We’ve talked about magnet fishing on our blog several times — it’s more like treasure hunting than fishing. All you really need is a strong, brightly colored rope and a fishing/retrieval magnet, and you’re ready to go. But we wanted to bring this creative hobby up again because it’s been in the news lately, and for the wrong reasons.

Pandemic Pastime

Ever since the pandemic started, magnetic fishing has become a bit of a craze. After all, it’s something people can do on their own, or socially distanced, out in the fresh air. The issue is that a pastime that may have started out doubling as environmental cleanup is backfiring in a big way. Magnet fishers are essentially de-cluttering the waterways… only to clutter up the land. 

Undisposed Trash and Dangerous Items

This issue has gotten particularly bad in Europe. Think about it like this — their waterways are filled with much more wartime history (e.g., World War II relics), and officials are now calling it a threat to “archaeological sites” as well as potentially dangerous (e.g., hand grenades, bombs, etc.).  People are also pulling up more mundane items that are still disruptive when left on the sidewalk — items like rusty bicycles, muddy fences, and broken baby carriages. To put a stop to the craze, some places are putting rules into place to make waterways off-limits, though many people continue to magnet fish anyway. Ultimately, the people who are pulling up “treasure” or garbage and not properly disposing of it are creating more work for city employees. Here at Apex Magnets, we’re hoping that magnet fishing can continue to be a safe and helpful pastime when done legally. As such, we put together a list of tips to keep in mind next time you grab your rope and magnet.
  1. Clean up after yourself — if you’ve pulled up smaller items, make sure to dispose of them and clean up any rust or mud.
  2. Take advantage of the scrapyard — in the case of bigger items, if you have a truck, bring them to a metal scrapyard.
  3. Call the sanitation department — if you don’t have a truck or something to carry larger items, call the sanitation department and ask them to send a truck.
  4. Call the police when necessary — if you do pull up a sensitive or dangerous item, call the police immediately. 

Let Apex Magnets Help You on Your Next Fishing Trip

We’re always working on ways our customers can use our magnets and other products, from fishermen and hobbyists to crafters and manufacturers. Sign up for our newsletter to get these stories and more sent straight to your inbox each month.