Calm waters, up to my chest with my excal 2

[RVRoamer74]

View attachment 1326822OK fellow hunters,,, I guess now maybe I can understand the 920i scoops purpose. I was trough hunting in nice but very stained HH s.c. waters and
found a couple of hits (junk) but was having trouble putting my scoop in the right area since so deep, but could see my mark on top of scoop handle which
I could point in the right direction for the dig. Had to give up on a couple hits, in disc.1 sen.6 . (10 " DD Coil) Just could not get on target with scoop....OK, I think maybe
the way I should approach this being to my chest in water( 6'3") (calm but stained to bad to see scoop, just notch. I'm thinking what I should actually have of course like
most have said a 920i instead of the 720i I am using. I got that part....but being what it is, what I tried doing is to find and center target with coil and put right
foot to the rear of the coil after centering and then put scoop just in front of foot and take a bite from there forward. Lots of noise getting the scoop and coil together
for just a moment but bearable. Maybe target very deep??filling in quickly??off with the scoop area? on and on and on.....knee deep not so bad but chest is tough
for me anyway. newbie for sure...


keep in mind this is CALM water(low tide soft bottom)....WOW,,,how in the heck with some chop

What is your easiest way of digging the target out there, where by sight won't work and you need to put scoop firmly on target to produce the target into the scoop and dig
where needs to be dug.... I hope this comes out alright, i'm confusing myself really...not much of a author, and or describer......

Always learning, but hey,,, I'm in the right place to learn....

Thank you,
Dennis

water was nice today, it was 101 here today.,,,,

 

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[grey95chevyboy]

OK fellow hunters,,, I guess now maybe I can understand the 920i scoops purpose. I was trough hunting in nice but very stained HH s.c. waters and
found a couple of hits (junk) but was having trouble putting my scoop in the right area since so deep, but could see my mark on top of scoop handle which
I could point in the right direction for the dig. Had to give up on a couple hits, in disc.1 sen.6 . (10 " DD Coil) Just could not get on target with scoop....OK, I think maybe
the way I should approach this being to my chest in water( 6'3") (calm but stained to bad to see scoop, just notch. I'm thinking what I should actually have of course like
most have said a 920i instead of the 720i I am using. I got that part....but being what it is, what I tried doing is to find and center target with coil and put right
foot to the rear of the coil after centering and then put scoop just in front of foot and take a bite from there forward. Lots of noise getting the scoop and coil together
for just a moment but bearable. Maybe target very deep??filling in quickly??off with the scoop area? on and on and on.....knee deep not so bad but chest is tough
for me anyway. newbie for sure...


keep in mind this is CALM water(low tide soft bottom)....WOW,,,how in the heck with some chop

What is your easiest way of digging the target out there, where by sight won't work and you need to put scoop firmly on target to produce the target into the scoop and dig
where needs to be dug.... I hope this comes out alright, i'm confusing myself really...not much of a author, and or describer......

Always learning, but hey,,, I'm in the right place to learn....

Thank you,
Dennis

water was nice today, it was 101 here today.,,,,

I was having the same exact issues the first couple times in chest deep water. I followed caspers advice and used goggles...now generally i can dig the target on 2 scoops (depending on depth)before goggles i was on 5-6 scoops to locate it. Tempered good quality goggles has made water hunting way more enjoyable for me.

 

[sonnar28]

The fluffy HHI sand can make it challenging to quickly retrieve targets. The way I attack it is as follows:

First, get a very good idea of where the target is, use pinpoint mode and turn sideways a little if you have to. Fan the spot with you foot to see if the target moves, if so it is almost certainly light junk and you can move on. Assuming the target stays put, place your coil on the spot and turn to face the ocean. Now put your scoop foot (left foot if you scoop left handed) so your big toe touches the back of your coil. Slide the scoop down the front of your left leg, once the bottom of the scoop hits your foot, pull back and tilt the scoop so the tip aims at the target. I usually tilt the handle to angle the scoop at 45 degrees, now push the scoop all the way thru the target (don't push -twist- yank as your target may fall off the front). Tilt the handle back toward you and shake to settle the contents. Now lift the filled scoop to the side and quickly put the coil in the hole to see if you hear the target. If it is gone, put the upper part of your scoop handle under your left arm and shake the scoop to clear the sand. With the scoop held away from you, peek in to see what you have (if there are waves be sure to time this between waves). If the target is still in the hole, try to tell if it is in the 1/3 closest to you, the middle 1/3, or the farthest 1/3, then try to scoop out the appropriate third. You may need to do a clearout scoop now and then when you skim the entire bottom of your dig. If the target appears to vanish, it probably has fallen sideways into your dig - just take out a deeper scoop in the same area.

