Target recover techniques: what am I doing wrong?

[Bill - De]

I live near the beach in Delaware, and have been detecting dry sand beaches, to the water, and ankle-deep, for many years. I am not a young guy (65), but I am decent shape, and would like to start hunting in a little farther out: knee to waist deep. Tried it a few times this past week, and I am having a very difficult time putting that 5" round, long-handle stainless scoop over the target. I have worked 15 minutes trying to recover a good-sounding target, only to give it up. This has happened to me 3 times now.

Can any of you experienced surf hunters help me? Maybe I need a wider, oval-shaped scoop? How do you hang on to your detector while using both hands to lift the sand-filled scoop? How do you get it back on target, if you don't recover anything the first, or second or 10th time?


Gettin' frustrated.

CZ-20
Sea Hunter II

 

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[lookindown]

I went from a 5 inch to a 6 inch scoop and the difference was unreal. I see people recommend 8 inch scoops for water hunting. If I need both hands, I let go of my detector, it floats. The headphone cord keeps it from floating away. The beaches that I hunt don't have rough surf.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Bill-De, It will all come with experiance not know yours it a hard thing to just teach online. If you give some more info thta will help us help you. Type detector will really help us tell you how we pinpoint off the target to and from you. Then where to place your foot to start the first dig.If the detector is new to you stay out of the water till you really get the hang of it. Very fustrating to not recover an good sounding target. Been there too many times. I have read here many times not to give up. I ddon't know where there hunting as after the third scoop in the water/very wet was sand is nearly impossible to recover the target. don't feel as if the great hunters don't miss any targets, they do! Here's a very important tip that will save you lots of trouble. If your detector makes different sounds for targets learn them like tying your shoes. You really don't want to dig quarters dimes and nickles while getting bounced around by waves.I have been at this over 30 years.I have learned its ok to go out and dig just 10 targets a hunt if 9 are nice sounding nickles and one is a nice gold ring. Do the math you can dig 60 targets and have no gold rings and bad back. That being said I dug a pennie sound earlier this year and it turn out to be my best ring ever!
lets have more info more will chime in.

 

[OBN]

Check out the King, recovering targets were more then tuff this past week in OC. Water would calm for a few seconds then back knocking you over again...check out Max's style..he makes it look easy.....



Max's Pictures
Me in the water

Big OC Jeff deep in the ruff

 

[Bill - De]

Well he definitely makes it look easy, sure enough. I am very familiar with my CZ-20; have had it about 8 or 9 years. Just got the Sea Hunter II, and am learning it on the wet sand to surf line. Tried PP'ing, then putting my right foot behind the coil, then the scoop in front of my foot. But seem to be missing the target 4 out of 5 times. Repeat the process, and miss again. Then a big (bigger) wave comes up, and nearly knocks me off balance. This method that I have been trying, was also suggested to me by another forum member, so apparantly it is a good one. Just haven't mastered it.

I need to make some kind of plastic belt-hook to set my detector in when I scoop, bc I really don't like to strain the cords. I hip-mount my detectors to keep the weight down, as I have some issues with my rotator cuff.

Can anyone point me to a good, wide-mouth scoop?

 

[Surfdigger]

Hi Bill....Max makes it look easy....He is real good...also look at the size of the scoop that he is using....I have 2 different scoops (soon to be three) for different conditions and locations....of course...learning to pinpoint accurately in the water doesn't hurt either....analyze how you pinpoint in wetsand....try this....when you get a target in the wetsand....close your eyes and try to pinpoint and line up your scoop in total darkness....now see how long it takes you to recover that target....believe me...once you master that then the next hurdle will be learning how to stay relatively still in an active surf.....but for now...try the blind pinpointing technique you'll be amazed how well this works....HH....Brian

 

[Sandman]

You just need to secure your shaft end to a bungee cord attached to your belt so it is right within reach when using the scoop. For a scoop I have settled on only one type, the Sunspot Stealth. http://www.gold-scoop.com/thescoop.html

I place my left foot along side the coil and the scoop along side the heel and push the foot pad. Most times I have the target on the first scoop. I can hop the scoop up with my left hand till it is near the surface where it is empty of sand.

 

[petersra]

I use an 8" SS scoop and have still had problems zeroing in on a target. On several occasions, the target turned out to be a lead fishing weight attached to several feet of fishing line. Each time I would get the target in the scoop, the string would pull it back out when I pulled the scoop to the surface. It was a real eye opener and a relief that I was not messing up in my technique.

 

[Bill - De]

More good tips... thanks. Yep, bigger scoop is what I need. Anyone here ever buy one of these?
http://www.stavrscoop.com/

 

[davidfl]

hello if i may offer some advice, before u buy a new scoop, try this; the toe technique is a sound one, but with your previous wet sand experience, i think your trying to "scoop" your targets. this may be your problem. pinpoint, place your toe, move your detector, place your scoop. NOW with the tip of your scoop in the ground, extend your hand(the one holding scoop) forward. so that the back of the bucket is level with the ground. now step on the back of the bucket, driving it STRAIGHT down into the sand. as u pull the handle toward u, it will rotate and capture the target. if not relocate and try again. i hope this helps some good luck david

 

[tincansam]

hello if i may offer some advice, before u buy a new scoop, try this; the toe technique is a sound one, but with your previous wet sand experience, i think your trying to "scoop" your targets. this may be your problem. pinpoint, place your toe, move your detector, place your scoop. NOW with the tip of your scoop in the ground, extend your hand(the one holding scoop) forward. so that the back of the bucket is level with the ground. now step on the back of the bucket, driving it STRAIGHT down into the sand. as u pull the handle toward u, it will rotate and capture the target. if not relocate and try again. i hope this helps some good luck david

i just thought missing it and chasing after it if you didnt get on first try was part of the game

