Best time to hunt beaches

[thorny196]

I know low tide is important but what is the best all around time to hunt real early (430am) 6PM or later. I'm new to MDing and do not want to be questioned to death why I'm trying to lean my machine.. Thanks for your time- Mike

 

[pshaw54]

Welcome! fellow new guy here, too.I personally like to go during the week early morning hours. best parking spots, less people to bother you, the weekend crowd has made their deposits for us. this works for the blanket line. try going about an hour or two before low tide for the most md time. depending on where you live, you should be able to find a tide chart online or at any bait and tackle shop. hope this helps!

 

[Narthoniel]

I would say it depends on what part fo the beach you want to hunt. If you are up in the dry sand, then after 6 pm, or early morning is pretty good. In the wet sand, its all about low tide. The lower the water, the farther down you can go, especially if you get out in the surf. I personally prefer to hunt the nighttime low tide(between say midnight and 5 am). The water is typically calmer, and the tide is usually a few inches lower on the forecasts. Also, there are very few people out, both visiters and detectorists.

Hope this helps,
Anthony

 

[davest]

I would have to say, "any time you can get out and swing the coil over the sand or in the water" this isn't rocket science, it's a matter of walking over a spot that no one else with a detector already has. It's that simple. Sure, you can look at the beach cams, you can plot the low tides, the thunderstorms, the holidays, but none of that means anything unless someone dropped something and you found it. Peace

 

[willia in tex]

I know low tide is important but what is the best all around time to hunt real early (430am) 6PM or later. I'm new to MDing and do not want to be questioned to death why I'm trying to lean my machine.. Thanks for your time- Mike

Doesn't really matter, It's all about the sand, time of year, If you have a water machine. High tide I hunt the ocean side of the sand bars, and in between, at low tide I hunt shallow water. hh willia

 

[COTTON]

I agree with Davest on this one,....................Cotton

 

[guzz1]

I agree with dvast as well.... Nailed it dead on......... guzz

 

[thorny196]

Thanks! I think you all gave me some good advise! I appreciate your input. -Mike

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

In my opinion as soon as you can after the crowds have gone for the day is the best time, and for several reasons. You want to beat the other hunters and to recover it before it sinks too deep to be found. Of course even a bad or slow day hunting still beats not going at all and it sure beats a good day at work.

I don't believe a beach is really hunted out, just that the easy, recent drop targets are found quickly. I do believe the gold sinks too deep to be easily found until a storm, rip tide or wave action uncovers it.

The beaches I usually hunt are very wide, it is next to impossible for them to be covered completely by hunters, at least by the usual amount of hunters I see. It will always boil down to luck and getting a coil over a target that is shallow enough to be found................

Good luck and good hunting............................

 

[JOe L]

I like to go as soon as its light enough out, this is the most relaxing time for me.....

 

[DaChief]

When I get to go, which is about once per month, I get there at 0 dark thirty in the morning and hunt till midnight or after. I stay in the water most of the daylight hours taking a break about twice during that time. I go eat some supper just before dark and then come back in the night and do the sand. Needless to say, I am one pooped camper when I leave but I have to do it that way to make the trip worth while since it is about a 2.5 hour drive for me to my happy hunting grounds.

You will see many folks talking about hunting at low tide. If I lived near a beach, I would probably worry with that but since I do the all day thing once a month, I ususally catch a low tide while I am there anyway.

 

[beached whale]

I go anytime the better half lets me

 

[JP]

The best time is the time you can dedicate to get out there. I wouldn't recommend to go there when all the people are in the water. You won't be able to recover targets or walk a path.

****Important just because someone else with a detector has detected it, doesn't mean there aren't targets left. If he or she went through quickly, I guarantee you they missed a lot. It's best to find an area and detect it well rather than try to cover the whole beach swinging like one is playing golf. I have found gold rings right where someone else passed through with a metal detector.

Also, each beach is different (yes some have almost the same points).

Only practice and experience will tell you what you need to know. Believe me, I looked at every book and read a lot of forums and none if it helped like being in the field. Nothing beats hands on learning for this hobby.