If you are dealing with very soft sand that refills too quickly for the above technique, try a shallow skimming pass over the target, dump that to one side, and quickly do a stabbing 60 degree scoop. You may only get one shot at a deep target in very soft sand, so make sure your pinpoint is right on, and push all the way thru your scooping motion with your foot.

I use the same scoop as you, it works fine for me in the water even with a WOT/Excal or a pulse machine. It just takes practice. You will get the hang of it - there is nothing wrong with practicing your technique in the wet sand if you want.

Happy Hunting!

Charles

 

[RVRoamer74]

I was having the same exact issues the first couple times in chest deep water. I followed caspers advice and used goggles...now generally i can dig the target on 2 scoops (depending on depth)before goggles i was on 5-6 scoops to locate it. Tempered good quality goggles has made water hunting way more enjoyable for me.

Sounds like good advice..also a bigger backhoe would help me....
Thanks!!
Dennis

 

[RVRoamer74]

The fluffy HHI sand can make it challenging to quickly retrieve targets. The way I attack it is as follows:

First, get a very good idea of where the target is, use pinpoint mode and turn sideways a little if you have to. Fan the spot with you foot to see if the target moves, if so it is almost certainly light junk and you can move on. Assuming the target stays put, place your coil on the spot and turn to face the ocean. Now put your scoop foot (left foot if you scoop left handed) so your big toe touches the back of your coil. Slide the scoop down the front of your left leg, once the bottom of the scoop hits your foot, pull back and tilt the scoop so the tip aims at the target. I usually tilt the handle to angle the scoop at 45 degrees, now push the scoop all the way thru the target (don't push -twist- yank as your target may fall off the front). Tilt the handle back toward you and shake to settle the contents. Now lift the filled scoop to the side and quickly put the coil in the hole to see if you hear the target. If it is gone, put the upper part of your scoop handle under your left arm and shake the scoop to clear the sand. With the scoop held away from you, peek in to see what you have (if there are waves be sure to time this between waves). If the target is still in the hole, try to tell if it is in the 1/3 closest to you, the middle 1/3, or the farthest 1/3, then try to scoop out the appropriate third. You may need to do a clearout scoop now and then when you skim the entire bottom of your dig. If the target appears to vanish, it probably has fallen sideways into your dig - just take out a deeper scoop in the same area.

If you are dealing with very soft sand that refills too quickly for the above technique, try a shallow skimming pass over the target, dump that to one side, and quickly do a stabbing 60 degree scoop. You may only get one shot at a deep target in very soft sand, so make sure your pinpoint is right on, and push all the way thru your scooping motion with your foot.

I use the same scoop as you, it works fine for me in the water even with a WOT/Excal or a pulse machine. It just takes practice. You will get the hang of it - there is nothing wrong with practicing your technique in the wet sand if you want.

Happy Hunting!

Charles

Thanks Charles,

You took great measures to help me out here. I really thank you for your well thought out description.

Happy Hunting to you also !!!

Dennis

 

[OBN]

To add to the above...Learn how to dig on shore or shallow with your eyes shut.. then move to deeper waters. Also get yourself a good grip for your scoop, one you can feel the position and not have to look.

 

[RVRoamer74]

To add to the above...Learn how to dig on shore or shallow with your eyes shut.. then move to deeper waters. Also get yourself a good grip for your scoop, one you can feel the position and not have to look.

do you have a link or supplier you know of that may carry the proper grip for the CF 720i handle??

Thanks,
Dennis

 

[Jim in MA]

With a lot lot lot did I say lot of practice you will develop muscle memory and you will have no prob scooping a target in murky water. But many times you will encounter a light target that if you dont get it 1st or 2nd scoop it will like float in the sand and you can chase it and many times give up on it as it just seems to always be off to the side or front of your scoop. if it is a good heavy target very rarely do you have to chase it.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I use the same method as sonnar28 = toe up to backside of coil, scoop (920IX) on top of my foot. Our lake waters are pretty murky.