 

[davidfl]

my only point was to lean the scoop handle forward and to dig the bucket straight down into the sand. if this works great if not then go and buy another scoop. he already knew how to pp his machine. finding stuff in a difficult environment IS the game

 

[chipmonky]

More good tips... thanks. Yep, bigger scoop is what I need. Anyone here ever buy one of these?
http://www.stavrscoop.com/

Yes I have one of his scoops they work very well and are very well made.
Will last a life time me thinks

 

[tincansam]

More good tips... thanks. Yep, bigger scoop is what I need. Anyone here ever buy one of these?
http://www.stavrscoop.com/

 

[littlebill31]

Bill, I went out a little while this morning at dead low tide and the waves were ripping. The undertoe this time of year is rough around here and it makes scooping a bit tough. The trough, where I can usually find some great sea glass, goes from ankle deep to 5 +ft in one step. I took a nice dunk today, lol. It took me a while to really get the hang of it. The waves breaking on my back really throw me off of target too. Practice, practice is my only advice. I'm still trying my best, but losing a couple targets. I just hope they are fishing weights and I'm not missing anything. I'm going out again in an hour or so to hunt around some more. Good luck out there.

 

[Bill - De]

hello if i may offer some advice, before u buy a new scoop, try this; the toe technique is a sound one, but with your previous wet sand experience, i think your trying to "scoop" your targets. this may be your problem. pinpoint, place your toe, move your detector, place your scoop. NOW with the tip of your scoop in the ground, extend your hand(the one holding scoop) forward. so that the back of the bucket is level with the ground. now step on the back of the bucket, driving it STRAIGHT down into the sand. as u pull the handle toward u, it will rotate and capture the target. if not relocate and try again. i hope this helps some good luck david

You are right on, about how I am using the scoop; just like in wet sand. You suggestion sounds good, and I believe it will help

Bill, I went out a little while this morning at dead low tide and the waves were ripping. The undertoe this time of year is rough around here and it makes scooping a bit tough. The trough, where I can usually find some great sea glass, goes from ankle deep to 5 +ft in one step. I took a nice dunk today, lol. It took me a while to really get the hang of it. The waves breaking on my back really throw me off of target too. Practice, practice is my only advice. I'm still trying my best, but losing a couple targets. I just hope they are fishing weights and I'm not missing anything. I'm going out again in an hour or so to hunt around some more. Good luck out there.

Bill, were you hunting at Rehoboth? I've been there 3 times in the past week, and twice over to Lewes, which of course, has no waves, but the water is murky, and the targets are few. When ya goin back, Bill?

Max, I really like that Pro/Scoop, and want to order one, but I tried to but the square shank wood handle today, and couldn't fine one. As someone said, maybe a farm supply store.

 

[OBN]

SurfDigger, Sandman, and any of the other older hunters out there......I've been thinking about this...Making a sand screw for the ruff water's. I had a make shift one along time ago, got a picture around here somewhere....But the idea of being total stable in the surf would be a great advantage, and the screw would provide this while screwing into the sand. This would only work on sandy beachs, with maybe a few shells. On how to use one is you find your target, PP..then center your screw over the target and turn away, and about every 3 or 4 turns you would shake it alittle, this forcing the sand thur the small holes, along with the turning would force sand thur. Mine had a lever on the side to close the small trap door, capturing the items that would not past thur the 3/8 inch holes. Anyone that can PP, could nail the target, and the whole time you would be able to take the waves because your nailed to the sand ......Any input on that guys? Found a pic of one up close, some mods would have to be done to keep the targets in place, or again timing of the waves, along with a teather to the detector...

This almost sounds like a Overkill Overkill idea

 

[biggmike]

hello if i may offer some advice, before u buy a new scoop, try this; the toe technique is a sound one, but with your previous wet sand experience, i think your trying to "scoop" your targets. this may be your problem. pinpoint, place your toe, move your detector, place your scoop. NOW with the tip of your scoop in the ground, extend your hand(the one holding scoop) forward. so that the back of the bucket is level with the ground. now step on the back of the bucket, driving it STRAIGHT down into the sand. as u pull the handle toward u, it will rotate and capture the target. if not relocate and try again. i hope this helps some good luck david

I couldn't have said it better myself. "capture the target" I wish I would have said that. LOL

 

[Surfdigger]

SurfDigger, Sandman, and any of the other older hunters out there......I've been thinking about this...Making a sand screw for the ruff water's. I had a make shift one along time ago, got a picture around here somewhere....But the idea of being total stable in the surf would be a great advantage, and the screw would provide this while screwing into the sand. This would only work on sandy beachs, with maybe a few shells. On how to use one is you find your target, PP..then center your screw over the target and turn away, and about every 3 or 4 turns you would shake it alittle, this forcing the sand thur the small holes, along with the turning would force sand thur. Mine had a lever on the side to close the small trap door, capturing the items that would not past thur the 3/8 inch holes. Anyone that can PP, could nail the target, and the whole time you would be able to take the waves because your nailed to the sand ......Any input on that guys?

This almost sounds like a Overkill Overkill idea

Joe....someone invented one of those already...he was in California...I still have one it is verrrry limited where you can use it....the sand has to be pretty clean...here is a pic of mine....

 

[littlebill31]

Bill,
I went to Delaware Seashore State Park today. The waves were really hitting hard and then really get sucked back.
Here are some pics of this afternoon.



The waves actually thru me around quite a bit and the trough was over my head, right past the wave, so I couldn't even detect in the water. These pictures don't do it proper justice. They are, at least, 4ft and very powerful today.

This is Conquest Rd., facing south. The Indian River Inlet bridge is in the background, 2.5 miles away. You can see the cranes. Lots of beach to cover.


We'll have to get out together sometime.