magnet fishing

noun

: the sport or hobby of using a strong magnet attached to the end of a rope to find metal objects in bodies of water

Magnet fishing uses a strong magnet attached to a thick rope in an attempt to fish out metal objects that have sunk to the bottom of canals, lakes, ponds and rivers.

—Alisha Ebrahimji

magnet fish intransitive verb

or less commonly magnet-fish

ˈmag-nət-ˌfish 

magnet fished also magnet-fished; magnet fishing also magnet-fishing; magnet fishes also magnet-fishes

If Wray was magnet fishing as stated in the story, he would struggle to find much silver. The precious metal is not magnetic so it is not possible for a piece of silver to be attracted to a magnet with enough force to be found as Wray described in the story.

—Liam Geraghty

Walters says he has magnet-fished several times, pulling in knives, bait weights and other metal.

—Jon Burkett

Examples of magnet fishing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the second time in a week, a military projectile was recovered from the same Massachusetts river, thanks to magnet fishing enthusiasts. —David Chiu, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024

The traffic, the history, the fact that parts of the waterfront — Fells Point with its cobblestone streets and creaking, old taverns in particular — are relatively unaltered, make Baltimore primo magnet fishing territory. —Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023

Although rare, this isn’t the first time a grenade has been found during a magnet fishing outing. —Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2023

Every Thursday, 36-year-old Woodard leads a magnet fishing meetup somewhere along the sea walls of Baltimore harbor, where ships — freighters, cruise ships, tobacco ships, Baltimore clippers, even the Continental Navy — have been plying the waters and dropping junk overboard since 1670. —Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023

In 2019, a man found an authentic WWII hand grenade while magnet fishing in Ocklawaha, Florida. —Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2023

Florida man and grandson fish up two .50-cal sniper rifles while magnet fishing In February 2022, Miami-area grandfather Duane Smith took his then-11-year-old grandson Allen Cadwalader magnet fishing off a bridge over the C-102 Canal in Homestead. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 13 Apr. 2023

His favorite activities: the water table, the magnet fishing game and the hurricane simulator. —Beth Harpaz, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above