Recently I was watching WCVB when I saw the story about a guy named Sean Martell AKA The Brockton Magnet Fisher. And it piqued my curiosity. Just what the heck is Magnet Fishing? I know that fish are high in mercury but surely they aren’t so high that you can fish for them with magnets? It wasn’t that. And surprisingly it’s not one of the many types of fishing that are illegal in Massachusetts.

What Is Magnet Fishing?

Apparently it is basically just metal detection. But instead of searching sandy beaches for trinkets and lost items you throw a line with a strong magnet lure into a lake or river and see what you can pull up. In Sean Martell’s case he pulled up a bombshell from WWII! This happened in The Charles River. He notified authorities who disposed of the ordinance in a safe and (I’m assuming) fun manner.

Then a week later another so called “magnet fisherman” snagged a bazooka round in the exact same location on The Charles. Those findings were also detonated in an undisclosed nearby location. According to WCVB: “Martell recorded his first finding on his YouTube channel. Information on the first discovery can be found here.”

Is Magnet Fishing Legal?

In Massachusetts Magnet fishing is surprisingly legal. Despite the fact that you might pull up some unexploded ordinances that were dropped on their way to blowing up a small section of Berlin. According to MagnetFishing.com: “Magnet fishing is legal in Massachusetts as long as you have permission to fish in the body of water you are exploring. It is important to check local regulations and obtain any necessary permits before magnet fishing.”

Here Are The Types Of Fishing That Are Illegal In Massachusetts

While Magnet Fishing might be legal there are A LOT of other types of fishing that are illegal in The Bay State. Here are just 7 of them.

• 1. Poaching

  

  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

  Obviously Poaching is illegal in Massachusetts. Fishing without a valid license or during closed seasons is considered poaching and is illegal in Massachusetts. This ensures fish populations can replenish and that fishing remains a sustainable activity.

• 2. Explosives

  Using explosives is not only illegal but extremely harmful to aquatic life and habitats. This method indiscriminately kills fish and other organisms, leading to long-term ecological damage.

  

• 3. Chemical Fishing

  Introducing chemicals into water bodies to catch fish is prohibited. Chemicals can pollute waterways and pose serious risks to both aquatic and human health. What’s the point of killing a fish with chemicals if you can’t at least eat it?

  

  Toxic sign

   

• 4. Electrick Shock Fishing

  This method involves using electrical current to stun fish for easy capture. Illegal in Massachusetts, it can harm all aquatic life in the vicinity, not just the targeted fish. Back in Kansas City they called this Telephoning because if you used an old phone…well I’ll not go into details.

  

• 5. Ghost Fishing

  Leaving fishing nets unattended for extended periods, often resulting in “ghost fishing,” is illegal. This practice causes unnecessary deaths of marine animals and contributes to marine debris. Plus it’s just lazy and not nearly as cool as it sounds.

  

  (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

• 6. Shooting Fish

  Not surprising using firearms to catch fish is illegal in Massachusetts. Not only is this method unsafe, but it also poses a significant risk to marine life and people in the vicinity. Also it ruins the point of fishing, to relax and kill an animal.

  

• 7. Noodling

  Noodling is the weirdest type of fishing I’ve ever heard of. Typically a “Noodler” dips their arm in catfish bait, finds a hole where a catfish might live, and reaches in. When the catfish tries to bite at the hand the noodler grabs the fish and pulls it to the surface. The problem is that not only is it dangerous as noodlers can get pulled under the surface where they drown. Also it’s kind of cruel because typically the catfish are females protecting their nest and they aren’t trying to eat the hand so much as protect their babies. Often the noodler also crushes the catfish eggs while grabbing the fish.

   
  

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