First gold nugget

Gravelwasher

Hero Member
Jan 3, 2011
523
689
El Dorado County
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab
Hello all, :hello:

Just wanted to share my first nuggets ever, everything prior was gold dust, flakes and pickers.

Saturday A longtime friend came sluicing with me on a little creek not far from my house. We had about a half gram day with one picker with quartz still attached and one baby picker, was a great time socializing and sluicing down in the canyon. Today I got out with a new guy and we hit it of and made friends after emailing and talking on the phone for the last few months. Gold buddy took me to a secret spot on a little known creek to do some detecting. I had no idea what to expect even though he talked it up good and told me he left a nugget in the bedrock last time he visited the spot. So right off he showed me the nugget, I could tell it was for real not planted. He has way more detecting experience than me and taught me a lot today. I asked him if I could move a large semi boulderish rock and look under it as it was close to his first nugget, he said go for it if you find something its yours. I got my detector ready and moved the boulder with his help and scraped the overburden away. I got a nice mellow gold signal and he confirmed it and he lent me a chisel to open up the crack, took about a half hour and I finally liberated my first nugget ever!!!! A real nice half dime size pc flat and with lots of nice character, wow my first true nugget!! I found a old rusted bottle cap and what I thought was going to be my first ounce nugget that turned out to be a big lead slug from a bullet. I headed down stream following in his path and looking for a spot he may have passed up. On the other side of the creek I found a nice looking pc of bedrock and started detecting it and had a very faint signal, I scraped away the top layer to see if the signal would get stronger and it did, it sounded like my first target so I began busting the crack open. Pulled out a nice 1.1 gram nugget cylindrical in shape, then put the coil back over it and hit another signal looked closer and could see the nugget on my rocks that I pulled out, wow couldent believe it!! Gold buddy found me at this spot and I shared my finds with him and told him I was getting another signal in the same spot still!!! He confirmed it and I broke more bedrock and scraped and coerced more material out and he loaned me his pan as mine was up stream aways, he panned some out and was a nice picker. I scraped some more and found another little picker. A total of 3.1 grams for the day of 3-4 hours, what a day to say the least :) Later, Gravelwasher
 

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trinityau

Full Member
Jan 20, 2010
239
797
Redding, Ca
Detector(s) used
Gold Bug Pro, GP 3000 modified
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Hey Gravelwasher, fantastic, you are on the way now. Nice looking pieces too. TRINITYAU/RAYMILLS
 

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Gravelwasher

Gravelwasher

Hero Member
Jan 3, 2011
523
689
El Dorado County
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab
Thanks Ray, those Jonathan Porter and Jack Lang videos confirmed I was on the right settings and really helped with explanations of settings and uses of em. Hope your still hitting those nuggets hard and scoring some good gold.
Cant thank the fellow detectorist enough for helping me out and sharing info and a great spot. Good things come to good people and those who share, Gravelwasher
 

FlyingProspector

Jr. Member
Feb 5, 2013
43
10
Lodi
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Wow those are some nice nuggets there! Not bad for a few hours work and I'm sure it was loads of fun finding those and experiencing that for your first time.
 

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,225
Sailor Flat, Ca.
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1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
HA HA ....I knew you would put, up pics:thumbsup:....Man do I hate my schedule....or yours..:happysmiley:.. "Gold buddy" is A cool guy I randomly met him down at my spot sluicing we talked for a bit I sent him to a spot over the ridge and he emailed me later telling me he found three Klinkers...definitely a guy to listen to when it comes to minelabs glad you got to hit the field with him....man do I want a P.I. Nice pieces Gravel can't wait to feel them in my palm:notworthy: Talk to ya later.:headbang:Yea El Dorado County:treasurechest:
 

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Gravelwasher

Gravelwasher

Hero Member
Jan 3, 2011
523
689
El Dorado County
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab
Well since you wanted to see em Pville I posted em at your request.:headbang:

Didn't want to give up too much info on em or who the helper was, as to keep the spot secure and not bring too much attention to the kind person who helped me score such sweat victory. But thanks again!! It takes a lot of hard work no matter what to get gold out of ole mother earth and usually a few years practice unless your real lucky. Better to be lucky than good any day in this hobby. I have dug at least 100 pcs of trash on my way to finding these pretty little nuggets so it wasn't easy all those days and weeks that turn into months of getting the skunk each time really take a toll on the confidence factor. So thanks to all you on this forum who have posted your hard earned lessons for us to learn from, thanks Gravelwasher
 

dagreat

Jr. Member
Feb 28, 2010
65
32
Upper Lake
Detector(s) used
GPX 5000 with 11" M/DD and GoldScreamer pack
Etrac with 15x18 SEF & 10" Slimeline with inline Sunray
F75 with 11" & 5" DD with inline Sunray for my son
Garrett Infinium with 14" DD, 8" mono and 3x7 DD
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Very nice!!!! I am green with envy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,661
6,368
Alberta
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Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Boo-yahh! Nicely done. Those are some sweet pieces of sassy gold!!

All the best,

Lanny
 

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Gravelwasher

Gravelwasher

Hero Member
Jan 3, 2011
523
689
El Dorado County
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab
Good day to you Lanny,

Great to hear from you, your posts have helped me more than you know!! Thanks for all the good tips and great stories, love your thread on bedrock. Your truly the master at story telling and finding sassy gold, have loved that term "sassy gold" since I first read it in one of your posts..lol The gold out here is truly elusive and sassy, thanks again.
 

Fullpan

Bronze Member
May 6, 2012
1,928
1,528
nevada
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Congratulations GW! - just think how many similar bedrock cracks/locations are waiting for you - it'll keep you up nights! HH.
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,370
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Beeeeee-you-tee-fulll!
 

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,661
6,368
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Good day to you Lanny,

Great to hear from you, your posts have helped me more than you know!! Thanks for all the good tips and great stories, love your thread on bedrock. Your truly the master at story telling and finding sassy gold, have loved that term "sassy gold" since I first read it in one of your posts..lol The gold out here is truly elusive and sassy, thanks again.

Hey--no problem. You're most welcome, and I'm glad you've enjoyed the thread. It's great to see you finding some nice stuff.

All the best,

Lanny
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,425
30,115
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Wooo-Hooo! Beautiful Yella! Congratulaions!!! :hello2:
 

hurthawk

Sr. Member
Jan 16, 2008
342
413
Tuolumne county Ca
Detector(s) used
Gold Bug II
Falcon MD20
Garrett 1500
Fisher F2
Ace 250
Primary Interest:
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Great job and beautiful gold. Getting your first nugget with a detector is an experience you will never forget.
Rick
 

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Gravelwasher

Gravelwasher

Hero Member
Jan 3, 2011
523
689
El Dorado County
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab
Thanks Rick, I will surely remember that day as long as I live. Hope that bedrock creek is still giving up the yellow to you and Wayne. Sure do like seeing you guys find good gold on your vids, keep em coming, really helps me get through the rainy days and adds fuel to the fever fire.
 

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