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Looking to get into the exciting world of magnet fishing?

In the past, you might have had to scour junkyards or yard sales to find suitable gear. But these days, with magnet fishing catching on all over the world, it’s become much easier to get your hands on the good stuff.

A quick glance at Amazon revealed a few things. For under $30, a person can get a one-sided neodymium fishing magnet with 1,000 pounds of pulling power. Spend a few bucks more and you can get a whole magnet fishing kit, including a double-sided magnet, grappling hook, gloves and 65-foot rope.

Local magnet fishing maestro Colt Busch includes a few caveats, however.

“People definitely want to do their own research when it comes to getting magnets,” he said.

For one thing, cheaper magnets will lose their magnetic power over time. Some are OK for salt water fishing, some are not.Advertisement

“You should definitely check the reviews,” Colt said, “and see what people are saying about them.”

Colt himself has gotten magnets in a variety of ways. One he ordered online. With it, he found a bicycle in a stretch of river that had — you guessed it — a magnet attached to it. He ultimately lost that magnet, but his wife bought him another as a Christmas present.

There are cheaper magnets out there — Amazon has them for under $10 — but they are generally weaker, with 300 pounds of pulling force.

The company Brute Magnetics has a whole line of magnet fishing kits. as does Kellyco and a variety of other outfits.

Now that you have a kit, what do you do with it? Colt recommends watching a few YouTube videos to learn the ways of magnet fishing. In particular, he recommends the Bondi Treasure Hunter channel, which features a variety of videos about magnet fishing, metal detecting and related hobbies.

Of course, there is also Colt’s Facebook page, US Magnet Fishing, which he runs with his fishing buddy Cameron Fox, of Portland.

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