I tried the wet noodle and the chain/magnet didn't attract very well, so I went out and bought a piece of chain that's not only stronger, it's heavier and drops into a hole better. I use a small rare earth magnet taped to the tip of a push rod and it doesn't come off, In fact, the chain balls up on the end. I have a flexible wire that does the same as a wet noodle end.

My push rods are a brand that I don't remember because I bought them so long ago and have never needed to replace any of them- got them from Skywalker and now, I see that they only show LSD on their site- I don't like them because the fibers stick out, which has never happened on mine, which are also stiffer, so they don't sag across a wide gap.