10% get 90% of finds?

[jiminsandiego]

They say in sport fishing that 10% of the fisherman get 90% of the fish. I wonder if this holds true in metal detecting. I was talking to another guy metal detecting at the beach the other day that told me that he quit going to the club meetings because the same 5 guys always get the good stuff. Said they buy em at the pawn shop. I was shocked! Maybe I'm naive, but maybe those are just the "10 percenters". I took a barber dime I had found earlier that day out of my wallet to show him (and even told him where I found it). He told me of a guy that keeps a diamond ring in his wallet to show other detectorist. Did he think I was lying? Anyway now I want to attend a club meeting more than ever (I never have). Maybe those 10 percenters can clue me in on what they do differently. By the way the guy seemed very nice, but I just can't picture 5 grown men lying about what they find.
Cheers,
Jim

 

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[petersra]

I think your 10/90 thought has merit. I recall when I first started hunting the beach. Dry sand of course, with my Radio Shack cheap detector. Didn't find much. However, I stuck at it and the more I hunted, the more I found with each hunt. I think the changes in my hunting were unconscious mostly. Found more valuable stuff in the wet sand than in the dry sand, so next time I hunted I hunted the wet sand. Needed a better detector....... With each successful find, I unconsciously stored that data away and it affected how I hunted the next time out. I don't think about it now, but I find a lot more on every hunt than on any of those early hunts. I think it is called experience. The more experience you have the more likely you will be successful. Don't expect the most experienced guy to tell you all his "unconscious secrets" of success that he learned thru trial and error. Just bite the bullet and spend the time on the beach and figure out your own style of hunting and find the success that goes along with it. That is what a successful fisherman does. You can read just so much before you just have to go try different things until you find the right successful combination. Good Luck. Ralph

 

[stevemc]

I would say its true. I often get asked if I found anything, and I usually say, "nothing good" and sometimes this is asked by other detectorists, and I say that, and they say they havent found anything. I find it hard to believe they havent found anything, even with the type detectors they have. But it has to do with keeping your coil near the ground, slowly working an area throughly, figuring out where things are found, and putting lots of time into it. I see lots of rookies swinging the coil like a sickle, harvesting the grain. And walking fairly fast and in a straight line. Take it slow and keep the coil level. Overlap your sweeps. Listen carefully. If you do go to a club, and I would recommend it, you will find out the guys that find stuff, will also be helpful. It is the little things they tell you, that may be the things that you should listen to most. Or everything. Most any beach will have stuff, but to know where it can be found is another. Drive to beaches, and see where most detectorists go on the beach, this would be in the early morning or evenings, or low tides. Reading a beach can be tricky, but needs to be done to get the stuff. Washed out areas, are good. Piled up sand is not.

 

[Sandman]

It could be that the same five guys get some nice finds once in awhile, but they could basically be trying to hard to out do each other. Some guys have the need to be accepted at any cost. One guy I know has show me the same ring about 4 times and forgets he has shown it many times. I was going to call him on it, but thought he must be a poor soul in need of a pat on the head just like we all do once in awhile. Granted some guys don't have a job either, like myself, so we have a better chance of getting the coil over something because we are always detecting. My fun comes from the finding, an once it is in the pouch I am off to find something else. Then too with seniority swinging the coil we get where we know our detectors and know where to go to maximize our time with out wasting much of it looking at a screen and wondering if we should dig or not. Another guy I knew always had a ring count lots higher than mine. Turns out he counts junk ring too in his count. Treasure finding guys are like fishermen are , mostly liars and a few eat lots of fish but don't tell everyone where they go. When asked while at the beach I tell who ever is asking that I haven't found anything but junk or maybe a couple coins. You never know who is watching you...........

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[EZrider]

Die in the wool fisherman all my life. Also swing a detector too. It's the difference between sitting in a boat all day and not a bite. And getting to a spot and catching a limit in 30min. Successful beach/water hunters value there time. Hunters who make great finds are not going to go to a sanded in beach and say "this looks good!" and blindly hunt it. A lot of so called beach hunters only hunt during there vacation once a year. People can think what they want imo.

 

[Les West Central Fl]

Perhaps some should think before they make stupid statements. Has anyone ever thought that maybe the reason 10% show more is because they got out often and for long periods of time and hunt the beaches and elsewhere instead of staying in bed and say that it's not possible to find those goodies. When my hunting partner and i go out we stay in the water 4 to 7 hours without coming out

 

[The-Bone]

Perhaps some should think before they make stupid statements. Has anyone ever thought that maybe the reason 10% show more is because they got out often and for long periods of time and hunt the beaches and elsewhere instead of staying in bed and say that it's not possible to find those goodies. When my hunting partner and i go out we stay in the water 4 to 7 hours without coming out

great insight here!! some people have a better work ethic than other swhen detecting....also,look at a lot of the guys u see on the beach, their form/technique is attrocious.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Sandman,So true I have the same thing here in NJ same guy each time I see him hunting shows the same ring for several years. I also stop helping the same guys with thier coils 12 inches off the sand . I will tell others once! I also see the same guys unpulgging the Excalibur battery so as not to lose thier best setting they have set from 2008??I just don't understand the thought process of some people.
And to add my two cents if people all around you are finding more good targets theres a reason for it. And I believe that smaller groups find more than the vast groups. I not sure the split is 10/90 I feel its more 33/67

