Hand fishing is a common mail theft method people with mailboxes that are unequipped to resist it often fall victim to. When shopping for a locking mailbox, consider not only its durability or capacity, but also its ability to resist against theft methods like hand fishing.
What is hand fishing?
Hand fishing refers to reaching into a locking mailbox and removing mail by hand. Locking mailboxes typically have either a slot design with mail deposited through an incoming mail slot, or a bin design with mail and packages placed in a bin and deposited inside the mailbox when the bin is closed.
The vulnerability of a slot-design locking mailbox to hand fishing depends on the height of the slot, the depth of the mailbox and the overall design. The larger the slot, the easier to fish. The deeper the mailbox, the more difficult to fish.
The vulnerability of a bin-design mailbox to hand fishing depends on the design. Some locking mailboxes can be easily fished by hand just by contorting your arm a bit.
How Mail Boss measures up
When evaluating the hand fishing resistance of Epoch Design’s curbside mailboxes, it is first important to understand that the Mail Boss features a slot design, while the Mail Manager and the Package Master feature a bin design.
Best: Package Master
The Package Master is the most resistant to fishing by hand of the curbside mailboxes and therefore receives the “Best” rating. Package Master features patented “Mail Shield” technology which includes a baffle door operating on a lever arm in consortium with the incoming mail bin, to prevent fishing. No other residential locking mailbox on the market has this baffle feature.
Because of the baffle, the Package Master is nearly impervious to hand fishing. Still, the Mail Boss and Mail Manager are both exceedingly difficult to fish by hand and offer good resistance to determined thieves.
Better: Mail Boss & Mail Manager
The incoming mail slot of the Mail Boss is only 1.9″ in height- just big enough to accept a box of checks. In total, the mailbox is 13.75″ tall, so while you can reach your hand into the incoming mail slot, it is nearly impossible to reach the bottom of the mailbox. That said, if mail were to accumulate for some time, it might be possible for someone with a very long and skinny arm to reach some of the mail. For this reason, Mail Boss receives the “Better” rating in our curbside mailbox comparison of hand fishing resistance.
The Mail Manager features a bin design, shallow enough that it is very difficult to reach past the bin into the mail compartment. Again, if mail were to accumulate for some time, it might be possible for someone with a very long and skinny arm to reach some of the mail.
For the ultimate protection against hand fishing, the Package Master holds the title. However, the Mail Boss and Mail Manager still offer great protection against mail theft. Not sure which mailbox is right for you yet? Check out our buying guide for a full breakdown.
Still Have Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us with additional inquiries!