help with my gold bug pro

[WestMTnuggetsniper]

hey guys this is my first post i just subscribed this morning, great forum! I just started nugget hunting in western MT and Idaho on some very very promising claims i have access too. I was out for a couple hours yesterday but did not find any nuggets. I found a promising spot to go back to though. Ugh saw 2 fresh cat kills on the way out though... i felt pretty vulnerable without my pistol so i got out of there for another day.

This was my first time out with my new Gold Bug Pro. I am totally new to detecting but i am no idiot and have done a bunch of metal detection research the past 2 months before purchasing. I am looking to find some information on how to set it up better for finding small nuggets. Can anyone help me or refer me to an already posted article. I'll continue to search on here. My grounds are very heavy with irons.

 

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[Rutnbuck]

Be patiant and dig everything untill you get it down. Get a gold nugget to test your machine and decipher the differance in tones. Head Phones will help. What area are you in if you don't mind? I have spent some time in Mt and dying to get back up there. Good luck and find tons of gold.
Rutnbuck

 

[WestMTnuggetsniper]

thanks for the replies everyone! I have contacted trinityAU and i am just waiting for all my registrations to verify so i can search all his posts on the other forums. I am going to test my luck out tomorrow! hopefully in gold country... weather depending. I have done a ton a research and know how to set my machine up to find small nuggets now. I had no problem whatsoever finding some clad change at the park the other day, but got chased in my the snow. the ground is froze too.I live in Missoula and all the spot i currently mines are within 2 hours of here. I have multiple secret spots to access pay dirt within 50 miles. I spent all last summer classifying and sluicing, which is fun, but now i'm ready to high grade a bit. I just acquired a close claim in nugget country. It's specific location i'll reserve the right to keep secret at this time, but i'm sure in time some of you will pry some info out of me. i will be posting things on my youtube i'm sure too. I have the day off today and in the morning I'd like to make it to my claim and flip a couple boulders in the old dry creek beds in the back of my claim. the last two miles are nasty ice luge run right now though.... need some chains for my 2wd ranger!!!

 

[Fullpan]

Along with trinityAU and Jim Hemmingway, who are highly respected members, you might want to get with NeoTokyo. He just bought a pro, has talked with
trinity, and probably will share tips on your mutual learning curve.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Here is a great thread that Ray shares some good info on, the same that he has shared with me.
GOLD BUG PRO - AZO's: Metal Detecting for Gold Forum - Arizona Outback's Prospecting Forum

If you just google search Trinity Au or Ray Mills you will find a good deal of his posts without having to sign up for the other forums.

He has his set up like this.

Gain: 11 O'Clock Position
Threshold: Turn it up till you can just start to hear it.
Ground Balance: Do it often, its too easy not to.
DIG!: Pretty much dig everything that is 0-2 ferrous bars and 30-70 but the gold range is around the 40 mark but know that other heavy metals like to settle with gold too so dig it all if you are hunting bedrock.
Disc: For the super trashy area's, I pretty much blank it out till 35 or so and dig from there, the tones are different.


I am still a n00bie at this but I hope my info can help you a little bit till Ray can talk to you some more and you read some of his posts.

Take care and happy hunting.

-Eric-