Inspired by WWII magnet hunters like the team featured here on TFB that recovered a beautifully preserved STG44 in Holland a few weeks back, one Massachusetts man decided to dredge the bottom of a local pond with a magnet he bought on Amazon. Within minutes, the man had pulled up what looks to be a mini Uzi. Dropping the magnet down again, he recovered another gun, and another. The amateur magnet hunter had stumbled across a cache of guns dumped in a quiet city pond. And so, sitting around our digital campfire tossing around ideas, the TFB Staff conjured up what will be known as the first annual Gatfishing Tournament. Participating readers can go Gatfishing with magnets and report back with their finds. Along with achieving internet fame, winners will have a chance at earning to-be-determined prizes for the most unique finds.

TFB Gatfishing Tournament! Magnet Hunting To Recover Lost Gats

My guess is that the chance of a TFB reader actually pulling up a firearm from the depths of a river, canal, pond, lake or the ocean is going to be fairly low. But, stranger things have happened. To maximize your effort, pick spots that are likely to have items dropped or thrown like docks, bridges or lakes. If an average person can throw a baseball 50 yards, I’d guess that a good distance from the shoreline or bridge to search for items would be anywhere from 5 to 75 yards. Of course, if you are dealing with tides or currents, you may want to adjust those distances accordingly.

Whatever you pull up from those dark depths, we want to see it, gun related or not. We are considering having Gatfishing patches made and will scope out some nice prizes. TFB staff will be participating in the tournament but will not be eligible to win.

Gatfishing Requirements:

Participants must obey all local, state and federal laws. Participants must not trespass on private property. Be safe! Boating, swimming and wading into unknown waters can be dangerous. Wear a PFD. Participants are strongly encouraged to disclose firearms and high value items to local law enforcement. (Yes, we know, but what if it was your stolen property that was found?)

Gatfishing Rules:

Participants must document their finds on location with clear images of the item. Submit entries via Instagram by tagging @firearmblog and using the #gatfishing hashtag Submit entries via the [email protected] email address with Gatfishing in the subject line. This year’s Tournament will run from August 1st to September 2nd at midnight. Winners will be selected by the editorial staff based on the quality of the find.

Gatfishing Recommended Equipment:

Nerds that we are, many of you probably already own rare earth magnets, paracord and gloves. If not, we’ve scoped out some that are available on Amazon that have good reviews and won’t break the bank. While you can start with a 100lb pull magnet, I’d suggest something a bit larger for extra grab. There are kits available but you can also build your own setup with paracord and gloves.

Good luck everyone!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/23/man-uses-powerful-magnet-pull-uzi-and-other-firearms-out-from-bottom-pillings-pond/CFssqPKRQN5t8Zm1Eh3xJN/story.html

On Saturday morning, a Lynnfield resident took a powerful magnet attached to a rope and tossed it into Pillings Pond to see what would come up.

Within minutes, the magnet latched onto something. He hauled in the rope, eager to see what he caught. As he pulled it in, he looked at the end of the rope, and there, stuck to the magnet, was an Uzi submachine gun.

The man called police and informed them of his discovery, and Officer Patrick Curran arrived at the scene. Curran inspected the Uzi and determined that yes, the firearm was real, and it appeared to be loaded. The man then threw the magnet into the water again, to see what else they could find.