MDing Cayo Costa / Captiva / Sanibel

[theseeker]

I live in Palm Beach county on the east coast of Florida and have been considering a west coast of Florida MDing adventure. I have never md'd there and have been wanting to. Any tips on places to MD there ? Also, is mding on Cayo Costa allowed?? I know asking this is like asking you to invite an outsider into your hunting areas. I wish someone would. If you want to respond but don't want to broadcast on the board send me a PM. Appreciate any info you guys and gals would share.

Pete Rosario(theseeker)

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[stevemc]

Cayo Costa is a State park, so I dont know if you can, many dont allow dectecting, some do in the water, some only allow in the sand, some dont allow at all. Access by boat only. Sanibel/Captiva you can, but parking is costly. I think its $2 an hour. Even at the cheaper places, and it costs $6 to go on the island. It is apparently hit hard . Now if you have a boat and go to either, you dont have to pay the parking and bridge fees.

 

[Can Slaw]

Caya Costa State Park only allows hunting in the dry sand from high tide line on up, no water hunting. There is not much being found here on the SW cost at all, it has been very slow. Today they started dredging Ft Myers Beach AGAIN and that will go on until Sept.

Chuck

 

[theseeker]

Cayo Costa is a State park, so I dont know if you can, many dont allow dectecting, some do in the water, some only allow in the sand, some dont allow at all. Access by boat only. Sanibel/Captiva you can, but parking is costly. I think its $2 an hour. Even at the cheaper places, and it costs $6 to go on the island. It is apparently hit hard . Now if you have a boat and go to either, you dont have to pay the parking and bridge fees.

Steve, thanks, appreciate your reply. I want to say it was great meeting you and talking to you at the treasure hunters cookout. That was a great time. Sanibel and the surrounding local is obviously part of your hunting grounds as you have got the particulars down pat. I know what you mean about an area being hit hard, I think that is prevalent pretty much everywhere here in Florida. I know it is true here on the south east coast but there are fresh drops everyday and you just have to get your coil over them to have a chance. If you aint schwingin you aint blingin! I will give the folks at Cayo Costa a call and see what their rules are. Thanks again.

Pete

 

[theseeker]

Caya Costa State Park only allows hunting in the dry sand from high tide line on up, no water hunting. There is not much being found here on the SW cost at all, it has been very slow. Today they started dredging Ft Myers Beach AGAIN and that will go on until Sept.

Chuck

Chuck, thanks for the info on Cayo Costa. When you say dredging, do you mean beach renourishment? If so, that's typically not a good thing unless the area they are getting the material from has treasure in it. I know that last year when they were renourishing the beach from Patrick AFB to South Melbourne Beach, they were getting the material from off of Cape Canaveral. Robert Marx had made a comment in the local newspaper that the detectorist were going to have a field day because he felt that some of the dredge material might contain treasure. He actually was against the beach renourishment for that reason. Appreciate the reply.

Pete

 

[Can Slaw]

Pete,

I talked to the Rangers at Cayo Costa last week, they patrol the beaches all day long on golf carts, no water hunting, the will ask you to leave, dry sand hunting only. The ranges were nice guys as long as you stay in the dry sand.

Here is the complete story on the renourishment project. The sand they are pumping back up is garbage sand full of Can Slaw and where I get my name from. I know I won't be hunting it anymore. The original sand from the last dredging project came from a boat channel with 50 years of deposited beer cans from the shrimp boats.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110501044

 

[FloridaBill]

Pete,

I talked to the Rangers at Cayo Costa last week, they patrol the beaches all day long on golf carts, no water hunting, the will ask you to leave, dry sand hunting only. The ranges were nice guys as long as you stay in the dry sand.

Here is the complete story on the renourishment project. The sand they are pumping back up is garbage sand full of Can Slaw and where I get my name from. I know I won't be hunting it anymore. The original sand from the last dredging project came from a boat channel with 50 years of deposited beer cans from the shrimp boats.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110501044

Yup that why when we are going to hunt there we just say we are going to the landfill I never could stand that place although there have been some nice finds there over the years......

 

[theseeker]

Pete,

I talked to the Rangers at Cayo Costa last week, they patrol the beaches all day long on golf carts, no water hunting, the will ask you to leave, dry sand hunting only. The ranges were nice guys as long as you stay in the dry sand.

Here is the complete story on the renourishment project. The sand they are pumping back up is garbage sand full of Can Slaw and where I get my name from. I know I won't be hunting it anymore. The original sand from the last dredging project came from a boat channel with 50 years of deposited beer cans from the shrimp boats.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110501044

Chuck,
Thanks for the info on Cayo Costa. Not being able to detect in the water there does not surprise me. I have read in a couple of sources that many years ago some spanish coins had been found off of Cayo Costa. So, as with many areas in the state that are known to contain treasure, the state creates a state park, marine sanctuary or grants a site historical designation along with their rules to keep us, the public from any access to it.

Yup that why when we are going to hunt there we just say we are going to the landfill I never could stand that place although there have been some nice finds there over the years......

FloridaBill, I know how discouraging places like that can be and how much perserverance it takes to keep going back. But sooner or later .......

 

[Silver Surfer]

I just wish someone could tell me why the state says you can hunt in State Parks "unless they are a national or state historical site", yet I have found MANY state parks that are neither, yet the big chief at said State Park wont allow it.. Seems they can just say "because I say so"... The park in Naples is a prime example. How can they legally do that? Seriously?
No one seems to have a good answer yet, just "it's just the way it is"...

 

[Can Slaw]

I just wish someone could tell me why the state says you can hunt in State Parks "unless they are a national or state historical site", yet I have found MANY state parks that are neither, yet the big chief at said State Park wont allow it.. Seems they can just say "because I say so"... The park in Naples is a prime example. How can they legally do that? Seriously?
No one seems to have a good answer yet, just "it's just the way it is"...

Welcome to Florida. The States reasoning is there "MAY" be a Spanish wreck in the vicinity (there are many uncounted for) and the State does not want you to find "any" of their treasure. If it is in State waters, it belongs to the State. On the Gulf side State waters go for nine miles off shore.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Still makes no sense.... Why can you hunt Ft. DeSoto beach, but not Wiggins Pass? From what I can garner, the only difference is the Ranger in charge... And why, if the reason you give is accurate, doesnt the state SAY that? I have had the rules mailed to me, and also spoke on two occasions with State Park people in Tallahassee, and it says it is permitted unless the area is a national or state historical area/preserve... Wiggens Pass State Park is neither... These park managers should HAVE to follow the law, not simply do/say what they please.... They do, after all, work for us. It is NOT their own little private beach to make rules simply as they see fit... IMHO of course..