Thinking California......

bottlecap

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
580
296
West Metro, Mn
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Guys after going to Colorado I just want another trip so after doing a little research it seems California may be a good spot. If I can't make California pan out I might head back to Colorado again. I think I have enough vacation left for one kind of short trip although this time I want to fly to save time. After going to Colorado I realized all I really needed was my Bazooka, couple pans, snuffer bottle and one classifier, I think I could manage to pack all of that onto a flight. Can always bring cons home to clean up further. Anyways the reason I was looking into California was there may be a chance I could come up with a picker out there. I am not talking about a 9 gram nugget, just something a little chunkier. Either way I thought I would reach out to some of you California boys to see if you had any advice. Big thing for me is making sure wherever I go is legal, or getting permission of course. I know there are some pretty die hard Cali guys on here so if you have any suggestions let me know or shoot me a P.M.. Might possibly go around first week of September. Thanks guys!!
 

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Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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You can get in touch with me. Only thing is I have a baby due Sept. 9th and Momma says its gonna be before that. If you do want to check out Coloma area let me know I have a couple places to send you and a few of the fellas here are close enough to meet up with you, if I can't go depending on the Stork Status Level.
 

Goldwasher

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May 26, 2009
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About an hour from Sacramento
 

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bottlecap

bottlecap

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
580
296
West Metro, Mn
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You can get in touch with me. Only thing is I have a baby due Sept. 9th and Momma says its gonna be before that. If you do want to check out Coloma area let me know I have a couple places to send you and a few of the fellas here are close enough to meet up with you, if I can't go depending on the Stork Status Level.

Is that the place to go???!!???:laughing7:
 

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bottlecap

bottlecap

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Feb 22, 2014
580
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West Metro, Mn
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Also wondering what type of laws are in place and how much they vary throughout the state. It's amazing how much things vary state by state and then sometimes vary within a state.
 

bcfromfl

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Feb 18, 2016
249
303
Youngstown, FL
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GPX 4500,
Fisher Gold Bug Pro,
Gold Hog stream sluice
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I'm going to be doing something similar to what you plan later this month. You may want to consider shipping your cons rather than flying home with them. Imagine trying to explain to a TSA agent that the damp black material that looks like gunpowder is a "mineral sample." Or, if it's in your check-through baggage, the scan won't pass through it, so they open up your bag to inspect, and goodbye cons...
 

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
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Sailor Flat, Ca.
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SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
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as far as laws you can pan and sluice on open ground or a claim if invited?
 

Aufisher

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May 12, 2013
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Spend a day with Goldwasher and then hit the NF American river and hook up with other Tnet members too. They are all great guys and gals!
 

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bottlecap

bottlecap

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
580
296
West Metro, Mn
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I'm going to be doing something similar to what you plan later this month. You may want to consider shipping your cons rather than flying home with them. Imagine trying to explain to a TSA agent that the damp black material that looks like gunpowder is a "mineral sample." Or, if it's in your check-through baggage, the scan won't pass through it, so they open up your bag to inspect, and goodbye cons...

Good point. Great idea.
 

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bottlecap

bottlecap

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
580
296
West Metro, Mn
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You can get in touch with me. Only thing is I have a baby due Sept. 9th and Momma says its gonna be before that. If you do want to check out Coloma area let me know I have a couple places to send you and a few of the fellas here are close enough to meet up with you, if I can't go depending on the Stork Status Level.

Sounds good and congrats on the baby!!!! Hopefully we can figure something out but those stork migrations are hard to predict!
 

Asmbandits

Bronze Member
Mar 4, 2014
1,039
2,290
NorCal
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I'd meet up with you but that particular weekend I'll be at the claim and it's really only accessible on a ohv dirtbike our quad. If you decide on another weekend I could take you to one of many good spots.
 

Clay Diggins

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2010
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The Great Southwest
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Also wondering what type of laws are in place and how much they vary throughout the state. It's amazing how much things vary state by state and then sometimes vary within a state.

The laws for prospecting on the public lands open to location or under mineral claim are uniform throughout the 11 Western States. The fact that some land managers and many cranky old prospectors believe otherwise can be misleading.

If you wish to recreate in a predefined reserve all bets are off - you are subject to the whims of any part time chota with an iron on badge.

Lucky for you recreational prospecting areas are very few and public lands open to prospecting are vast. Go get u sum. :thumbsup:

Heavy Pans
 

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bottlecap

bottlecap

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
580
296
West Metro, Mn
Primary Interest:
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I'd meet up with you but that particular weekend I'll be at the claim and it's really only accessible on a ohv dirtbike our quad. If you decide on another weekend I could take you to one of many good spots.

I might hold off on the weekend I go then, sounds like it would be a bad time for Goldwasher too, I was just trying to tie a holiday into my vacation so I would have more time and burn less vacation hours.
 

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bottlecap

bottlecap

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
580
296
West Metro, Mn
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Would any of the places you guys are thinking of have enough water flow for the Bazooka or do I need other gear? From what I've seen on the old google looks like the American river has some pretty decent water flow.
 

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Hoser John

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
5,854
6,721
Redding,Calif.
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Leave your motors at home as fines are insane. Yuba River SF Recreation area produces some nice gold. Auburn Recreation area off Foresthill and Georgetown also,Drivers Flats and Cherokee Bar. Bear River had a decent spot but some strange things happened there recently,theft/harrasment-John
 

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