Greetings From The California Motherlode Region!

[Craig Peer]

Hi everyone - great forum here. I used to dredge for gold back in the mid 1980's - to mid 1990's, on the Klamath River, North Yuba River and other places. Tried my hand at metal detecting back then, but only found trash. Got frustrated and gave up ( had a Fisher Gold Bug back then ). Dredging was more a sure thing to find gold back then - in my mind anyway. After 10 years of non stop dredging and prospecting, I burned out and gave up the hobby for looking for gold entirely ( too much dredging and prospecting probably contributed to my first marriage ending in divorce - doh! ). Fast forward to today. I got the gold prospecting bug again last year, along with a new sluice and a Gold Monster, and this time I'm determined to master metal detecting for gold. The biggest difference now is YouTube videos and websites like this, where one can learn techniques, which didn't exist 35 years ago. I just retired this year, and have the time now to spend looking for gold. Also have a camper van and a wife that loves kayaking and going out camping and exploring. 2025 is going to be a great year. Got a Garrett Axiom too - can't wait to use it other than tests on the lawn. Here's to a great gold year for everybody here! Craig

 

Photo of my 7" Dahlke dredge on the Klamath River - back in the day! 

[JCR]

Welcome from East Texas.

[Steve Herschbach]

Welcome to the forum. Your journey mirrors my own in many respects. I started as a die hard gold dredger, and my first forays into metal detecting  for gold made me think it was a waste of time by comparison. But then the years added up, and I decided detecting was worth a go, and pretty much turned my back on dredging. Never regretted it for a minute, still found plenty of gold, the nugget size skyrocketed, and I stayed warm and dry! So stick with the detecting. If nothing else you will roam around and see a lot more country, another thing I liked compared to working my dredge in the same hole week after week.

https://www.detectorprospector.com/magazine/steves-mining-journal/steves-mining-journal/

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Craig ! Looks like you're gonna fit in here just fine .

A wealth of information already posted for you to scan .

Ask questions as they come up. You're in the motherlode of answers. 

Nuggets and gems  🖖 

[Craig Peer]

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Welcome to the forum. Your journey mirrors my own in many respects. I started as a die hard gold dredger, and my first forays into metal detecting  for gold made me think it was a waste of time by comparison. But then the years added up, and I decided detecting was worth a go, and pretty much turned my back on dredging. Never regretted it for a minute, still found plenty of gold, the nugget size skyrocketed, and I stayed warm and dry! So stick with the detecting. If nothing else you will roam around and see a lot more country, another thing I liked compared to working my dredge in the same hole week after week.

https://www.detectorprospector.com/magazine/steves-mining-journal/steves-mining-journal/

Thanks Steve. Also, thank you for the amazing wealth of information on the Garrett Axiom. I figured that PI detectors were more money than I wanted to spend on a detector, and out of reach. Garrett coming out with the Axiom Lite at a price I could justify, coupled with your videos and info, pushed me over the edge to get one. I turn 69 years old this coming Saturday, and I can't think of a better birthday present. I can't wait to get out detecting - as soon as xc ski season is over ( have to keep the wife happy too - she loves skiing ).

[Craig Peer]

18 minutes ago, rvpopeye said:

Welcome aboard Craig ! Looks like you're gonna fit in here just fine .

A wealth of information already posted for you to scan .

Ask questions as they come up. You're in the motherlode of answers. 

Nuggets and gems  🖖 

Thank you. This website is a goldmine of info ( pun intended ). The info on the Axiom here really gives one a head start on mastering the machine. I've printed out a bunch of it to reference in the field. 

[Ripcode]

 Hello and welcome from Michigan! 👋 

[Wild Bill]

Hello and welcome from northern Nevada.  I’ve been enjoying this site for some time and when Steve posted a request for the Compass 1990-1992 Catalog I was really surprised as it was provided to the site and the 20 Oz high grade quartz specimen I found in 1986 is in that catalog!  I took photos of it and must have given a print to someone and it ended up in that catalog.  It was found dredging on the North Yuba.  I posted three pics of it on that Compass catalog page.  I’m in my seventies now and enjoy all kinds of detecting.  I’m really glad I dredged when I was younger and strong and went for it back then.  My wife and I worked up and down the north fork for many years.  I’ll post some pics later.  That 20 Oz specimen had 9 Ounces of gold and was found on top of all the gravel under a layer of sand as I just started the day and as the sand went up the nozzle it was just sitting there.  I just picked it up.  Only about a foot of water over it.  Could have been found with a detector!   Fun to read about your past much like mine.  Cheers! 

[Craig Peer]

On 3/13/2025 at 8:02 PM, Wild Bill said:

Hello and welcome from northern Nevada.  I’ve been enjoying this site for some time and when Steve posted a request for the Compass 1990-1992 Catalog I was really surprised as it was provided to the site and the 20 Oz high grade quartz specimen I found in 1986 is in that catalog!  I took photos of it and must have given a print to someone and it ended up in that catalog.  It was found dredging on the North Yuba.  I posted three pics of it on that Compass catalog page.  I’m in my seventies now and enjoy all kinds of detecting.  I’m really glad I dredged when I was younger and strong and went for it back then.  My wife and I worked up and down the north fork for many years.  I’ll post some pics later.  That 20 Oz specimen had 9 Ounces of gold and was found on top of all the gravel under a layer of sand as I just started the day and as the sand went up the nozzle it was just sitting there.  I just picked it up.  Only about a foot of water over it.  Could have been found with a detector!   Fun to read about your past much like mine.  Cheers! 

Hi Wild Bill. I'm glad I dredged back then - quite the adventure. I'd moved up to near Folsom from SoCal and the Gold Rush and prospecting completely fired my imagination! Here are some photos of me and my 5" Dahlke dredge on the North Fork of the Yuba on a friends claim. Can't wait for the weather to warm up and get out prospecting - soon. I'm almost in my 70's - one more year. Here's wishing you good prospecting luck in 2025!