GPZ at Rye Patch, Nevada

[1515Art]

I spent two days with my gpz at rye patch, Friday and Saturday from 8 till 4 both days just a couple of short breaks and some relocating to different spots looking for old patches in the pay streak areas. I am completely new to this nugget hunting so the only thing I can really contribute is the experience of a newbie with his detector that I hope I am someday worthy of.

What a great adventure, I can say the time went by very quickly and I would have stayed a few more days but did not want to abandon my family for too long. I've been researching for a while, but it still took me half the first day to feel comfortable with my surroundings. Luckily I ran into a few really helpful dectorists and with some help I was able to better understand what I needed to be doing out there, thanks guys very much. The detector was very easy to use, the menu is intuitive and after adjusting the settings a couple of times I felt comfortable navigating and playing with the settings while on the go, switching back to default and readjusting from time to time checking with test gold was also easy.

I did not find any gold and am yet to find my first nugget, one of the guys I was hunting near was a former minelab dealer using a 3000, he found a nice chunk near a bush that day not far from where I was. The machine is easy to use, but I may have even walked past it, his knowledge and experience made the difference and I have to thank him again for all the help. I did find bullet shells, live rounds, bullets and tiny tiny bullet fragments, microscopic pieces of rusted tin fragments and sweeping near a rusted tin can sends it into overdrive, it has to be great fo relics if you can dig it all. Over time using it I was able to kind of guess what the target was, but dug anyway...hoping

I did not use the supplied guide arm but should have, the weight is tolerable, lighter battery and coil would be better. I agree a smaller coil would have been helpful in the bushes, but I shoved the 14 around in the brush and it was quiet. The threshold was a bit chattery although my test gold a tinny tinny piece produced a clear response. This is getting kind of long... But I did run into part of the gpz gold rush out there at least 4 other gpz s were sweeping the ground at rye patch. I don't know how they all did, but one guy was sporting about a dozen rice grain pieces from his first day, he was also very experienced.

Cheers,
Clark

[vanursepaul]

3000.....Was that u rudy?

If it was thanks for helping another

newbie...

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Clark,

Nice report, thanks. It is always a tough go starting out. I went literally years between first turning on a metal detector to find a nugget and actually finding one. So do not be discouraged at all and just hang in there. It will happen! Main thing is just keep putting in the time in productive areas.

[LuckyLundy]

Art,

You ran into some of our group members out at Rye Patch. Rudy, and his GP 3000 is a legend and constantly makes us shake our heads. The Alaska Boyz, are die hards and always have a smile on their faces with or without nuggets. Here is Rudy's nugget all cleaned up. Glad we helped you out Art, you have a great machine there is no dought in my mind.

LuckyLundy

[vanursepaul]

Nice... i knew it was Rudy when i heard 3000!!!!

 

He stopped to help me with my 3500 one day and within 20 minutes i had popped three nuggets out for a total weight of about 4 dwt!!!!!

 

I dont forget things like that!!!!!

[1515Art]

Hi luckylundy,

That's a beautiful nugget... It felt about a heavy as my gpz and it could not have been found by a better guy. Rudy was super helpful and took a lot of time showing me things and sharing information about how and where to hunt in the desert, I also learned some interesting stories about the patch and the local history. It was fun hunting a little with Rudy and Zack, both a couple of great guys. I met Richard and a couple of other guys out there ( im not very good at names... Age, ADD...idontknow ) and chatted a bit over breakfast in Lovelock about detecting with another experienced prospector who was sweeping the ground out at rye patch, Scott, was also very helpful. Everyone I've met out prospecting has been really nice...

Hope we get to hunt together some time

And hi to vanursepaul too,

Clark

[1515Art]

Hi Clark,

Nice report, thanks. It is always a tough go starting out. I went literally years between first turning on a metal detector to find a nugget and actually finding one. So do not be discouraged at all and just hang in there. It will happen! Main thing is just keep putting in the time in productive areas.

Steve,

Thanks for the words of support, I'm enjoying the hunt and really appreciate the advice you offer and help from everyone on here. It would be many times more difficult for a new guy to experience this without access to networks of information like you have here.

[schiara]

Clark it was nice talking with you at the restaurant in lovelock, This is Scott, I looked around for you on Saturday, but its such a big place. I moved around a lot exploring different washes, since it was only my 3rd time hunting Rye Patch. Ended up with 8 nuggets, for a total of 2.1 dwts. Was listening for the deep big one but it just wasn't in the cards for me that trip. Maybe next time. Let me know the next time you take a trip up there, if I'm available we could hunt together. Now that I'm tuned in to the best settings for me on the GPZ, I think I could do better next trip.

[NuggetBob]

Yeppers Clark you'll b on nuggie in no time. Just remember its more than the machine, its the location and operator too   Learning is fun and I'd like to see a pic of your face when it lites up to that first chunk! You'll get her yet! 

[1515Art]

Hey Scott, ya I was looking for the grandfather of the nugget Rudy found, or any of its other relations. I'm sure they are out there just gotta get the sweet spot on the right spot. I tried higher up the mountain and finished off lower... Lot of ground to cover but it's sure fun lookin. We'll keep in touch and it will be fun to hunt together.

And NuggetBob, I sure do hope someday I can show you, thank you, hope to see you out there.

Clark