Gost tones ... Suggestions

[Crenman]

I went looking for a friends moms lost wedding ring today with my excal II.
I asked how long it had been and she said she drooped it through a crack in there boat dock 10 yrs ago while putting it on.
She said that a guy came out from the insurance company with a metal detector back then but all he found was nails. I looked for about 2 hours and kept finding
a few stainless steel hooks. The ring is white gold so it sounds low and close to a stainless steal. I didn't find it after 2 hours of digging a few hooks and what seemed to be ghost targets
in the clay like mud. It was really weird. I would have a good solid sound that sounded round like a ring and i would scoop and it would disappear
I am not a novice hunter i have put in a lot of hours and i know a good signal when i hear it. Just gone? I don't understand it? and then some times reappear later. Only thing i can figure is maybe it
was a lead fishing weight as i was under a dock.

The husband says he the water was clear when she drooped the ring but he never saw it. He bets a fish ate it as it was falling. I thought for sure i would find it in 10 or 15 Min's.
Not so just ghost tones and a lot of nulling as that place was full of nails. Could the nails mask the gold?

 

[Gulf Hunter]

Yes, the nails could mask some for sure. You would almost have to dig out all the surrounding targets in all metal and it may show. I doubt a fish ate it, but it may have not sunken directly beneath where she THOUGHT it had fallen either.

My aunt had a similar episode at her pier in the lake and I searched it multiple times with the Excal and could not recover the ring, but there again lots of nails and she was not REALLY sure WHERE she lost it and hers was lost at night too. If the ring is a solitaire, the stone side will be the heavy end and it may have upended making targeting a bit more challenging, savvy? OBTW, be SURE to be running Discrimination on 1 too.

 

[Neil]

I went looking for a friends moms lost wedding ring today with my excal II.
I asked how long it had been and she said she drooped it through a crack in there boat dock 10 yrs ago while putting it on.
She said that a guy came out from the insurance company with a metal detector back then but all he found was nails. I looked for about 2 hours and kept finding
a few stainless steel hooks. The ring is white gold so it sounds low and close to a stainless steal. I didn't find it after 2 hours of digging a few hooks and what seemed to be ghost targets
in the clay like mud. It was really weird. I would have a good solid sound that sounded round like a ring and i would scoop and it would disappear
I am not a novice hunter i have put in a lot of hours and i know a good signal when i hear it. Just gone? I don't understand it? and then some times reappear later. Only thing i can figure is maybe it
was a lead fishing weight as i was under a dock.

The husband says he the water was clear when she drooped the ring but he never saw it. He bets a fish ate it as it was falling. I thought for sure i would find it in 10 or 15 Min's.
Not so just ghost tones and a lot of nulling as that place was full of nails. Could the nails mask the gold?

Absolutely nails can and will mask rings.I hunted for two days a few years back for a girls engagement ring and on the 2nd day the girl told me she wrapped a piece of paper clip around the ring to make it smaller until she could get it resized. I switched over to all metal and found it, recovering targets that were "ring sized". GH is right, all metal and remove the iron and you should be able to find it.

 

[Crenman]

Thanks guys.
Good points, guess i will have to put in the hours.

 

[Dig]

I concur Dr!

 

[bootyhoundpa]

maybe the insurance man pocketed it....... lol ya never know,,,, sometimes wonder if using a clam rake over an area like that might help .... ring may have sunk deep or been stepped on pushing it deep if the bottom is real soft..... good luck hope you find it... make sure there isnt any way the ring could have gotten snagged on anything on the under side of the dock ...... good luck..

 

[Crenman]

The bottom is composed of a top layer of silt about 6" thick & mud under that is like potter's clay its pretty firm. I am thinking its just on top of that clay, stone down like gulf hunter says.
The stone apraised for about 4 grand so i am sure it had to be a little hefty,if it is stone down ring up thats going to make it challenging enough and all those nails want help. I would really like to find it for her you should have heard her get excited every time she heard a musscle (fresh water clam) rattle around in the scoop. The only thing is i am almost out of time the water is already starting to cool down and rise with the rain.

Guys thanks again for all you input. I will post a Pics when i find it.

 

[Crenman]

The bottom is composed of a top layer of silt about 6" thick & mud under that is like potter's clay its pretty firm. I am thinking its just on top of that clay, stone down like gulf hunter says.
The stone appraised for about 4 grand so i am sure it had to be a little hefty,if it is stone down ring up that's going to make it challenging enough and all those nails want help. I would really like to find it for her you should have heard her get excited every time she heard a muscle (fresh water clam) rattle around in the scoop. The only thing is i am almost out of time the water is already starting to cool down and rise with the rain.

Guys thanks again for all you input. I will post a Pics when i find it.

 

[Waterdog]

Do not give up on it too easy. Iron nails and old decomposing fishing things have a Great way of masking things in the area around them. Get a good Magnet. I think they are ( rare earth magnets). I bought one and put it in my sand scoop. It pulls a lot of junk out of the area every time I scoop. Be careful with it as it is Really Strong.