Floating screen to drag around while water detecting, any ideas?

[Jack Flynn]

I'm wanting to make a floating screen or basket to pull around while hunting in the water. Something that I can just dump a scoop of sand dirt or whatever in and sift though it that way. Any ideas, I have plenty but want to know what ideas others may have. I would have to be a lot easier than sifting through a scoop full by hand for a good target.

 

[Gerry]

Jack, one of Clive"s books has a great description on how to make one out of plastic shelves, I built it as he suggested and it works great. Unfortunately I am not techie enough to send a picture, I am sure someone will send alon a picture.

Gerry

 

[Cupajo]

I have years of experience with my sifters.

The current generation I call my "Super Sifter"

[attachment 177548 SuperSifter2002Large.jpg]

I use several fishing sinkers dragging along behind the sifter on a nylon cord to help keep it under control.

The whole thing is attached to my belt by way of a snap into a loop.

[attachment 177550 SuperSifter2012Large.jpg]

I recently did away with the green screen as it wasn't necessary and added a nylon mesh bag to contain any large items I dig up. (It's tied to the cord that secures the weights to the rear of the sifter.)

[attachment 177551 SuperSifter.jpg]

Kaptain Kosmic, who posts here, has been helpful in getting this thing in the water.

A vibra-probe is great for finding those tiny bits of metal that are hard to find among the pebbles etc. in the sifter.

All metal (Snap, weights, etc) is far away from the sifter allowing use of the probe.

The green screen was for removing larger stones, but wasn't worth the effort.

The "screen" required drilling lots of holes of 3/16" (The hard part!).

The 4" diameter foam "floaty" was bought at Wall-mart and is getting hard to find locally.

It is secured with all plastic electrical ties to the pan.

The pan was cut down from a small plastic drum I found at the dump/recycle center and was apparently used by a commercial fisherman from the coating of grunge that was in it.

The fishing weights I dug up over past years of water hunting.

Doesn't get more inexpensive than that.

One last bit of info.........using this or any sifter in anything rougher than gentle swells is a struggle as it will be a constant fight to control.

It helps to walk toward the swells with the sifter behind you stabilized by the weighted line attached to its rear.

CJ

 

[OldBeechnut]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkZ2-pE9V7Y

 

[Jason in Enid]

I built mine like the one above, except I used galvanized wire screen for the middle. It works great.

 

[kaptainkosmic]

Jack,

Here is the sifter that I use. It has very little metal in it, that way I can use a vibra probe to locate the small stuff that's lost in the gravel, shells, etc.

[attachment 177562 sifterwithtoeringandclad1resized.jpg]

I originally started using a sifter so that I wouldn't have to carry my scoop.

[attachment 177561 revcfloatinginsifter1resized.jpg]

But it didn't take long to figure out that it significantly increased the time I spend looking for targets in the bottom instead of in my scoop. The little stuff that used to be frustrating to say the least, now is easily located in the sifter with the vibra probe.

It will easily hold 3 scoops of bottom, my scoop, detector, water bottle, vibra probe and myself. Cup of Joe came up with the idea to put out a small anchor which really helps when working down wind, down current or down wave. It stops the sifter from "crowding" you. I attach the whole thing to my finds pouch belt with an aluminum caribiner. I jokingly tell my hunting buds, that if I don't don't show up at the appointed time, I will be the big pc of bait under the big black bobber!

I clip the sifter to my scoop then set the whole thing on my shoulder to transport to the water which pretty much makes it no harder than taking the scoop.

[attachment 177563 straighthandledscoopwithsifteronshoulderresized.jpg]

I hunt Lake Michigan along with inland lakes here in Michigan and use it there when ever I hunt in the water. Once the waves get much past 2 ft. I give. The sifter however does fine. The only area that I have found that it is a pain is in the larger waves if you get into the area where they are actually breaking, they will crash into the sifter then and drag you around. I also must add that when I water hunt, I water hunt I do not move in and out of the water. If you do you quickly know exactly how a turtle feels when its out of water. LOL

You can get everything you need for this at TSC. If you decide to build one get a couple of cold ones ready, cause the drilling easily takes over 1/2 an hour. 1 last bit of advise would be to coat your tube with armour all several times a year it really helps slow down the aging process on the rubber when exposed to sunlight. If your misses is handy with needle and thread have her sew you nylon cover for the tube. I have a belly boat that is nylon covered that still has the same tube in it from 20 years ago.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[txkickergirl]

My brother made me mine, it is a small inner tube about the size of a mini bike wheel and it has a plastic basket with drilled holes in it. Works great