Magnet fishing

[yeti]

Hi
Fancied trying out some magnet fishing but where to start??? Lots of battle sites here in Eastern Germany but also lots of rivers and lakes in the middle of these sites.
Any suggestions on picking good spots to start? How did relics end up in rivers and lakes? Was it when prisoners were taken or post war debris clearance?
Tips and advice on where to start would be very appreciated.

[reneblacky]

I found once a VW in the Yarra river here in Melbourne! not by magnet but by foot! blood everywhere!! Still have the scar!!

[vegetius]

As EOD we all hate magnet fishing, especially on battlefields. The act of throwing a magnet that then attaches to a piece of ammunition which introduces a strong magnetic field to it and then hauling up the item which has not been seen is beyond dangerous. It is only a matter of time before someone dies doing this, (if it has not occurred yet).

An excellent way to gain a Darwin award but really stupid way to pass the time.

[Vocht]

The cousin of a friend of mine does this near the Arnhem (NL) battlefield. I believe he even found an STG44 relic. Absolutely awesome hobby. However I do not collect relics and I don't like cold water. Sometimes on Youtube I see these Russian relic hunters who dig up dozens of skeletons. Quite grim if you ask me. Dying and then staying underground for 80 years in some pit.

[BlackCat1982]

As Vegetius says, its a game of roulette magnet fishing in some places. For sure all sorts have been lobbed into lakes, rivers and wells in the past. But I would rather research a particular area known to have been a capitulation/POW area and find safer items.

[Watchdog]

As Vegetius says, its a game of roulette magnet fishing in some places. For sure all sorts have been lobbed into lakes, rivers and wells in the past. But I would rather research a particular area known to have been a capitulation/POW area and find safer items.

Yep, it's a giant "lucky-dip" or should that be unlucky ?

You should carefully check local state as well as federal law too if you really insist that this is a good idea.
I recall years ago being told by a local guide in Garmisch-Partenkichen, Bavaria, when I enquired about the deep lakes in that area having been cleared, that relic hunting was completely forbidden by law which included scuba diving which would perhaps a little safer than magnet fishing

Regards

Mark

[yeti]

Thanks for the advice, I didn’t realise such a danger existed.

[Woolgar]

Incredible to think what could be in those European lakes and rivers.

Some magnet guys recently fished out a Luger from the marina here in Lincoln !

Nick

[RustyRelics]

As EOD we all hate magnet fishing, especially on battlefields. The act of throwing a magnet that then attaches to a piece of ammunition which introduces a strong magnetic field to it and then hauling up the item which has not been seen is beyond dangerous. It is only a matter of time before someone dies doing this, (if it has not occurred yet).

An excellent way to gain a Darwin award but really stupid way to pass the time.

Man, here in America, we magnet fish all the time, and have never had a problem, even when we pull up artillery shells, guns, and other things. I guess it's an added benefit that all of our explosive relics are older than WWII.

[vegetius]

You might want to tell that to the people killed by WW1 munitions or the Americans killed by civil war shell. Remember that pre WW1 explosive fillings like Lydite were used and that does not get better with age!