Keeping track of where you have been?

wild eyed willey

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Oct 25, 2012
187
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Southbridge, MA.
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How do you experts make sense of a large beach/ swimming area. All I can think of is running fiberglass poles with rope attached between them to section off smaller areas to search... Is this normal unwritten procedure? I can't believe you just walk willy nilly about hoping to tedect whatever you might stumble across. can anyone share some guidance?
 

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SoCalBeachScanner

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Aug 17, 2013
601
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Coastal Orange County, CA
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How do you experts make sense of a large beach/ swimming area. All I can think of is running fiberglass poles with rope attached between them to section off smaller areas to search... Is this normal unwritten procedure? I can't believe you just walk willy nilly about hoping to tedect whatever you might stumble across. can anyone share some guidance?

Well, I'm no expert, but you can try to use a small handheld GPS and mark a waypoint where you started. You can work an area of the of the beach and mark a waypoint on the GPS when you finished, so your next time out you can restart at you last waypoint where you left off, and so on.
Just a thought, looks good on paper.
 

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Beach Papa

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Apr 25, 2012
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CTX 3030
Aquasound (custom made)
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Well, the CTX 3030 does have a built in GPS that you can set way points and bread crumb trails to tell where you have been. I guess I might set way points if I am at a beach and want to come back at a later date and pick up where I left off. However, if I am at a beach hunting and don't want to hunt the same area twice, I just drag my scoop to leave a mark in the sand so I know where I have been. HH, Beach papa
 

lookindown

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Mar 11, 2010
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I drag my scoop behind me all the time and it leaves a trail.
 

chrischch

Newbie
Sep 29, 2013
3
1
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The australian goldminers tie a chain to themselves and let it drag behind them to see where they have been or how to get back home!
You could try something similar.
 

DrJoePrime

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Sep 9, 2007
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Since my scoop is usually the shorty..I drag my right foot.
 

jeff of pa

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How do you experts make sense of a large beach/ swimming area. All I can think of is running fiberglass poles with rope attached between them to section off smaller areas to search... Is this normal unwritten procedure? I can't believe you just walk willy nilly about hoping to tedect whatever you might stumble across. can anyone share some guidance?

willy, ....... & nilly :thumbsup:

(ask DKinPA :laughing7: I may be at one corner of a football field one minute,
and on the entire other side next time he looks up,
and 3 minutes later back to the other side in the other corner,
or in the middle of the field, or back at my starting point re hunting.
or no where near it swinging
)



I don't hunt beaches, but can't be much different then large Parks etc.

I find some of my best finds, by following my nose.
zig-zagging like I'm dodging Bullets. Walking in circles like I'm chasing my Tail,
searching for a change in scenery, or seeing a Shadow out the corner of my eye & Chasing it,
whatever My nature drags me.
it's Sort of like a psychic Draw .

of course I liked things better when I smoked.
on occasion I would stop, Light up and enjoy Smelling
the Tobacco fumes
while Contemplating the next move.
 

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cdv1

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Jun 29, 2011
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popcorn works as long as the gulls leave it alone..... but dragging the scoop works better..... then again, some of my best finds have been done.....willy nilly!

Cliff
 

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wild eyed willey

wild eyed willey

Full Member
Oct 25, 2012
187
56
Southbridge, MA.
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bounty hunter, fast tracker
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
So none of you set up guide lines to follow, like waiting in line at the bank. I will have to work on my physic abilities or let the Force guide me. The problem I seem to have is that I am not in tuned to the universe, at least not this one. For some unknown reason every time my ship comes in, I'm in the bathroom or otherwise occupied. I do like the idea of setting up a grid, but that could get labor intensive not to mention it might be in someone else's way.
 

MiamiFox

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Aug 2, 2013
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In the water I started bringing a couple of balloons tied to light line and the lead weights I've found. I find a spot on the beach work my way out to the depth I'm comfortable with and place a balloon then work parallel to the beach drop another when I want to turn around.

On the beach I just drag my scoop to leave a mark in the sand.
 

jeff of pa

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So none of you set up guide lines to follow, like waiting in line at the bank. I will have to work on my physic abilities or let the Force guide me. The problem I seem to have is that I am not in tuned to the universe, at least not this one. For some unknown reason every time my ship comes in, I'm in the bathroom or otherwise occupied. I do like the idea of setting up a grid, but that could get labor intensive not to mention it might be in someone else's way.

images.jpg
 

MexGT

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Sep 23, 2013
180
83
México
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Minelab CTX-3030 & Stealth 920i
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
At the beach, I drag my scoop too, simple and easy solution, but just works in the same day hunt. If you want to know exactly were you have been the next day and not re detect the same areas, you need to look for some sort of marks and remember them, or use a GPS, that's a plus for the 3030.
 

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dale3fan28

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Jul 15, 2013
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Lake Charles, La
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Our beach is combed by a sweeper each morning and gathers big items such as cans and bottles........its hard to believe but there are many beaver tails lying right on top of the sand, i guess cause they are so light........
 

TheRingFinder

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May 22, 2013
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dragging the scoop is the best option, though I will have to try leaving a popcorn trail.
 

Sir Gala Clad

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Jul 9, 2012
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How do you experts make sense of a large beach/ swimming area. All I can think of is running fiberglass poles with rope attached between them to section off smaller areas to search... Is this normal unwritten procedure? I can't believe you just walk willy nilly about hoping to tedect whatever you might stumble across. can anyone share some guidance?

On wet sand use a wide W / zig zag pattern between high and low tide marks/water to locate where there are worth while targets (lead sinkers, quarters) that have been there a while (green/brown/black) the uglier the better. When you find this you are in an area where it is probable where rings may of settle.

Then either spiral out (tight and slow) from the found target to find other targets to identify a target line or set up a tight grid pattern (overlap your coil sweeps) to thoroughly cover this area.

On dry sand willy nilly has worked best for me, looking for where people lay there towels, beach entrances, volley ball nets.
In this environment you are looking for fresh drops. Usually there is a lot of trash so a detector with discrimination works best
 

wildcarrot

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Oct 5, 2013
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In the dry sand I just follow my shoe tracks...usually gridding three to four hundred foot long sections stopping and returning just left or right of my tracks. Hard wet sand shoe prints not so visible I'll just scuff the sand with my shoe every 10 feet or so you can easily see where you've been.
 

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