What's Best, Cruising Or Crawling? My Last Day Gold.

[flakmagnet]

Also, there are a couple of undiscussed levels of detecting that at times can surpass  technique, knowledge and type of detector used:  luck and intuition. 

I can't count the number of times these aspects of detecting have come into play. Not sure it is something that can be cultivated or learned but it's definitely a part of what we do. 

Perhaps that's not for this discussion but just in case...

[Steve Herschbach]

1 hour ago, flakmagnet said:

Also, there are a couple of undiscussed levels of detecting that at times can surpass  technique, knowledge and type of detector used:  luck and intuition. 

There are plenty of people out there counting on just luck and intuition, perhaps aided by map dowsing. Good luck with that!  The only ones I see consistently having any luck applying their intuition are the ones with the technique, knowledge, and the right detector.

[flakmagnet]

Yep, agree…

4 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I see consistently having any luck applying their intuition are the ones with the technique, knowledge, and the right detector.

 

[BMesenko]

Great topic! For me any place that is well known and hammered it has to be a crawl. Learned that the hard way about 7 years ago when I made my first 3 trips to the fabled Rye Patch where there was supposedly gold laying around everywhere. Each trip I spent 3 or 4 full days and found zero nuggets and would have sworn the place was fished out. Trip 4 I decided to go back to an area where I had noticed dig holes on an early trip and slowly and methodically cover every inch of the ground around them. Within an hour I found my first Rye Patch nugget and a few more before the day was over. Since that day I still try to make 3-4 trips there per year and have had very few skunk days. When I look back on it almost every time I hit a long dry spell I realize that I had lost focus and was moving too fast.  I don’t have the latest and greatest machine or the best technique and definitely do not have anywhere near the knowledge that many on this forum have. I also don’t think I am particularly lucky or intuitive, but I do have a not so secret weapon that not everybody has – I am naturally blessed with Patience & Persistence. All else being equal he who has his coil moving the longest will find the most nuggets and even without all being equal they will still find their fair share.

[geof_junk]

Quote.........Trip 4 I decided to go back to an area where I had noticed dig holes on an early trip and slowly and methodically cover every inch of the ground around them.

I find it hard to crawl and do virgin ground. I fill in my holes to prevent other from finding them and Crawling all over my PATCHES.  ?

[flakmagnet]

3 hours ago, BMesenko said:

I am naturally blessed with Patience & Persistence.

Incredibly valuable assets…!

[Gerry in Idaho]

14 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Great thread you started, Gerry!  So much valuable info from so many experienced detectorists.  Thanks.

But there's an elephant in the room that apparently no one noticed, or noticed but is just too polite to mention.  Someone took on Lunk toe-to-toe and beat him!  That's a nugget few will ever find.  ?

Good catch GB.  It is an honor to be compared to Lunk.   The amount of hours he has on gold detectors has to be in the highest % in US.  Actually,  he pulls me 3 out of 5 times.  But then I've beat him by a nugget or two 2 days straight.   Then he'll hand me a 3 day whoop ass lesson.  It's all good in the end as we both respect each other,  our capabilities....and most importantly the friendship and commoraudery.   But thanks for noticing.

 

[Gerry in Idaho]

1st off,  Thanks everyone for the time to comment and give input.  Certainly keep them as the knowledge being shared is great input for newer hunters and or even veteran detectorist who might want to try a different method. 

The pattern of informative comments I am seeing with GPZ-7000 is.  Most of the nuggets (not all), are found when crawling really slow with proper coil control over known gold patch.

Think of it like this as I tell my customers. "It is not about covering alot of ground as much as it is about covering the most proven ground very thoroughly."  When I'm swinging my detector,  I only think of,  listen to and concentrate on the immediate ground in front of me.  I don't worry about others around me or where I might hunt next?  When I start doing those things..it is time for a break.

Thanks everyone and keep sharing your thoughts/knowledge. 

 

[mn90403]

Call me 'late to the party' but maybe, just maybe it is no longer possible to 'cruise' at Rye Patch?  haha 

I pulled my nuggets out of the trash the last couple of trips and you can't really cruise that either.  Crawling obviously produces more after all of these years.