Why you Should Wear Gloves While Magnet Fishing

Magnet fishing is an exciting and rewarding outdoor sport that has steadily been growing in popularity all over the world. It's important to wear gloves while magnet fishing because it can be hazardous and even dangerous in some cases since items recovered, can be sharp knives and weapons.

Other hidden dangers include strong currents that could lead to being pulled into the water. The rope that's used to hold these very powerful magnets can also cause rope burns on your hands. This is why it’s equally important to wear gloves while pulling the rope back out of the water.

You should wear gloves while magnet fishing for a few reasons. Both for safety as well as functionality. Using gloves improves the users' grip and dexterity. Gloves also protect the user from nasty bacteria and sharp objects collected while magnet fishing.

The reasoning why you should wear gloves while magnet fishing will be further explored in this article. And you will learn why the brand of gloves used is equally important to how this sport is properly practiced.

You’ll also get an insight into why protective gloves are useful for many other hidden dangers. Some of these are obvious, while most of these reasons are to prevent skin abrasions at all costs. Learn how magnet fishing gloves are going to provide all these factors that you may not have known previously.

Table of Contents

Why gloves improve your grip

Unlike traditional fishing, magnet fishing uses physical strength to pull objects that are covered in mud and other debris. It can be as simple as pulling out shallow objects with your arms and body weight. But ultimately you need to pull up your line which is going to be wet and slippery. After a while, your hands are going to be soaked and wrinkly, which can lead to rope slips. It's not uncommon that the skin on your hands will be more prone to injury, so special gloves are needed.

Depending on the size of your magnet, the rope cord needs to handle the amount of resistance and tensile strength. This often involves Paracord that is commonly used for parachuting. This is a nylon rope that has very good strength up to 550 pounds before breaking. The other choice is polypropylene rope which is almost as strong in tensile strength and is cheaper to afford than Paracord. Yet both of these cords are going to need gloves that grip them firmly so they don’t slip in your hands.

READ What is the Right Size Magnet for Magnet Fishing?

Related article: 5 Best Knots for Magnet Fishing

How glove texture counts the most

The downside to Paracord is that is will soak up a little bit of water, river mud, and natural elements like algae. This makes it more prone to being slippery than polypropylene rope, so your glove needs an excellent grip.

It should be textured on the palm side so the rope is less likely to slip in your hand. It should also be comfortable to wear for long periods without making your hands sweaty. Having more than one pair is always good to have in your fishing kit box as a back-up.

And if you’re using different rope, you should have the appropriate gloves that have the optimal grip needed. Some brands that are used for magnetic fishing are lightweight and machine washable. Only one side is coated with a sanded Nitrile that gets better when handling wet rope or found objects.

This style glove is snug enough, but still gives plenty of breathing room when you're wearing them. The total cost per pair is not bad either so you can afford a second pair.

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Choosing a glove for dexterity

Of course, any kind of gripping glove improves grip on the rope that's used, however, dexterity is a factor too. There will be times when it will be necessary to have form-fitting gloves. Allowing your fingers to be involved will be a vital part of the dredging process when pulling the line.

This is especially important for wrapping the rope around your fingers as a haul is brought in. Then you can concentrate on using your body weight and arm strength to counter possible currents and drag.

If the magnet snagged something too heavy or is being pulled away because of currents, your gloves won't get snagged. The rope could catch under the folds of bulky (gripper) gloves if the line is too taught; pulling you with it. Or worse yet, it might pull off your glove completely and you’ll lose it somewhere in the water.

The right glove should fit your fingers appropriately, but not fit tightly around them. Know your hand size and try several quality brands to get the best fit. And always consider buying a second pair as an emergency back-up.

The importance of hygiene

First-time magnet fishers never consider the number of bacteria that are present in canal water. This is another reason why well-fitting gloves also help give your hands a second layer to avoid touching sediment muck.

