The Start to Our Magnet Fishing Adventures
Some say it's a lifestyle; we say it's life! That is our motto here at Salty Scales. When we say that, we are, of course, talking about fishing and the outdoors. Capt. Joshua Taylor and I spend anywhere from 3-4 days on the water per week, fishing and filming for our YouTube channels. From time to time, we like to change things up and try something new, not only for ourselves, but we figure our followers also want to see fresh and unique content. In 2019 magnet fishing videos had just become popular on YouTube, and I had the idea to introduce this type of "fishing" to our channels. Josh was a bit hesitant at first.
Remember, as content creators, we should always think about what people want to watch on our channels. We had never gone that far outside the box. After some time and a bit of research, we decided to give it a shot. If you are looking at getting into magnet fishing, it's very similar to regular fishing. The first thing is first, what type of magnet are you going to use? There are many options and a variety to choose from, each having its advantages and disadvantages. Next, where are you going to go to magnet fish? Research into the areas you are looking at can help you save time and arm fatigue. Trust me, magnet fishing is much more strenuous than one might think. Let's dive deeper into our experience of magnet fishing; who knows; we might even save you some time AND money in the long run.
What Type of Magnet Should You Get?
So, you have decided that magnet fishing is something you are interested in trying. What type of magnet are you going to purchase? One might be surprised at how many options there are. It can be slightly overwhelming if you are diving into the new recreation. I would compare it to a new angler looking for a fishing rod. They have no idea of all the different options to choose from when selecting a rod to fit their needs. The two most popular "types" of magnets are single-sided (magnetic side down and on the bottom) and double-sided (magnetic side on the top and bottom). At first glance, I know you are thinking, "I am going with the double-sided magnet." Remember when I said both types of magnets had their advantages and disadvantages? Personal opinion plays a significant role here. Take it with a grain of salt. I do not claim to be a magnet fishing expert by any means, but I can share the knowledge that I have gained.
I have used both single and double-sided. I noticed that the double-sided magnet had a challenging time hanging on to the items that I was stuck to, more so than the single-sided. I do not know the science behind this, but our 400lb single-sided magnets pulled up more treasures than our 1000lb+ double-sided magnet. We didn't think anything of this until we found more gems that required both magnets to get them out of the water. When we attempted to lift an item with both magnets, the double-sided would break loose from the object almost every time. The double-sided magnet was weaker. The double-sided magnets that we have do not perform quite like the single-sided. With that being said, you can still catch plenty of treasure with the double-sided magnets. Who knows, maybe we got two weak double-sided magnets, but I don't think that is the case.
Let's talk about price, though; the double-sided magnets tend to be much more expensive than the single-sided. If you are a beginner, there is no need to spend a small fortune on supplies. The 400lb magnets that we started our adventures with were very inexpensive. If I can recall correctly, Josh and I paid somewhere around $20-$25 for a magnet with a 65ft rope. We caught plenty of treasure with these starter magnets and were very impressed with their strength. Honestly, we pulled up some HUGE prizes that would impress even the most experienced magnet fishermen. I would highly recommend a couple of accessory items before you get started on your rust fishing adventures. We would highly recommend adding a pair of strong rubber or leather gloves to your shopping cart. TRUST us; they will make your magnet fishing adventure much more pleasurable. As you throw the rope and pull it in your hands, get tore up with no protection. Some even say you should add a grappling hook to your arsenal if you find an item that your magnet can't get off the bottom without some help. We have not personally tried this; I regret not finding out some of the things we lost and could never get back up.
You did it; you finally purchased your magnet and ready to catch some treasure! Where is an excellent location to start? That is probably the most critical question that you need to answer. Having a good site is more than half the battle when magnet fishing. First, ask yourself, "Where do many people gather and lose things in the water"? If you find a location like this, you are bound to be successful. Using resources like google earth or even magnet fishing Facebook groups can save yourself a lot of time. Google earth can show you bodies of water that you have never seen or thought of exploring. Facebook groups geared towards magnet fishing can also give you good leads in your local area, or even some useful tips from experienced magnet fishermen. Who knows, you could even discover someone's "honey hole". At the end of the day, you will have to try locations out, but the best part is you never know what is stuck to the end of your rope. I want to compare the feeling to actual fishing, but the feeling you get when magnet fishing different. When you fish, you can see the fish and typically have an idea of what it might be, but you NEVER know when magnet fishing. You could find anything from someone's lost expensive pocket knife or even road signs thrown in the water. Trust me; we know this from experience. If you haven't, make sure you check out my video and Josh's video on our YouTube Channels. We pulled up some crazy items.
OUR FIRST-TIME MAGNET FISHING
Let's talk some about the first time that Josh and I went magnet fishing. We chose to head out to the Skyway Fishing Pier, a State Park open 24/7. We thought that it would be an excellent place to start due to the number of people and heavy foot traffic. We went out on a very rain and dark day. The rain and lightning were so bad when we got out there, and we had to sit in the truck for nearly an hour until it cleared. We brought our rain gear, so that made the rain and wind tolerable.
When you first start magnet fishing, you quickly realize how exhausting it is. Throwing and pulling the magnet up, over and over. If you are in a productive area, you tend to pick up a lot of magnetic rocks and trash that you really can't make out what it is or where it came from.
As we moved up and down the pier, this was the case, pulling up rusted hooks, weights, parts of metal piping from the bridge. It was nothing crazy or super exciting. Until we found something that we were having a hard time getting up after about 30 minutes trying to get the item to the water's surface. We were getting frustrated. So we had the bright idea to hook both magnets to the mystery object and pull up simultaneously. I can't express how challenging it is to hold on to the rope with such a heavy unknown item attached. When we got it to the pier, we were surprised to find a big metal pipe. It hadn't been in the water very long. The tube was still in good condition. It was exciting because that gave us hope that there was more treasure below. We were hopeful we would find something that had been on the ocean floor for years. It wasn't, but 15 minutes later, we have hooked up again.
I yelled to Josh, "I got something big." He ran down and hooked his magnet up. Again, we used all our grip strength to pull our newly found treasure to the surface. When we got a glimpse of it, we couldn't even tell what it was. So, we continued pulling; when we got it to the edge of the pier, all you could see was the ocean floor had overtaken our treasure. Only by its shape could you tell what it was; it was an old boat anchor. Who knows how long that anchor sat on the ocean floor, but somehow it was still in good shape? There were all kinds of critters crawling on the anchor; my finger even got pinched by a crab. To this day, I am still impressed with how fantastic our first trip magnet fishing was. The day continued, and I promise, we caught more ocean treasure that you should check out. Ensure you check out both my video and Josh's to see everything that we caught our first-time magnet fishing.
Capt. Chris Canning's Video:
Capt. Joshua Taylor's Video:
