2nd Lone/Morning Water Hunt With GT. Again Another Beach We Hadn't Hit Yet This Year. That Makes 2 Beaches In 2 Days We Hadn't Hit. Made Somewhat A Ra

[Critterhunter]

Since I had gridded out the small beach yesterday (where I got the small gold ring) as deep as I dare go wading with my GT chest mounted, and since the other beach on prior hunts I had also gridded to death as deep as I could go there, I figured I needed a new place to water hunt this morning. This time I headed to a beach we also hadn't hit since last summer (like the one we hadn't hit yet this summer that I hunted yesterday). This beach is known for having tons of trash in both the water and on the beach it's self, so I know there has got to be a bunch of gold lurking around.

I forgot I needed to charge my lipo battery because yesterday my low battery had sounded just when I was finishing up that water hunt, so I got a late start this morning as I waited about an hour for the battery to charge full again. My backup lipo pack also was in need of a charge so I couldn't just swap packs and go. I never carry my second pack with me unless I'm worried about how much run time I have with the first pack, because I usually get 3 to 5 hunts or so out of one pack.

So anyway, didn't get down to the beach until I think after 9AM some time. Luckily this beach isn't as picky about you getting out of there when a few swimmers show up, though I still generally will leave when I see that because I like to fly under the radar at all my land or water sites as much as possible. My motto is if you don't give people a chance to have a problem then you won't have one.

I saw the waves were a little high (for wading as deep as I can with my GT), so I figured I'd walk this beach and see if I could eye any cuts near shore instead of just wandering for fresh drops. About halfway down the beach I spied a nice half moon shape to the edge of the sand where it met the water. Obviously, or so I hoped, this was due to a cut under the water there funneling the water further into the beach as it eroded things. Walked down to see and sure enough there was about a half a foot drop under the water from the surrounding sand. The cut was roughly 50 yards wide and ran from the edge of the water to about 30 feet out. No deeper than about halfway between my knee and my waste. Perfect!

So I get in and start paralleling the shore right up against the best in only an inch of water, and planned to grid back and fourth until I got out as far as I dared go with the somewhat strongish wave action that might risk dunking my chest mounted control box. I popped about 4 round tabs and thought "Good sign that old stuff is getting exposed maybe, but I'd like to see some heavier things because gold will be deeper then this fluffy light stuff."

Then I popped about 3 nickles that were so stained you could tell they'd been in the water a long time. Another good sign. Then about 3 copper pennies from the early 70's. Getting better, but I still would like to see yet even heavier items surface to show me the cut is exposing down deep enough where the gold is probably sitting. Right around then I popped a few heavy sinkers! Alright now, where sinkers sink to the gold will sit, and these sinkers were right near the surface. Also noticed some rocks exposed here and there about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Can't ask for any more better signs then all this stuff. Got to be some gold exposed.

Time to get serious and grid this cut for all it's worth. I dug every signal, even the sick sounding ones that I knew were going to be bits of aluminum of balls of odd shaped foil, in the hopes of perhaps a gold ring that was broken (they will make that sound if they are cracked and not a complete loop) or perhaps a gold chain the GT was trying to sound off to.

I'd like to say I ended up with some gold, because all the signs were there that there might be some old gold drops that have been exposed by this cut, but sorry to say I didn't find any to add to my kitty of buying an AT Pro as my deeper water machine and land backup unit. But, right before I finished griding that cut, I did make one decent find. A coin that is somewhat rare for us guys who metal detect to find...

I got a distinct high/low tone in one spot. It was very clear. The tone would be low and then it would go high, back and fourth as I swept over it it constantly did this. Very unique sound when that happens that there is the potential of two targets in the hole, one maybe being a coin and the other a nickle or perhaps a pull tab or something.

So I make my scoop under the water and then re-sweep the hole. I've found a good trick for water hunting. Instead of sloshing around the scoop to wash the sand out and see if anything is in it ever time I scoop, I now just make my scoop and leave the scoop under the water resting on the ground but off to the side so I can re-sweep the hole to see if I got it. By doing that you are doing two things- You are letting the water current/wave action do some of the work for you to wash the sand out of the scoop while you re-check the hole for any signal, and you are also saving yourself even more labor because if the signal is still in the hole then no point getting picky about shaking all the sand out of the scoop.

Anyway, so I make my scoop and move the scoop off to the side and re-check the hole, and now I'm only hearing the low tone in there. Hmmmm....So I throsh around the scoop while it's still under water, because I want to see if I got the high tone part of the signal in that scoop. Sure enough, I raise the scoop and see a large token or coin very brown in color at the bottom. Instantly I thought "large cent!", or at least an old copper or brass token of some kind.

Whelp, turns out it was neither. It was a 1976 Kennedy half dollar. Sure, no silver in it like they made up until (I think) 1970 or so (those were the last coins to have some silver in them, though they lowered it a good bit after 1964 I think), but just the same this is only maybe my 5th or 7th clad Kennedy I've every dug on land or found water hunting, so it still brought a smile to my face to see that big coin make it's appearance. After all, if somebody paid you 50 cents every time you made one scoop with a long handled digger, I'm sure you'd be pleased to do that all day long to rack up the clad totals.

I only wish the 50 cent and dollar coins were as popular these days as they were years ago. We'd be really racking up some good clad totals fast that way. The Canadians have it real good in that respect, because I think not only did they outlaw the dollar bill so you'd have to use the coins, but also I think they have $2 and $5 coins as well. Reason they did that is that it saves them money, because paper dollar bills only last for months, where as coins will last for years.

One thing the US could do is stop making the darn new American dollar coins so close in size to a quarter so people wouldn't confused them so much (in low light, being drunk, in a hurry, etc). The other thing they could do is make them a much more distinctly different color. Yea, the latest ones are gold in color, but just the same it should be a darker gold, because in the right light they do look like a quarter still.

Anyway, enough money ranting...While I'm disappointed no gold surfaced to put towards my AT Pro as a backup, I'm at least glad I can away with some more clad and a Kennedy half to top off the day. These coins are of course large, and being the more recent of "large" coins that people lost means they are shallower and easier to find for that reason too, so it's kind of a rarity for a guy metal detecting to dig one on land, let alone find one in the water. For that reason, it was a small victory for me today...But I would have liked it better if it was a large cent or some old token for sure...

 

[Critterhunter]

Forgot to add...This beach today had real clear water. It's extra nice to be able to see your coil and not have to use your foot to guide the scoop along side it to right behind the coils rim. I admit I never did all that much water hunting compared to last year and now this year (though I'm getting a late start this year and have only hunted about 5 times I think or so). It is kind of mesmerizing to watch that coil under the water, stare out into the wide view of the water on the horizon, and breath that fresh air. Just watching the seagulls fly was real nice.

Oh, probably the best part of the story...About halfway through my hunt here comes the tractor guy smoothing the sand. He pulls up right next to me (I was about 10 feet into the water) and says something to me. Great, he's kicking me out or something I thought, but I couldn't hear him due to the engine running. I cupped my hand to my ear and he said whatever it was again. This time I could read his lips. He was asking me if I would move my sneakers that I left right at the edge of the water to mark the end of my grid pattern!

Thank God that guy saw my shoes, because they had my keys and smokes in them, and it totally slipped my mind that they were going to be in his way. I hurried over and grabbed them and got close to him and yelled "Thanks for not harvesting my sneakers." and gave him the thumbs up.

That's the first tractor guy at these parks who's been friendly. Usually they eye you down like you are robbing a bank or something. Seems to me they'd be happy to see you because of all the junk we pick up, and I never hunt the dry sand after they've smoothed it so they've got no reason to cop an attitude with us.

I also heard a really loud roar and looked up to see a fighter jet turned on it's side flying very low and fast. I guess he's probably headed to Cleveland's air show maybe? That was an awe inspiring site. Makes you proud to be an American. Yea, it was a great morning, even if the gold didn't show it's self. Metal detecting is more about people and places to me these days than it is what ends up at the bottom of my pouch at the end of the day. Great way to relax, bond with friends, and enjoy the outdoors.

The other day a lady asked me what we were doing when we were water hunting one beach. I said we were looking for coins (I never say rings, and I never say old coins either). She said she knows those machines we had are expensive and that seems like a lot of work and expense for a few coins. I smiled and said "golf is expensive too, but at least we might find enough coins to pay for our gas."

Always amazes me how people will look down their nose at us guys who metal detect as being a foolish waste of time. Many of these people have fishing boats (which are money holes), or they golf (which is also a money hole), or even their favorite sport is shopping to buy things all day long. About the only sport/hobby that has ever paid for it's self, besides fishing (if you do it without a boat), is deer hunting for me. One nice size deer and you've got many hundreds of dollars in A grade stakes and ground chuck.

