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Thinking about a Tiger Shark for the land...discuss

REVIER

Well-known member
Ok guys, here's the dealio...

We are probably moving back to Alabama for awhile.
I don't plan on living there forever, but we will be there for a bit.
When I lived there before I got to know that devil soil very well, and it was that soil that limited the depth of every detector I have ever heard of being used, (VLF types), that actually turned me into a jewelery hunter.
In the worst of that stuff, even just the normal bad areas I usually hunted, my Compadre, F2, a friend's E Trac, all the Whites units the guys in the local club used were all pretty much on an even playing field with all getting about the same depth, and except for some rare occasions that depth was pitiful.
It was was nothing like I am able to get here in the 1000 times better soil in Kansas.
Silver can still be found but it ain't easy, and it takes some out of the box thinking when picking sites or a lot of door knocking to hunt private property to do it.
The old guys found plenty of silver and older coins in their day, but the level that is reachable by their older and even more modern machines has been drained pretty well especially in public areas.
Most that live there believe there is still a ton of great targets to find, it is just that they are at depths that most detectors can't see in that rotten red clay filled soil.
I always swore if I continued to live there and actually wanted to find a decent amount of older coins and relics I would think hard about getting a PI unit, and I never heard of any other hunter using one there for some reason...on land, anyway.
Digging in the hard cement like soil in the middle of the hot summer is another issue and I won't address that, but I will be picking and choosing my sites carefully and will take into account the times of the year, conditions of the soil and where I will be digging because I have read that digging on land with PI's could get...messy.
I also am thinking about this Tesoro because I love their products, the lifetime warranty is great, from what I have read already this thing does seem to get pretty deep on land in some difficult soil and I always wanted to get into the water and this thing will kill two birds with one stone.
Yea, I know they don't discriminate so digging mostly everything is usually on the menu.
Don't care, if I am able to reach depths that others can't and find some goodies all the extra work will be worth it to me.

I now hunt with an F70 and I do have some DD coils so my hope is it will actually get me a bit deeper than I was able to before with the other tools in my arsenal but I really have no idea how well this will actually work in that particularly bad soil.
I gotta believe a PI will get me to deeper levels that I need to reach with less effort, or I hope it might.

Because of the frustration I had hunting there I turned from worrying about finding silver and old coins and deeper relics into a jewelry hunter because that stuff is everywhere and usually shallow and reachable in the public parks I usually spent my time.
I still found a few older coins and relics from time to time but that was mostly just by accident, I still had a blast finding clad and jewelry but at the right sites under the right conditions I want a tool that could give me a shot at more.

Most other PI's are going to be out of the question, price wise.
The ATX, TDI, Minelabs and all the others are probably great but I have no intention of spending that kind of money on a new one or even used especially for the limited duty that I am planning on using it.
I actually might get into the water more than I think, hunting on 100 degree days is possible doing it that way, but land hunting is what I am asking about here.
A Sand Shark is probably going to be doable, not immediately but eventually.

I know Terry Soloman uses his on land, not sure if his soil compares to the Alabama stuff however.
I saw mud's thread on water hunting with this thing and I think that would be fun to get into also, plus I already have a Bill Babbs scoop that has never been wet, but hunting on land with this thing in very mineralized soil is something I have been researching but not finding much info about on the forums.

So what say ye Sand Shark owners with experience...is this plan crazy or could it actually work?
 
Revier, as you already know there is no disc to speak of. This puts you in a dig all situation both shallow and deep. From what it sounds like you have done that in those situations before. So..... my thinking is, why not! The PI will get the depth. The VLF's can't get it done well in that devil clay. The only option for the depth means dig it all. More work, but more reward.

Worse case scenario you now own a great water detector. For the price, the Sand Shark is a great buy compared to some of the other PI's. And.... I have no doubt some of those are a little deeper, but at that price difference they better be.

Take my advice on this for what is worth. I have never owned a Sand Shark and am just thinking out loud. Nothing wrong with owning another Tesoro!
 