 

[stevemc]

Les West Central Florida is one of those guys who month after month, comes into the club and shows his rings that he finds. He puts in many hours and many pieces of trash dug. He obviously knows how to read a beach, knows his machine, and puts in the time. He is one of the people I was thinking about when I first read this post. He also is a helpful guy. There are several others too, but he is one of those top % of the guys out there day after day, all year long, for years, and often getting gold. He impressed me first time I saw him show his stuff at a meeting and every time after. Snooksion is another. He often gets gold when others dont. He is the same way, works at it for many hours, and very meticulusly works it all, and knows his machine well. He is a helpful guy too!

 

[Who's the boss]

Hello my friends
Personally, it's true that I find much gold.
But it's been over 15 years that I detected in the water.
The first years, I went about 20 or 30 gold jewelry a year.
With experience, I know my tracks, I know my Excalibur, I know some good tips, which allow me to get out 10 times more.
But I assure you, on average, in France, prospectors out between 40 and 50 year gold jewelry.

 

[JP]

Perhaps some should think before they make stupid statements. Has anyone ever thought that maybe the reason 10% show more is because they got out often and for long periods of time and hunt the beaches and elsewhere instead of staying in bed and say that it's not possible to find those goodies. When my hunting partner and i go out we stay in the water 4 to 7 hours without coming out

great insight here!! some people have a better work ethic than other swhen detecting....also,look at a lot of the guys u see on the beach, their form/technique is attrocious.

AGREED!!!! Those that find more get out there more, know where to hunt, hunt areas that the others over look, etc. Plus a lot of people find stuff that they never post online; these are the same ones that when one asks if they are having any luck today they say "NO." Also there are some that post online and throw in there certain beaches so everyone else who doesn't do their homework heads there and spends the time on those beaches .....etc. etc. etc.................

 

[DewGuru]

It's all about adaptation and effort. Having done well at my normal beaches last year, the winter time proved the opposite due to lack of visitors. I adapted by hunting outside the "norm" and it's been paying off while we wait the replenishment to begin, which thankfully, is just around the corner. I'm out 4-5 times per week. Sometimes more.

 

[steve from ohio]

It has been my experience that you need to get really hard core when it comes to metal detecting. I hunt water. I hunt water 8 to 12 hours at a time when I do. I don't give up even if I don't find a thing. Because you never know. I've spent 12 hours hunting and get 35 cents. I've spent 12 hours and found mucho dollars worth of rings. It all evens out.

I watch the beach and watch the water and figure out where the people go. I spend a lot of time hunting and scoping out the situation. My water hunting got better when I decided to take it seriously and do what it takes to get er done! And it has paid off!

Same with land hunting. I do research. I look for areas where I can hunt and know that it has been around for a long time. I look at old maps. Old school buildings...you know...the old red brick ones that look like they have been around forever. I do baseball fields. Lots of stuff gets lost in baseball fields. Amazing. Rings, chains, silver dollars. You name it, I've found it at baseball fields.

I do not tell anyone where I find things. Ever. I educate them that they need to do research themselves. I do not want to belong to a club because I would never be a member of a club that would have me as a member!

10% get 90%? Not sure about that. But the ones who put in the effort and does what it takes are the ones who find the most.

 

[acevillav]

Here's my advice. First stay off El Cajon Blvd . No but seriously this hobby is like anything else put in your time learn from others who have been doing it for a while. Personaly I don't worry about what everybody else is finding. Somebody will always do better than me and somebody will always do worse than me. If I had fun, got some exercise and a few coins in my pocket I'm happy The gold/silver will come as it always does. I Dig everything and go slow it has paid off for me. Take care amigo.

Ace Villa-v

 

[Les West Central Fl]

Oh yes, I do unplug my batteries on my Excal but only because sometimes the machine may not be off and the batteries will be dead on the next trip. Some of the older machines had defective switches.

 

[ziphius]

Jim,

It is probably more like 20% and 80% (check out the term 'pareto distribution' at wikipedia). Don't worry about what the other guys are finding. It's too easy to get caught up in trying to outdo the next guy. But, talking with the pros who seem to find much more than anyone else is a good way to learn as well. I'm in San Diego and have been to numerous 'Coinshooters of San Diego' club meetings. Nice bunch of people. There are a few who always find much more than everyone else. The 'big guns' have a few things in common: 1) they are retired and have more time to detect; 2) they are very experienced and know the appropriate techniques and areas to hunt; 3) they are obsessed with the hobby (addiction in some cases). - Jim