READ 7 Dangers of Magnet Fishing & How to be Safe

There could be any level of bacteria in the water that you don’t want directly on your skin. It will be unavoidable at times, so using gloves that are sealed on the outside will keep your hands protected. Some gloves only give partial grip coating that may get soiled at times.

This is why washing your gloves after magnet fishing will remove left-over bacteria in the fabric. Bringing a portable plastic bucket with some clean water to wash-off your gloves is a good idea if they’re dirty. You can also bring back found trinkets in the bucket making them easier to carry and clean later.

If you are unsure of water that you’ve never fished in before, bring gloves that are sealed on the outside. These are better-suited to keep germs and other irritants off your skin. This is why you should wear gloves while magnet fishing in general.

Protection against cuts and scrapes

Aside from keeping bacteria off your skin, getting a cut or a scrape is the last thing you want to think about. But it’s not just because of what could be in the water that’s a danger for infection. Objects pulled out of the water are often rusted metal that has sharp and pointy edges.

Just like coral, rust is composed of sharp protrusions that can cut your hands and fingers very easily. Gloves that are meant for handling rough objects can reduce and prevent cuts, are the best for magnet fishing.

Found objects including knives are especially dangerous since they are already designed to be sharp. Add a layer of rust to that and it’s a recipe for a trip to the emergency room for treatment. Careful attention to the treasures hauled-up is one part of your safety, so always have puncture and cut resistant gloves handy.

Some glove designs allow special magnetic straps that hang off your belt. This way, these gloves are readily available when you need them to handle any kind of sharp object. Here are some samples that can show you how they work:

Inf-way Fishing Glove with Magnet Release

Click to check price and reviews on Amazon

TOPIND Anti-Cut Fishing Glove

Click to check price and reviews on Amazon

A glove that matches your style

There are many kinds of protective fishing gloves that are good for special applications. Some are better suited for cold days, while others are intended for gripping the slippery rope. Looking for glove materials that resist swampy smells are also advised since objects that touch lower sediment are typically smelly.

This is why special fishing gloves use synthetic woven fibers that resist fish oil odors, among other things. Bright colors that make your glove stand out to make it easier to see what you're holding as well.

READ Magnet Fishing with a Grappling Hook: Time for an Upgrade!

And there is no limit to the color range that suits your liking. Since magnet fishing was invented after sport fishing, many protective gloves will be listed as sport fishing gloves. Despite what any magnet fishing website will say, this new-found enthusiast sport relies on the fishing industry for available gear.

You may also find that prices are often cheaper through respected sport fishing suppliers. These suppliers also have excellent sizing charts that help you decide which size is best according to your hand measurement.

Checkout my review of the top 10 gloves for magnet fishing, I covered a few gloves if you go magnet fishing in cold icy weather.

Conclusion

Your safety should always be observed when going-out magnet fishing. Not just for the dangers that are associated with this sport, but the awareness of hygiene and skin protection. Just as sport fishing requires a partner, it's a plus to have a partner while magnet fishing. Making sure that something that's pulled up from the bottom of the water doesn’t lead to injury or mishap. Why you should wear gloves while magnet fishing is one more layer of protection that you'll need.

As you gain more experience with trying different kinds of protective gloves, you'll find the type that works best. Not every body of water will be the same either, so a variety of gloves can greatly increase overall safety.

The combination of grip and texture should also include comfort and a form-fit. With that being said, avoiding minor cuts and scrapes will be avoidable with gloves that are made for this purpose. Just as you’ll bring different kinds of magnets in your kit, having a good selection of gloves is a must.

In the end, you’ll be thankful that you took the extra steps to use when going out magnet fishing. It adds a level of professionalism to your interest in found objects and lets others know you are being smart. This is a characteristic in the sport that others will follow if you teach them what you've learned. And it also gives this sport creditability for following safety and protection measures.

Here you can find topics that cover the kind of gloves that are recommended:

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