What Is On the Bottom of West Michigan Rivers? Magnet Man Knows

Magnet fishing has really been rising in popularity but one man who started the hobby during the pandemic has earned the title of "Michigan's Magnet Man."

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Magnet Fishing

If you have not heard of magnet fishing, no you are not fishing for a magnet but you are using one to fish for objects on the bottom of lakes and rivers.

My son loves magnet fishing and apparently, a lot of people do. You basically take a high-powered magnet tied to a rope and throw it out on the bottom of a lake or river and drag it through the water and see what you pick up.

One great thing about magnet fishing is people are actually helping clean bodies of water by dragging out old pieces of metal. Every now and then a magnet fisherman finds something the American Pickers would be impressed with and has some value.

Michigan's Magnet Man

His name is Tanner Torrez and like a lot of people during the pandemic, he picked up a new hobby and decided to go with magnet fishing. Torrez quickly became addicted to the sport and now fishes every weekend for 8 to 10 hours.

Torrez says he has pulled a lot from Michigan waters like 62 firearms (some of which were stolen or used in crimes), 15 safes, 62 bicycles, and a large number of scooters, he even once pulled in a fishing pole that had a live fish on it. One of the craziest items he found is located in the picture above and that is a 90-year-old condom that was in a metal tin.

So far Torrez has pulled about a quarter of a million pounds of metal trash that has been taken to recycling centers. You can find Michigan's Magnet Man on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.