Jay Austill
New member
Going to Sanibelle Island May 1 Live in the mountains so don't get to beach hunt much. Any information would be appreciated
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Sanibelle Island Florida
- Thread starter Jay Austill
- Start date
Finderskeeper
Active member
I've spent a few days there just recently. Found a small silver ring and a small silver cross but not much else. I was there before sunrise but there were already several others on the beach and getting ready to go into the water. Lots of competition.
I also went to South Beach in Miami and also the Treasure Coast.
Here is what I found after 4 weeks of hunting at the other beaches........
Some clad, a few navel adornments and a small copper cross.
Florida is now loaded with tons of Pawn shops and other shops that are offering cash for gold. I went into a few pawn shops to ask them how business was and they said terrible for gold. They told me that most everyone has unloaded a lot of their gold because the prices were so high. Now that gold is gone and there is very little gold coming in. Not good for us detectorists.
South Beach was crawling with detectorists. In the water, in the sand. Everywhere. Must have been a couple dozen of them when I was there......three times in three days. I figured that since I am a water hunter I'd hunt the water. I got there an hour before sunrise and there were at least 7 detectorists ready to jump right in. I had to move on down to the other end of the beach and from what I found in the water, I figure that it already has been hit pretty hard.
Treasure Coast......Nothing but can slaw and a fishing lure. I know the conditions are not good at the Treasure Coast as the sand is really heavy right now. A good storm or two and I am sure that things will open up. Till then, don't waste your time. I hit several beaches and spent a few days hunting. I was the only one on two of the beaches all day long.
The Gulf Coast beaches....specifically Siesta, Lido, Fort Desoto and Holmes. Lots of people on the beach.....very few in the water. I was checking out the bling that they might be wearing. Most were not wearing any and those that were, were not going into the water. A few years ago, Siesta was a hot beach for me and whenever I was in the water, I was finding some great stuff. Now almost nothing. Lido was also a good beach for me but again, nothing. Holmes beach was under construction with dredging and sand sifting going on. Nobody in the water. Fort Desoto beach has really fallen apart. Very few people there and they are not taking care of the beach. Lots of trash and there seems to be a different class of people there than just a few years ago.
Florida was my favorite state for detecting but since the price increases of silver & gold, there are a lot more people with detectors than I have ever seen before. And since the price increases for the precious metals, most of the jewelry has been sold for cash so less of it is being lost.
I think I may give up on Florida for a while and plan a trip to the Outer Banks. I hear that the hunting there is better and less competitive as the best hunting time is when the weather is the worst. The old gold is still being found and it does not depend on people of today losing something as they already probably sold their stuff at a Pawn Shop.
I also went to South Beach in Miami and also the Treasure Coast.
Here is what I found after 4 weeks of hunting at the other beaches........
Some clad, a few navel adornments and a small copper cross.
Florida is now loaded with tons of Pawn shops and other shops that are offering cash for gold. I went into a few pawn shops to ask them how business was and they said terrible for gold. They told me that most everyone has unloaded a lot of their gold because the prices were so high. Now that gold is gone and there is very little gold coming in. Not good for us detectorists.
South Beach was crawling with detectorists. In the water, in the sand. Everywhere. Must have been a couple dozen of them when I was there......three times in three days. I figured that since I am a water hunter I'd hunt the water. I got there an hour before sunrise and there were at least 7 detectorists ready to jump right in. I had to move on down to the other end of the beach and from what I found in the water, I figure that it already has been hit pretty hard.
Treasure Coast......Nothing but can slaw and a fishing lure. I know the conditions are not good at the Treasure Coast as the sand is really heavy right now. A good storm or two and I am sure that things will open up. Till then, don't waste your time. I hit several beaches and spent a few days hunting. I was the only one on two of the beaches all day long.
The Gulf Coast beaches....specifically Siesta, Lido, Fort Desoto and Holmes. Lots of people on the beach.....very few in the water. I was checking out the bling that they might be wearing. Most were not wearing any and those that were, were not going into the water. A few years ago, Siesta was a hot beach for me and whenever I was in the water, I was finding some great stuff. Now almost nothing. Lido was also a good beach for me but again, nothing. Holmes beach was under construction with dredging and sand sifting going on. Nobody in the water. Fort Desoto beach has really fallen apart. Very few people there and they are not taking care of the beach. Lots of trash and there seems to be a different class of people there than just a few years ago.
