If you're finding small gold at depth like that....then the bigger gold will take care of itself......believe me, it's down there at the hard pack layer.
Try digging test holes for where you're searching......dig down until you reach the hard pack....coarser gravel, shells, sometimes a really dense sand/clay layer.
This way, you'll know what you're up against. If it's still soft past 20" then I might go somewhere else.....I'm not after the shallow stuff as the VLF's will have picked this up. Generally, the sand packs down with depth and very few VLF user's will get anything past 12".....and this isn't even allowing for a poor sweep technique or DISC that is usually dialled in.
I recently spoke to a guy who swings his VLF over a popular beach during the summer. He had only found 2 gold rings all summer !!
I recently found a big chunky gold ring at approx 20".....it was only lost a few days before. I knew this as I was finding it for an owner.
It was lost at the top of the high tide line, so was subject to being saturated by the incoming tides. It must have sunk down to 10" in a matter of minutes and then a further 10" over the following few days.
I was using an SD2200D with 17" mono coil.
I still dig about 75% of the iron targets.....that way I go home without any lingering doubts....
Tony.
PS.........I've just realised that I've rambled on a bit.......I need to as my cat won't listen to me....