Thanks for the opinion...appreciate it.
I have done more research and got a few more opinions so my mindset might be changing.
What was really mind opening is a thread I found over on Tom's site from a guy that asked the same question about getting depth in bad soil...and he lives and hunts in Ala. also and hunts similar areas including around Birmingham where I will be.
For those of you that don't have experience hunting in that particular soil, he was talking about pretty much the same depth levels I saw when I lived there.
He has used many detectors and talked about his CTX results which really brought back bad memories.
Even with that top notch unit in some rare better soil 7" was the limit but in the most normal and most prevalent soil, especially around Birmingham, 4" was about as good as you can expect.
When I say all VLF detectors there are on an even playing field I meant it...I could get the exact same results in the same soil types using my Compadre and especially my F2.
Just the thought of going back there and hunting in that stuff after 3 years digging here in Kansas has me crying...but life stuff happens so you have to deal with it.
I really believe if I can somehow get to the 8-12" area there are riches beyond belief hanging out there if only for the simple reason that using most common and modern detectors going all the way back to the early units nobody has ever been able to reach that far down, ever, unless they were using PI units which does not seem to be common practice.
In that thread Steve H. mentioned PI's can and will work to get past those depths to areas I believe I need to get to that might be hiding the good stuff nobody else can reach.
Now I am thinking a TDI could be the answer, but it would have to be a very clean unit used to come near my price point I am willing to spend.
Still pondering, still want a PI of some kind, still would like to get into the water but now I might need to think about eventually buying more than one unit.
Also such is life.

I am not in a hurry and I do seem to be pretty lucky and come across enough gold and clad in good or bad dirt to finance most of what I buy in this hobby so we will see how things shake out in the future.
 
I also will be moving back to Alabama someday...Guntersville specifically...lots of work up in Huntsville and along the river in both directions all the way to Chattanooga...you will not be too far from CZ connoisseur and Tab and Jim over in Memphis...might make for a nice little run someday and put you back in the black dirt with the 70?
What time frame are you on? Are you getting your old job in Sales back? Moving is tough with a family, good luck Brother, hope it all goes well.:thumbup:
Mud
ps: I know of a lot of what I suspect are un hunted swimming holes along the river...only accessible by boat..a guy may need tanks at some of the raft up party spots, and cliff jump off areas, hence the Tiger Shark thought...
 
mudpuppy said:
I also will be moving back to Alabama someday...Guntersville specifically..

Bless your heart! That's some gorgeous country up that way. That's near my old stomping grounds. I was born on Sand Mountain and spent a lot of my childhood hunting and fishing there. I go back several times a year to visit with my uncles to do some serious crappie and cat fishing on Guntersville Lake. I'll be heading that way in a few weeks. Here's a video of my nephew and me heading up the river from the BB Comer Bridge at Scottsboro to Starkey Island to set out some catfish floats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We2zGvV0IeQ

tabman
 
Wow! Thanks Tab! I miss that river everyday! One of the top 3 rivers in the Nation I figure...my shirt tail inlaws last name is Black, they are from Sand Mountain...

You wanna catch lots of cats? Use chunks of salmon for bait! Get a frozen cheap slab from Sams Club that still has the skin attached, cut it in chunks or strips...seriously...I've tried everything and chunks of salmon work the best..the skin is so tough, it wont come off the hook either....I fished the lower lake by the Bridge and Bluffs for monster bluecat...I was attempting to break the World record..I believe the next world record Blue will come out of that lake...:thumbup: Unclaimed Baggage up in Scottsboro was always a good place to wander around in too...heres a shot of the tug I built going across the lake...
Mud.
 
I would love to get my hands on some of that mineralized alibama soil for testing i would need about 50 pounds, but if it was me i would get the whites TDI that thing can work thru anything and its light I remember driving to Golf shores AL and seeing some soil that was red as can be i was just amazed
 
Quite amazing...and quite frustrating when just about every detector out there can't get much past 4-5" in the bad stuff.
In the north near Huntsville it is a bit better, south end of the state about the same...maybe an inch or so.
In the middle of the state where I will be it is the worst.
I will be fine doing things the way I used to using my F70, but in certain areas and times when I want to blast through that stuff a PI appears to be the only answer.
Now to figure out which one.
 
go to an older TR machine.... just plain TR. old and simple.
 
dixiedigger57 said:
go to an older TR machine.... just plain TR. old and simple.


Got one....need more depth.
 
Well I now feel sorry for the other detectorist in Alabama because I know you Rev.You will dig up all the targets in the state.I can see the news flash now Detector sales at an all time low in Alabama.Glad you're not coming to NC.:rofl: Good luck with you're moving.I hav'nt had time to hunt lately (BEEN WORKING LIKE A GOVERMENT MULE).Can't wait to get back out with the Vaq.HH
 
metalfun said:
Well I now feel sorry for the other detectorist in Alabama because I know you Rev.You will dig up all the targets in the state.I can see the news flash now Detector sales at an all time low in Alabama.Glad you're not coming to NC.:rofl: Good luck with you're moving.I hav'nt had time to hunt lately (BEEN WORKING LIKE A GOVERMENT MULE).Can't wait to get back out with the Vaq.HH

Thanks.
It looks like we will be here for the next couple months and then we go.
I will spend as much time digging in this great soil as possible before we go.
I will sure miss this place.
 
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