Wow, thanks guys for the great feedback. I'll order that book from goldseeker. It is good to know that there are active detectorists outside of the Nevada, Arizona, Canada, or northern California areas. With some of these tips I'm sure it will help me find my first nuggie or picker. I'm excited for the snow to melt so I can get into the streams in the gold districts of Wallace(north) or Pierce(south).
I still have lots of questions, but this has given me encouragement and some new approaches to try. I'm thinking I can use some of the documentation to pinpoint my search further.