As Magnet Fishing Booms, More Guns Are Being Pulled from America’s Waters. Can Magnet Fishers Legally Keep Them?

The answer is more complicated than you might expect

BY KATIE HILL | PUBLISHED DEC 12, 2022 4:52 PM

The list of reasons why someone might toss a gun in a river is pretty short. But the list of reasons why Bryce Nachtwey throws magnets tied to rope into America’s waters is even shorter: finding unclaimed property is really cool.

If you don’t believe me, take a dive into magnet fishing YouTube and feel the hours disappear. Enthusiastic treasure hunters pace back and forth on bridges and cast shiny hockey puck-sized magnets into murky depths, pulling in bike parts, railroad spikes, jewelry, coins, and, yes, firearms. Nachtwey’s YouTube channel, Outdoors Weekly, features long, energetic videos of his exploits for his 626,000 subscribers.

It’s a rare video when Nachtwey doesn’t pull a gun or two out of the water. He recently hauled six handguns out of a river in Louisiana, three of which were zipped in a bank deposit bag. But that doesn’t make Nachtwey uniquely good at this hobby. For magnet fishers across America—a fast-growing group—guns are among the most common type of catch. But even though they’re seemingly ubiquitous, they aren’t treated as such. In fact, the pistols, rifles, and shotguns are usually the headlining finds of magnet fishing content...

Complete article with photos and a video:

https://www.outdoorlife.com/co...ishing-keeping-guns/

I mean….would you really want to keep said gun????

Even if we put aside the possible to likely legal implications of why a firearm disposed of in this manner would make me not want it , you still likely have a rusty piece of crap at that point. I mean if I’m fighting skynet and that’s all that’s left maybe.

Actually, I'm not surprised that a lot of guns are being found. I've been hearing people tell me for years that they "lost all of their guns in a boating accident". Who knew?

Coins? Lots of ferrous coins out there?

Isn't this mostly a big so what? After just a few months in water, many will be pretty seriously damaged.

I saw it on YouTube so it must be true.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Coins? Lots of ferrous coins out there?

Similarly, I doubt there's much ferrous jewelry floating around out there...

I mean, I know it exists, since I had a stainless steel wedding band because I knew I would only be wearing the metal wedding band a few times per year. But it's not common, and considering that only cost me like $30 brand new, I doubt there'd be any value beyond scrap in any corroded steel jewelry dredged up from the bottom of a river.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Coins? Lots of ferrous coins out there?

Maybe contained in a metal box?

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Coins? Lots of ferrous coins out there?

Similarly, I doubt there's much ferrous jewelry floating around out there...

I mean, I know it exists, since I had a stainless steel wedding band because I knew I would only be wearing the metal wedding band a few times per year. But it's not common, and considering that only cost me like $30 brand new, I doubt there'd be any value beyond scrap in any corroded steel jewelry dredged up from the bottom of a river.

Not all stainless steel is magnetic.

I don't know, seems I've seen Wiley Coyote fish up some pretty neat stuff with his Acme brand horseshoe magnet.

So what happens when your magnet lands on a submerged 50 gallon drum and you have no hope of pulling it in? Cut your line and kiss your magnet goodbye? Your just leaving more junk in the water. Or do these guys bring a winch or something?

You'd never find this with a magnet: Lake Washington on Labor Day weekend in 2012.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
So what happens when your magnet lands on a submerged 50 gallon drum and you have no hope of pulling it in? Cut your line and kiss your magnet goodbye? Your just leaving more junk in the water. Or do these guys bring a winch or something?

Most of the ones I've seen have a winch or come-a-long rated stronger than the magnet.
500# magnet? 1,000# winch. You'll also see them move side to side in an effort to either free the object or dislodge the magnet.

In the videos I've seen, only one had to cut line (and they sent out a diver to investigate and cut the remaining line)

My brother lives on the Elizebeth River just a few miles from Portsmouth. I’ve wanted to go magnet fishing near the many bridges we paddle under in his canoe. He outfitted an old aluminum canoe it with a big marine battery and trolling motor. It’s surprisingly fast and thanks to its shallow draft it can paddle in places you’re never going to get a boat.

Just magnet fishing his shoreline has yielded 3 zippo lighters, 2 rusty knives and lots of rusty bits of metal.

I lost a Glock knife off his dock in 2012. I REALLY would like to recover that knife and see how the finish has stood up to years of brackish water and mud.

I nust say I don’t really see the appeal of finding rusty junk. That guy in the link looks so happy to be holding a handful of completely useless guns. What’s the next step? The garbage can?

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Coins? Lots of ferrous coins out there?

Similarly, I doubt there's much ferrous jewelry floating around out there...

I mean, I know it exists, since I had a stainless steel wedding band because I knew I would only be wearing the metal wedding band a few times per year. But it's not common, and considering that only cost me like $30 brand new, I doubt there'd be any value beyond scrap in any corroded steel jewelry dredged up from the bottom of a river.

Not all stainless steel is magnetic.

Yeah and I suspect a wedding band of SS would be 316 or better. Won't be picked up by a magnet.

"Dad, Why did you toss that one back again?"

"Son, it was only a Taurus."

Ah, ok. So we're not talking about ferrous fish. Got it.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
So what happens when your magnet lands on a submerged 50 gallon drum and you have no hope of pulling it in? Cut your line and kiss your magnet goodbye? Your just leaving more junk in the water. Or do these guys bring a winch or something?

I assumed these guys would be using an electrically switched magnet.