Florida was my favorite state for detecting but since the price increases of silver & gold, there are a lot more people with detectors than I have ever seen before. And since the price increases for the precious metals, most of the jewelry has been sold for cash so less of it is being lost.
I think I may give up on Florida for a while and plan a trip to the Outer Banks. I hear that the hunting there is better and less competitive as the best hunting time is when the weather is the worst. The old gold is still being found and it does not depend on people of today losing something as they already probably sold their stuff at a Pawn Shop.
crackerjuan
New member
you hit the nail on the head, but dig has been doing great, 2 1/2 yrs. ago i found a 3oz 14k gold figora bracelet that i fixed and wore all the time but now that gold is so high i dont wear it cause i dont want to loose it cause its worth so much, i hunt bahia beach and apollo beach (i dont have the gas $ to go over the skyway) and i can tell that their is at least 3 to 5 other guys hunting bahia beach plus all the kids with cheap metal detectors
Finderskeeper
Active member
Yep. This last winter was the worst winter for me ever with over 15 years of water hunting the Gulf Coast and the east coast of Florida.crackerjuan said:
To get to Desoto beach, you have to pay the dollar for going over the Sunshine Skyway (I live part time in Sarasota in the winter), plus the half a buck for the Sunshine tollway and another thirty five cents for the last part of the tollway. Then it is the gasoline prices.
I even went to Clearwater Beach. They want ten bucks to park all day. So for two days I hunted the water and........nothing. There were four people with detectors in the water even before the sun rose. I really hate to say this but I don't tell anyone anymore how much fun this is for two reasons. First, it isn't fun anymore when you spend all day and find zilch, nada, nothing. Second, I think that promoting the hobby is not my job and that putting new people on the beach with detectors is not in my best interest. The newbees usually dig all over the place leaving holes and they talk your head off trying to find out how much money they could make or ask how I like my Excalibur II.
So I tell them the truth if they ask. They won't make didly squat and spend all kinds of frustrating hours for nothing. I tell them they will spend at least a grand for a good detector (sorry Ace 250 owners...I say that to deter them from thinking it is an easy way to make anything. If they knew about the ACE, we would have even more people to deal with) That will stop some of this nonsense.
The other sad part of it is that there are a lot of elderly people who now have metal detectors and are using what they find to live on. I met one guy at another beach who told me that since he lost his job, he is now somewhat dependent on what he finds. He had an older White's 5000D and it looked pretty well used. I left that beach for him and did not hunt it.
I also noticed now in Florida that a lot of the schoolyards are now fenced in with no trespassing signs all over the place. I do not hunt school yards in Florida as the water hunting was way better. But several of the schools who last year had no fence are now fenced off with posted signs.
Florida was the best state for me for MD'ing. I fear that the economy and laws are killing what used to be a whole heck of a lot of fun.
BootyHunter
Active member
Anybody that bought a metal detector JUST to find gold will be selling the metal detector for money instead of gold. Everyone here knows how hard water detecting is, to find the signal and then to actually recover is tough. 99 times out of 100 it is junk, or a sinker or a zinc penny. Most of us hunt all the time and rarely find gold, so all the gold hunters will find out soon enough, if you don't enjoy the hunt, you won't enjoy hunting for gold. And if they are just looking in the dry sand, well then the market will soon be flooded with cheap detectors. Just my to zincolns, HH.
JOHNMARKHAM
New member
water temps are still to cold to go into for most people,too early yet,and still not enough tourist yet,gas prices too high for most and there still rising..its gonna be tough for awhile,when i went down in jan i did find some gold and silver but yes allot of detectors on most beaches i went to,but i dont let that bother me,we can only hope for a good storm and then get there first during storm just to get a swing up on the bunch of guys thatll try to hit the beaches then..
jmho...
hh
john
jmho...
hh
john
NamVetLesTreasureSeeker
New member
n/t. Les Robinson