Magnet fishing got people hooked, but China and green tech are threatening its future

Magnet fishing got people hooked, but China and green tech are threatening its future

By Fernando Alfonso III

Source: npr

8/11/2022

Credit: Jake Cowart

A World War I-era warhead and a dead blacktip shark attached to a metal hook are just some of the things magnet fishers have retrieved around the U.S. since the hobby spiked in popularity following the advent of the coronavirus pandemic.

The hobby, which involves people throwing powerful magnets into waterways in search of treasure and trash, became an excuse for some to get fresh air and for others to start businesses catering to these hobbyists.

Joshua Dunlap, of northern California, is one such entrepreneur who started Centurion Magnetics in January 2020.