The way I look at detecting is it's like playing the lottery. I don't play the lottery (well, hardly ever), but detecting is my little lottery, and I've "bought a few winning tickets" over the years. Even if those bigger wins don't come along very often, you still have a pile of clads to pay for your gas, coils, and machines. Who can not love this hobby, if only for the peace of mind it gives and not even mentioning the monetary gains that can be made. Just touching history alone with some old relic or worthless old coin is reason enough to be out there enjoying the day and thinking of what took place at that site in days gone by...

 

[xwyokid]

Hey! Quit talking about deer You got me thinking about elk backstraps and the game freezer is empty!!!!

 

[nagov]

Critter, you said

"I got a distinct high/low tone in one spot. It was very clear. The tone would be low and then it would go high, back and fourth as I swept over it it constantly did this. Very unique sound when that happens that there is the potential of two targets in the hole, one maybe being a coin and the other a nickle or perhaps a pull tab or something.

So I make my scoop under the water and then re-sweep the hole. I've found a good trick for water hunting. Instead of sloshing around the scoop to wash the sand out and see if anything is in it ever time I scoop, I now just make my scoop and leave the scoop under the water resting on the ground but off to the side so I can re-sweep the hole to see if I got it. By doing that you are doing two things- You are letting the water current/wave action do some of the work for you to wash the sand out of the scoop while you re-check the hole for any signal, and you are also saving yourself even more labor because if the signal is still in the hole then no point getting picky about shaking all the sand out of the scoop.

Anyway, so I make my scoop and move the scoop off to the side and re-check the hole, and now I'm only hearing the low tone in there. Hmmmm....So I throsh around the scoop while it's still under water, because I want to see if I got the high tone part of the signal in that scoop. Sure enough, I raise the scoop and see a large token or coin very brown in color at the bottom. Instantly I thought "large cent!", or at least an old copper or brass token of some kind.

Whelp, turns out it was neither. It was a 1976 Kennedy half dollar. Sure, no silver in it like they made up until (I think) 1970 or so (those were the last coins to have some silver in them, though they lowered it a good bit after 1964 I think), but just the same this is only maybe my 5th or 7th clad Kennedy I've every dug on land or found water hunting, so it still brought a smile to my face to see that big coin make it's appearance. After all, if somebody paid you 50 cents every time you made one scoop with a long handled digger, I'm sure you'd be pleased to do that all day long to rack up the clad totals.

I only wish the 50 cent and dollar coins were as popular these days as they were years ago. We'd be really racking up some good clad totals fast that way. The Canadians have it real good in that respect, because I think not only did they outlaw the dollar bill so you'd have to use the coins, but also I think they have $2 and $5 coins as well. Reason they did that is that it saves them money, because paper dollar bills only last for months, where as coins will last for years.

One thing the US could do is stop making the darn new American dollar coins so close in size to a quarter so people wouldn't confused them so much (in low light, being drunk, in a hurry, etc). The other thing they could do is make them a much more distinctly different color. Yea, the latest ones are gold in color, but just the same it should be a darker gold, because in the right light they do look like a quarter still.

Anyway, enough money ranting...While I'm disappointed no gold surfaced to put towards my AT Pro as a backup, I'm at least glad I can away with some more clad and a Kennedy half to top off the day. These coins are of course large, and being the more recent of "large" coins that people lost means they are shallower and easier to find for that reason too, so it's kind of a rarity for a guy metal detecting to dig one on land, let alone find one in the water. For that reason, it was a small victory for me today...But I would have liked it better if it was a large cent or some old token for sure..."

Did you dig the low tone you know the other sound in the hole...... what was it and can you do it in two words or less??????????

I think it was a learning experience for some, me being one and I don't think I saw the answer to your two toned target!

 

[Critterhunter]

n/t

 

[dewcon4414]

Im assuming you were using that 13" ultimate coil that your TESTING? If you bought one .... you should have saved the money for a camera or the AT Pro. You need to get your priorities straight lol.

Dew

 

[Critterhunter]

Nope, the 13" Utlimate is a loaner and so I won't risk it in the water as the coil is not officially rated waterproof. I was using my water shaft, which is the stock shaft using the stock 10" Tornado coil. My land rig is my custom light weight shaft and 12x10. Only time I take that coil off on land is to use the S-5 once in a great while (I really should use that coil more but the 12x10 just wows me with it's depth and separation), and of course to test the loaner Ultimate here and there. Which reminds me, I need to get back to field testing that coil this week some time.