Nugget hunting in Placer County, near Giant Gap

[thoughmas]

Hi Everyone! I'm going out for my very first nugget hunting expedition with my MineLab X-terra 70 (w/ 6'x10' gold detecting coil). I'm heading off to Giant Gap, which is near Colfax, CA. I'm going to explore the area surrounding Sugar Pine Reservoir and north of ForestHill, and maybe go east to Canada Hills. I will also visit Iowa Hill Rd where it meets the North Fork of the American River.

Does anyone have any good spots in those areas? This is my first time out so I want to make it count, and any size nugget would be encouraging. If anyone has any tangible results in these areas please let me know so I can share my findings with yall. For my first run I would like a good point in the right direction, otherwise I may end up in wasting my time on some random stream. Any advise would get appreciated.

Thanks!
Thomas from Sacramento

[rangler]

Thomas
Look for bedrock. Just like all gold seekers whether underwater or on land. Bedrock is the key..
Gold cant get thru bedrock..it will go thru sand, dirt and gravel. Make or buy a sucker rod, a
T handled probe,4-5 feet long, dont bother much with ground that the bedrock is deeper than you can hit with
your probe, while you detector cant 'see' that deep some nuggies can be found 'on their way
down' dig every signal..or learn the non-ferrous sound well..
A test board with different items likely to be found glued to the board..then bench test your
detector get familar with the sound each makes..if you have a meter..take a sharpy and mark
the spot the needle stops at each different item from pop tops to nails to foil to cans to silver
to gold.
On most detectors their is very little difference in the sound between lead and gold.
.
Learn how to ground balance the detector before you even leave the house..re-balance
after moving from a wet area to a dry area,,and same with black sand ect.

1. Learn perfect ground balancing
2. Bench test your detector
3. Mark different items (calibrate) on your meter
4. Maker or buy probe and topo maps
5. Go to gold country and look for bedrock
6. Go slow, overlap each swing
7. Dig every signal until you can discriminate
8. Learn how to pinpoint after you get a signal
9. Dig the signal and place the dirt in a plastic gold pan
10. Take a handful at a time and run it under the coil
until you see the 'color'
11. Watch out for Mr Diamondback and have Fun

rangler

[Gabev71]

The last time i went to Iowa Hill Rd, everyone there was up river from the bridge picking thru the cracks bedrock and having some luck. Since they have had all summer to go thru the bedrock your best bet might be in the water or as close to it as you can get. When i was there during spring time i didnt find any gold but i did find a bunch of change and a titanium ring with a gold inlay that went around the middle of it. So chances are you should find something there.