Shallow Water Tips

[bigrig40]

I am fairly new to beach/shallow water hunting and would appreciate any tricks of the trade so to speak.Me and knorrski found a few rings and coins late last year and would like any feedback to maybe find a few more.We live in Ind.and we hit a few freshwater beaches around here and we use whites MXT and DFX.

bigrig

 

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[nick1878]

Get out there and do it. Too many people think thereis a magic formula to find the good stuff. When I bought my XLT I was the same way I wanted everyone to tell me the 'secrets' No one would. Then I realized with them making me fid out for myself I truly learned how to use my machine.

Bottom line is you guys are doing it right. Go out and detect. You wont find anything reading about it or talking about it. Good luck and keep your coil to the soil ncs

 

[Jason in TN]

I think the big thing is to get a good scoop and get out and detect.

 

[stoney56]

Only trick I can tell you is try tying a magnet at the back of your scoop to catch nails before they fall back into area to be detected again.

 

[Wayne from Maine]

I agree, learn by doing. Magnet glued to the back of your scoop works great. Wished I had done it years ago. I spray my scoop fluorescent orange, I like to see where it is, it makes a good background in low light to see what's in the scoop. For me the most important is to remain focused, don't think about work, the time or what excuses your going to use' cause your 2 hours later then you said you would be .

 

[nutso]

I like the magnet and orange paint ideas. When I do a new fresh water beach, I start at the water line and work the beach first. I dig everything until I get sick of junk. Then I go in the water as far as I can with my XLT. This year I can go wherever I want as I now have a 1280-x too. Found a few rings and plenty of clad last year and a bunch of older hotwheel cars.

 

[Wayne from Maine]

I've had a 1280x for years it has paid for it's self many times over. 99% of my hunting is fresh water. Last count I had 200+ matchbox cars.

 

[Wayne from Maine]

I worry about leaches, I looked down one day found one attached to my little finger. I don't like being someone lunch !

 

[nutso]

Yes leaches are a problem where I live too.

 

[Darod]

Wear a chest wader.

That should keep the leaches off of ya, I think?

Rod

 

[nutso]

Yes waders would keep them off and I have been using them for over 30 years. They have limitations, which I want to overcome with the wetsuit. The other problem we have in my are is ticks carrying lime disease. They crawl into the top of the waders and find some skin. You have to shed your clothes when you get home and check yourself everywhere. Of course they only get on you when you walk through brush etc., but I walk alot with waders. Tuck my cuffs in, wear deet spray and all that. But I still find them on me. Persistant little devils.
Getting back to the subject: I was thinking of making a floating screen out of a wheelbarrow tube and some plastic screening. Dumping my scoop material in it to sift it. I also have a fishing tube with canvas pockets and a seat inside I may covert with the screen instead of the seat. keep the goodies in the pockets. But it's alot to haul around.
Anyone got any other innovations for freshwater detecting?

 

[Jim-MI]

Be careful you dont lose control of your detector and let it fall into the water while you are using the scoop. Good luck!

 

[nutso]

The 1280-x is watertight dude.

 

[Lee-MI-MI]

Floating Screen

The fishing thingie may be a good idea. Regular inner tubes don't last long in the sunlight.

I made one using a wood frame, about 3" high, whatever size you want. Use 1/4" hardware cloth for the bottom. Then using 3" thin wall PVC pipe make a frame to fit as snug as possible around the wood frame. Four straight lengths and four elbows. I even filed the center of the wood frame corners so that the pipe elbows could fit even tighter to the wooden frame.

Attach the pipe frame to the wooden frame with plastic wire ties. Attach a plastic container like a butter dish (with cover) in one corner for your finds. I punched four holes in the bottom and tied it to the screen bottom. Cut a slot in the cover so you can just slip your finds in without removing the cover.

The plastic foam floatie things may also work well to keep it floating. I haven't tried them but they would be much lighter to carry.

To carry it to the water I got some 1" webbing, D rings and adjustable buckle from the hardware store. I connected each end of the strap to opposite ends of the pipe frame. The strap length is adjustable. I make it very short when I am using it in the water, let it out a bit and throw it over my shoulder to carry the whole thing.

Last thing, make a tether about 2' - 3' long. Attach one end to the frame. Put a snap on the other end and attach it to your belt or belt loop. I used a rope the first time and didn't like the way it snapped when even the small waves whipped it around.

Using this I can scoop and dump. I recheck the hole and if I don't get a tone I go on the the next find. You never even have to look for your find. Very fast. The wave action will move it around enough to drop out the sand and leave your targets.

You will have to stop when the screen starts to load up with targets, junk, shells. If all of the above, take it out to the shore and pick out the things you can see. Then dump it on the sand and run your detector over it. I can guarantee you will find things in the pile of shells and stones that you could not see.

This is not good in there is very much surf. The screen will bounce around too much and if waves wash over the frame it may even wash some of your targets back out. Excellent for fresh water lakes and rivers.

SIG, BAG
Lee
MI - MI