon so as not to be caught with evidence. Might get a rare earth magnet... maybe. So much to do... Cheers, RickO

MJPHELAN · April 23, 2021 6:20AM

Great thread. My brother and I bought a 150 lb pull magnet from Edmund Scientific when we were kids with hopes of finding treasure. Never found a thing. Adventure ended when I stuck the magnet on my mom's new refrigerator to demonstrate its power (and unfortunately its power to scratch the finish...).

ricko · April 23, 2021 8:36AM

@MJPHELAN....
I bet Mom was not happy.... Cheers, RickO

pocketpiececommems · November 28, 2025 10:11PM

I’ve of thought magnet fishing would be a neat thing to try

cheesewhizman · November 29, 2025 9:05AM

Once I pulled a chair out of the water. I wasn’t able to take it home though, so instead I left it next to a trash can thinking that when the trash got emptied they might take it. The next time I go down there, the same chair is still there and people are using it.

Ahmanfan · December 14, 2025 8:53AM

Funny

Barberian · December 15, 2025 10:56AM

@micromayfly said:
use the magnet find the iron get the gold in the gravel under the old horshoe. My best nuggets
were under old horseshoes. I love finding iron in the river.

Caenis or Tricorythodes?

Anyone ever try magnet fishing?

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