LeTrap any good on a beach

[A#1]

Thinking I'm gonna try hitting the beach on Lake Superior, and need to rig up some form of recirculating beach sluice.

Have to use what I've already own for the first trip.

Anyone ever used a LeTrap on black sand beaches?

 

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[arizau]

Thinking I'm gonna try hitting the beach on Lake Superior, and need to rig up some form of recirculating beach sluice.

Have to use what I've already own for the first trip.

Anyone ever used a LeTrap on black sand beaches?

I've read where they do well with fine gold (that size is subjective depending on who is describing it) but beach gold is usually finer than frog hair and inherently hard to catch. I have also read where they say to run them fast for best efficiency. As an aside, deep v mat does well with beach gold so the multiple riffles in your sluice sort of emulates that on a different scale. As far as setup: a whole different animal but Doc at gold hog says for his equipment to first run at an angle where every thing clears then back it up to where the riffles still retain material and the material is dancing in them....my description is not just sitting static since that is an indication that the riffles are packed and gold will just skip over them. Makes sense to me for your setup too.

Give it a try and let us know how you did.

Good luck.

 

[A#1]

Well, I been screenin everything to -20, runnin 1100gph@5° and it's held onto things i couldn't see without magnification, so it''s really gotta be doin similar to the beach as it is.

 

[arizau]

What I meant was give your sluice a try at the beach. I should have clarified that my last comments about setup were what I would try if I was in your situation.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Make sure to test the sand before committing! Last trip found black sand with no gold.

 

[A#1]

Make sure to test the sand before committing! Last trip found black sand with no gold.

That's no fun

I was actually gonna contact you about it before long for a just little guidance in my first advwnture.

 

[Capt Nemo]

Just about everything up to the treeline is fair game as that's where the ACTUAL high water mark is. I've got a picture somewhere of ships aground with the masts in the trees, and buried up to the deck with sand.(think it was the Deer Park area) So don't let anyone BS you. Some realtors think the property line is closer to the water and ends at the grass. You will find logs washed up into the grass to the treeline, so that's the real high water mark. You'll notice a color change in the sand. It changes to white at the high water mark. Inland of the high water mark you can have mineral claims and property rights, but past it, no rights.

You may need a pump permit, unless you have riparian rights to Great Lakes waters. I am a riparian owner of Great Lakes waters, so I can pump as much as I want, but it must return back to the Lakes, under the Great Lakes Compact. But if you're from outside the compact area, you will need the permit to pump out of the lake. The Compact is an international treaty so it trumps local game wardens.

Keep your gold in your cons till you get home. They won't be able to determine how much you've collected. If you're on real good ground, you might hit the 15g limit.

Get pyrethrin fly spray for horses, spray yourself down with it. It will keep the flies at bay. That stuff will slow up a horsefly enough that you can smack the living S#%& out of that sucker! Get yourself wetsuit boots and high waist pants. The flies give up on the neoprene, it keeps the sun off, and it's great for wading in the lake.

If you can find the Sportsmen's Connection map book for Northern Michigan, BUY IT! It will show public lands with pretty good accuracy.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just about everything up to the treeline is fair game as that's where the ACTUAL high water mark is. I've got a picture somewhere of ships aground with the masts in the trees, and buried up to the deck with sand.(think it was the Deer Park area) So don't let anyone BS you. Some realtors think the property line is closer to the water and ends at the grass. You will find logs washed up into the grass to the treeline, so that's the real high water mark. You'll notice a color change in the sand. It changes to white at the high water mark. Inland of the high water mark you can have mineral claims and property rights, but past it, no rights.

You may need a pump permit, unless you have riparian rights to Great Lakes waters. I am a riparian owner of Great Lakes waters, so I can pump as much as I want, but it must return back to the Lakes, under the Great Lakes Compact. But if you're from outside the compact area, you will need the permit to pump out of the lake. The Compact is an international treaty so it trumps local game wardens.

Keep your gold in your cons till you get home. They won't be able to determine how much you've collected. If you're on real good ground, you might hit the 15g limit.

Get pyrethrin fly spray for horses, spray yourself down with it. It will keep the flies at bay. That stuff will slow up a horsefly enough that you can smack the living S#%& out of that sucker! Get yourself wetsuit boots and high waist pants. The flies give up on the neoprene, it keeps the sun off, and it's great for wading in the lake.

If you can find the Sportsmen's Connection map book for Northern Michigan, BUY IT! It will show public lands with pretty good accuracy.

This guy is the PRO and this is the stuff you need to know!

 

[A#1]

Yep, pretty much exactly what i was lookin to learn, Thanks Capt.

Should I just start at the State Park on the first trip?

Only other thing I can think of, is timing. Is there better or worse times to be there.....other than winter and holiday weekends?


The riparian rights thing is an interesting thought.... .I actually have them in a lake.....connected to a great lake, lol but that probably don't count.

I actually just got me a wetsuit, and damn do i look good in it, lol. My only issue so far is.....how do i pee? the zipper is in the back.

 

[Capt Nemo]

I wouldn't go to the State Park. Too close to those that might shut you down. I normally go a few miles west. During the week is best.

I think you're good on the rights. I'm on Winnebago, and the county is in the compact.

I added a pee zip to my 3mil john.

 

[A#1]

I'm curious why I'd get shut down at the park......it seems to be the location of outings a few different GPAA chapters, and also at least part of their planning park process I found through Google. Prospecting via legal means, seems like it would be fine even in a state park, and I can find nothing stated against it. Not that I have any issue being elsewhere, I'd really kind of prefer it. It will probably cut down on the crowd.....I ain't too social really.

I'll have to look into the Compact more, and the pee zipper.

Thanks a lot for the help so far. It'll still be a while before I can start making trips up there, but I feel a plan coming together.

I picked up a couple gallons of black sand off Lake Michigan to toy with. Maybe I'll salt it with some gold and see if I can get it back.

Any reason to think I could find a gold bearing area on Lake Michigan right close to home? Black sand seems pretty easy to locate.

 

[Capt Nemo]

It's more "Why make it easy for them?" than anything else. Locals have told me that most are desk jockeys, and don't know where the fire roads even are. The park will be much more controlled than anywhere else, so that's why I stay away. Out of their sight, you're out of their mind.

I've hit gold on the west side of the lake at Cleveland, WI. Glacial till with the same types of rock as Deer Park are found beginning just north of there. Give it a try on your side!

 

[A#1]

Well, that black sand I snatched from Lake Michigan.....

I ran it through a mobile recirculator I made out of an Angus Mackirk Adventurer, on a 5 gallon bucket.

Out popped 2 little shiny things, .009, and .003 grams. Guess I done somethin right.

It aint the LeTrap yet, but drop riffle sluice seems to work so far, and there is gold in Lake Michigan black sand.