Will Flaiz

Will Flaiz has been magnet fishing the rivers of the Pacific Northwest for 6 years, and what started as weekend outings on Portland's Willamette and Columbia Rivers grew into MagnetFishingIsFun.com, which he founded in 2023 and built into one of the web's most comprehensive resources for the hobby. His first-ever haul, off a dock at Sauvie Island, was somebody's lost toolbox — and in it, a pocket knife he cleaned up and still carries today. Hundreds of trips later he's pulled bikes, a corroded .44 Magnum revolver (reported to the police first), a fire extinguisher, tools, crab traps, car keys, a chair, a bucket, and a lot of miscellaneous scrap — clearing metal and debris out of local waterways with every haul.

That hands-on time on the water shapes everything published here. Will's own setup has grown right alongside his experience: he started with a 500 lb magnet and now fishes with magnets up to 2,200 lb, plus a custom rig of two double-sided 2,000 lb magnets. Most of the gear he recommends he's used himself in real conditions, and where he hasn't, he draws on conversations with a wider community of experienced magnet fishers — so his picks on magnets, ropes, gloves, grappling hooks, and kits reflect what actually holds up at the water's edge, not just spec sheets. He's also written practical, location-specific guides covering all 50 U.S. states, dozens of city fishing spots, and the safety and legal questions every magnet fisher runs into before their first cast.

The experience isn't limited to Oregon. Will has magnet fished the Union Canal in Pennsylvania, small rivers in northern New Jersey, and the ocean docks of Bandon harbor on the Oregon coast — first-hand reports you'll find on the matching state guides. He also answers reader questions directly: when a reader in Oklahoma was told, incorrectly, that magnet fishing wasn't allowed in his state, Will helped him draft the email to the state's fish and wildlife agency that got him the green light — a story now featured in the state-by-state laws guide. And he's open about the failures, too: two lost magnets and $450 worth of lessons about steel bridges and spring floods, chronicled in painful detail here.

Will's approach pairs the thrill of the find with genuine stewardship. He's a committed environmental advocate who treats every outing as a chance to leave a waterway cleaner than he found it, and he encourages the same ethic — check local laws, get permission where it's needed, dispose of finds responsibly, and respect the habitat — across the community that's formed around the site.

Whether you're planning your first haul or chasing a personal-best find, Will shares the spots, gear, and hard-won tips to help you do it safely and responsibly. Explore his guides across MagnetFishingIsFun.com, see the latest pulls in Magnet Fishing Finds, or connect with him on X (Twitter) at @magnetfishing60.