Three Types of Magnet Fishing Finds
Ryan Kirk
Magnet fishing is something that has started creeping into news and internet headlines over the last few years. With news titles like “Man Finds Unexploded WWII Mortar Shell in River” and “Safe from Robbery Recovered By Man Fishing with Magnet”, I found myself fascinated with magnet fishing. The idea of tying a rope to a magnet and then tossing it into some water to find hidden treasure lurking just below the surface was thrilling. Quickly, I ordered a magnet and, once it arrived, I rushed to toss my magnet into any canal, lagoon, or bayou in the city to see what I could find. I soon discovered that the items I pulled from the water all fell into three categories: trash, mysteries, and treasure. Trash is by far the most common thing that I pull out of the water with my magnet. Things like fishhooks, bottle caps, screws, and nails are numerous but all are easily dealt with by putting them into the nearest dumpster or recycling bin. Pulling up a large section of pipe or twenty
feet of rusty steel cable can pose a challenge when it comes to disposal simply due to its size but they are not impossible to deal with. The most challenging piece of trash that I ever had to deal with was the first gun that I pulled out of Bayou St. John. As soon as I pulled it out of the water I knew that I had a potentially dangerous situation to deal with. I called the police and explained to the dispatcher what I had found. I expected that finding a potential murder weapon would be a high priority for the police. I was wrong. After waiting for two hours for the police to arrive, I found myself in the position of having to take the gun home with me as it was already getting dark out. As I was driving home, I happened to pass a police officer so I decided to stop and see if he could help me. After I explained how I had found the gun, and he had recovered from his disbelief, he was able to take the gun so that it could be tested by the NOPD crime lab to see if it was tied to any crimes. I never heard anything back from the police about that gun but I was just happy to be rid of it. In the end, pulling Delgado Community College 29
