Hunting a tidal influenced river - and wing dam question -

[Molewacker]

Hey everyone -

There's a nice minus tide coming up at the Columbia river beach I hunted last week, and I would love to hear your thoughts -

The area I hunt has dredged sand on shore, but with the minus tide, it looks like I can get to a harder bottom with ripples that junk washes around in ( too deep for me last week)

I should be concentrating on the dips in the riverbed? Or black sand areas?

There is a rotten piling wing dam there in about the same location that boats used to load milk from the defunct dairy that was on the property. (I'm not allowed to detect above High water mark, darn!) but any thoughts on wing dams, besides the iron that is sure to be around?

I know the fishing lead will be screaming at me!

Thanks in advance!!

 

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[cudamark]

What machine will you be using?

 

[Molewacker]

Using a Ace 350 - DD coils. I did ok last week with Black sand, some falsing on pockets, but not too bad. No salt water, far enough upriver.

Read a bit on beach hunting, but most posts are salt water, or rivers with a one way flow, so trying to figure travel paths of objects for this area. Coins, jewelry, and fishing lead are my primary targets.

Thanks for the comeback!

 

[cudamark]

If you can make your machine stable, I'd grid around any piers or docks. Unless there are some real strong currents, heavy targets like gold, platinum, lead, etc. aren't going to move far after they're dropped. Simple tidal action won't do it. They may sink deeper over time but it takes almost a flood to move the heavy stuff if there's any kind of mud or sand on the bottom.

 

[Molewacker]

Thanks for the tips! HH

 

[Sand-duner]

The Columbia has a pretty strong current for sure. If you're anywhere near a swimming beach, or where the windsurfers hang out, you should do well no matter where you hunt. Those pilings I can almost guarantee will be loaded with fishing lead and iron nails and spikes. But they may also hold some older coins or jewelry from drunken seamen stumbling around on docks years ago. Good luck!

 

[Molewacker]

The Columbia has a pretty strong current for sure. If you're anywhere near a swimming beach, or where the windsurfers hang out, you should do well no matter where you hunt. Those pilings I can almost guarantee will be loaded with fishing lead and iron nails and spikes. But they may also hold some older coins or jewelry from drunken seamen stumbling around on docks years ago. Good luck!

Thanks Sand-duner, Likely clad and lead as this rv park didn't make it as a super swimming beach, mostly fishermen and their families - but I can keep my fingers crossed for the odd find from the old days.

Trying to convince my other half to drive up to the nude beach (6 miles away) for a few hours after we leave rv park. I can beep and he could enjoy the view.

 

[cudamark]

Or the other way around!