Definition
Fishing Magnet — A fishing magnet is a downhole tool with a powerful permanent magnet that retrieves small ferrous junk — such as bit cones, slips, hand tools, and metal debris — from the bottom of the wellbore.
Also known as: fishing magnet, junk magnet, magnet fishing tool
What a fishing magnet does
A fishing magnet recovers loose ferrous junk that is too small or irregular to catch with an overshot or spear. Run on the fishing string, it is lowered to bottom where a strong permanent magnet in its face attracts and holds steel debris — dropped bit cone teeth, broken slips, hand tools, wire, and mill cuttings. Fluid ports let the tool circulate to sweep light debris toward the magnet and to clean the junk off the hole bottom before contact.
How it is run
Magnets are often run in combination with a junk basket or after a milling run, so that the magnet picks up ferrous fragments while the basket captures non-magnetic pieces. Gentle set-down on bottom and controlled circulation improve the catch. Because a magnet holds only what it can reach and lift, several passes may be needed to clean a junk-laden bottom.
Why it matters for rentals
Junk-recovery magnets are occasional-use tools sized to the hole, making them ideal to rent as part of a cleanup run.
Browse our fishing tools for rental fishing magnets and junk baskets, or contact us to plan a bottom-cleanup run.