Magallanes is primarily considered a coastal town as 21 of its 34 barangays are considered coastal barangays. A majority of the residents of Magallanes take to the sea daily for their food and livelihood.
The fishermen of Magallanes can read the weather, and determine where a particular school of fish can be found and what kind of fish is in season. There are several kinds of fishing methods. A very common method is a lone fisherman rowing a small boat (sibid) and using the hook and line (banwit) method. There are variations of this method, however, some of which use several hooks and target fish species in different depths of the sea.
Another common method is the use of nets (hikot). Nets are cast to catch either visible schools of fish or they are let down to float underwater to catch fish happening to pass through the line of net.
Nets are the primary tool of the fishermen. Net pores and thread thickness vary based on the target fish. For larger fish, nets with larger pores are used. A fisherman inspects the net before he goes out to sea
When he is not out to sea, he takes care of his nets and carefully inspects them for tangles while conversing with fellow fishermen, making the simple act of untangling nets a social activity. In the household women and the children help with disentangling lures and fishing lines.