What's the correct way to sample??

[Coin Head]

So I've always wondered how deep do u dig in a creek to get a gold sample and just recently I've hit good gold as you can see in this picture am on a pay streak?? And it's more of a drainage ditch so not much water comes through and makes the gold move but it's a really fine line if you go to far right or left the gold becomes less but you can go up and down in the creek and it stays the same I'm confused is this the paystreak?

 

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[Golden_Crab]

If the gold gets bigger going upstream, you are getting closer to the source, if its consistent through out then you are likely in an old channel that got cut through and has concentrated the gold. If the former than head to bedrock as long as the gold continues down... if the latter then you'd need to explore horizontally to find the original channels paystreak.

 

[Coin Head]

If the gold gets bigger going upstream, you are getting closer to the source, if its consistent through out then you are likely in an old channel that got cut through and has concentrated the gold. If the former than head to bedrock as long as the gold continues down... if the latter then you'd need to explore horizontally to find the original channels paystreak.

The gold has gotten bigger the further down I've went that's what's confusing me

 

[Golden_Crab]

If it gets bigger and you see less small gold but more big gold... then the source is up stream still, otherwise your present channel is downcutting through an intersecting gold bearing channel that is crossing the present channel you are working in. If that makes better sense? If you can hit bed rock and gold continues down to bedrock, mine everything from the bottom up.

 

[Jeff95531]

The gold has gotten bigger the further down I've went that's what's confusing me

Who says the stream has always been there? Who says it always has flowed in one direction? Gold is there and you are on it my friend.Take the facts (gold) and go for bigger/better gold...wherever it takes you. And yes, I would call that a pay streak. Some of us (me) have never run across one so well done!

 

[Hoser John]

The roughness of the gold found is also a great indicator in conjunction with size. Smoother or rounder the gold the farther it has traveled from the source instream or out, gold is soft so movement smoothes it out. Usually as all laws of nature nothing 100%.John

 

[Laz7777]

gold is a fickle thing. follow the way the gold leads until it runs out.
the next is to look, look and look some more..until you find, find find or want to throw your gear away.
paystreaks will curve with the stream or the topography of the bar you're working. the bedrock underneath (unless it's more than a few feet down, I've found) will cause a streak to alter a course as well.
remember: LOOK. the gold goddess is a strange spirit. she'll smile on you then cut yer yarbles off. and all you can say is "Thank you Ma'am, may I have another?"