AgAuPtRh
Well-known member
Had it not been for an accidental find and a chance encounter with a few "old timer" treasure hunters, I may not have been exposed to the knowledge of prospecting for gold. The convenience of having a detector just made it all too easy.
One day, after several hours of detecting the beach I sat down on some rocks to have a bit of water and a smoke. Something in a crack in the rock next to me had my interest so I got a little closer. It was a clad quarter. The next few minutes were spent going over every rock in the pile. I found a few more coins.
The next day, I got to the beach for the low tide a little late. Going to my usual hunting spot I noticed a few folks sitting in sand next to a different rock pile. Sifting baskets and a 1 gallon bucket, a pry bar and a few pointed trowels. NO detector. Curious, I went over to take a closer look and asked a few questions.
Here's what I've learned.
Winter is the best time to hunt in our area. Moon cycles change the tide action considerably. Higher than normal high tides and lower than normal low tides. Add a real good storm and high surf and the beach really gets a working over.
The changing tides and high surf create a strong riptide and wash the sand in some cases completely away. See the attached photos.
All of this action on the sand causes the heavier objects to get trapped in holes in the rocks and the sand/rock bed below the sand.
What you see in the picture are items found on the beach pictured----In just a few days. I happened on one hole that had more than 400 coins in it. Many of them clad but close to a pound of it was silver.
Storms--no matter what time of year can be pretty productive events when it comes to treasure hunting. Maybe at a beach near you the same conditions exist that will give you the same results
I keep a close eye on the tides. The outgoing tide is a good time to arrive at the hunting grounds. When you get a "minus tide" you have more hours of searching. I take a five gallon bucket, pry bar, needle nose pliers(long ones), and a sifting basket. On days when the sand is washing back in I do take a detector but don't use it much.
I look for depressions in the sand, holes, cracks etc. in the exposed bed of clay and rock. Needle nose pliers come in handy when you find stuff trapped deep in a small hole in a rock. Pry bars help to move larger rocks to get under them.
One day, after several hours of detecting the beach I sat down on some rocks to have a bit of water and a smoke. Something in a crack in the rock next to me had my interest so I got a little closer. It was a clad quarter. The next few minutes were spent going over every rock in the pile. I found a few more coins.
The next day, I got to the beach for the low tide a little late. Going to my usual hunting spot I noticed a few folks sitting in sand next to a different rock pile. Sifting baskets and a 1 gallon bucket, a pry bar and a few pointed trowels. NO detector. Curious, I went over to take a closer look and asked a few questions.
Here's what I've learned.
Winter is the best time to hunt in our area. Moon cycles change the tide action considerably. Higher than normal high tides and lower than normal low tides. Add a real good storm and high surf and the beach really gets a working over.
The changing tides and high surf create a strong riptide and wash the sand in some cases completely away. See the attached photos.
All of this action on the sand causes the heavier objects to get trapped in holes in the rocks and the sand/rock bed below the sand.
What you see in the picture are items found on the beach pictured----In just a few days. I happened on one hole that had more than 400 coins in it. Many of them clad but close to a pound of it was silver.
Storms--no matter what time of year can be pretty productive events when it comes to treasure hunting. Maybe at a beach near you the same conditions exist that will give you the same results
I keep a close eye on the tides. The outgoing tide is a good time to arrive at the hunting grounds. When you get a "minus tide" you have more hours of searching. I take a five gallon bucket, pry bar, needle nose pliers(long ones), and a sifting basket. On days when the sand is washing back in I do take a detector but don't use it much.
I look for depressions in the sand, holes, cracks etc. in the exposed bed of clay and rock. Needle nose pliers come in handy when you find stuff trapped deep in a small hole in a rock. Pry bars help to move larger rocks to get under them.
