North Dakota brothers' 'magnet fishing' catches trash, treasures and YouTube views

JAMESTOWN, N.D. - When Jamestown residents Brandon and Austin Kinzler head out to the river for a day of fishing, they don’t buy bait or pack lures; they bring magnets and grappling hooks.

Standing on a bridge over the James River, the brothers prepare for episode 55 of their YouTube show featuring their magnet fishing.

”We enjoy doing this together, cleaning the river and see what you might pull up,” Austin Kinzler said.

A few thousand followers tune in regularly to watch their videos of dropping powerful magnets into bodies of water. Viewers get to share the excitement of what the brothers pull from the depths.

They often find items left or thrown into the river from decades ago. Some might be trash and some might be treasure, but it’s all a glimpse into history.

”I love to travel the country and clean the river. Bring a trailer and a truck,” Brandon Kinzler said.

During their trips magnet fishing, the two have found horseshoes, hubcaps, bicycle handlebars, old signs and even an iron from 1912.

Some of their oldest finds have been the rusted remains of guns. They have also found an 1863 Remington black powder revolver.

The Kinzler brothers install drywall during the day and have been making their videos on weekends for about a year. They hope to expand their show into the winter months by drilling holes into the ice.

For now, their magnet fishing is just a hobby on the side, but they have gained a manufacturer of fishing magnets as a sponsor to help fund their videos.

To see the brothers in action, search for The Kinzler Bros on YouTube.