I use a post hole digger ash handle and needed a grip. Bought one from McMaster-Carr

In order to buy the grip - it came as a package of 6, so I guess I have spares....

I wanted an attachment handle perpendicular to the scoop handle, and found one at an old hardware store - it's like the handle on the old wheat scythe (had to hammer it in a little for a snug fit), and it works beautifully - points in the direction of the scoop.



The advantage of the ash handle is that the scoop is on the sand and the handle floats upright when I turn it loose.

 

[RVRoamer74]

I use the same method as sonnar28 = toe up to backside of coil, scoop (920IX) on top of my foot. Our lake waters are pretty murky.

I use a post hole digger ash handle and needed a grip. Bought one from McMaster-Carr

In order to buy the grip - it came as a package of 6, so I guess I have spares....

I wanted an attachment handle perpendicular to the scoop handle, and found one at an old hardware store - it's like the handle on the old wheat scythe (had to hammer it in a little for a snug fit, and it works beautifully - points in the direction of the scoop.

View attachment 1326787 View attachment 1326788

DeepseekerADS,

Quite the engineer DIY'er. Thanks for pics and help.. With this set up, do you just hunt the water that day or some pack at times? Oh, noticed you said lakes..may be all water then...

Dennis

 

[DeepseekerADS]

DeepseekerADS,
Quite the engineer DIY'er. Thanks for pics and help.. With this set up, do you just hunt the water that day or some pack at times? Oh, noticed you said lakes..may be all water then...
Dennis

Thanks for the compliment Dennis. My 40 year career was construction engineering - not that I learned anything over that period of time... There's always solutions, you just have to stumble through them! I've been looking for a source for the little handle - got the last one at the hardware store. They're called a "snath".

Right now I'm trying to figure out the best way to retrieve targets from very rocky bottoms. Scooping among the rocks is frustrating, and neck deep doesn't help. The Stealth is too big, and I went back with a smaller scoop and not much better luck. However, it is a virgin spot for that reason.

I hit the sand as well, but the good stuff is hiding in the water!

 

[adamBomb]

I do this in the ocean with waves coming at me. Its never fun except that its much cooler than being on the beach and I can do it mid day and not get evil looks that I would get on the beach at that time.

I put my big toe right where the target is and dig. I really have no more problems doing this than in the sand with my 920 scoop. I do have to deal with waves and such so timing is very important for me since my head can go under and I need to make sure I have my grip on my scoop.

 

[lookindown]

The more you do it ,the easier it will get and you will probably develop your own methods as you go...digging deep targets is not easy but it will get easier.

 

[plymouthian12]

I use a 720 and have no trouble getting targets and I hunt out to my chin

 

[RVRoamer74]

I use a 720 and have no trouble getting targets and I hunt out to my chin

WOW !!!

 

[HARRASS]

Like you I had the same problem working the deep areas. If I was chest deep and if I used my regular scoop I went to the surface. Also, being metal scoops I couldn't tell if I had the target in my scoop or I had missed it. So I set about making scoops with no metal parts. My short ones worked well in shallow water... but, if I pushed down I floated to the surface if I was chest deep. So. I made my monster. I got some of my best finds along the outer ropes.

It is over 6 foot and is quite heavy. But here is the kicker... it floats. Because I can grab it out of the water I don't float away from my target.

I have worked drop-offs with this scoop. which was over my head, by using it as a rake and pulling the target towards me. Being there is no metal parts I either missed it or it was in my scoop. I built the big one about 20 some years ago it still as solid as the first time I used it. The handle is inch and a half oak and the rest is 1 inch ash.

If you want to make one I will be glad to help you... Gary

 

[RVRoamer74]

Gary,

You have really got it figured out on your scoops. Must
be sweet to dig a target with your own invention. .

Really cool idea you had. Just never know one day may catch up with
you and hunt. You need to market that scoop !!!

Keep On Keepin On !!!
Dennis

 

[lookindown]

I use a 720 and have no trouble getting targets and I hunt out to my chin

Same here.

 

[Jim in MA]

Read in the Red box then look at the chart.
If you have a 20 degree scoop and keep the handle up straight I Think you will be digging way past your target. the deeper the water you are in the harder it is to push the handle out in front of you to try to dig down straighter.

I show a 10 inch deep target. A 5 inch deep target would be 6 inches behind the coil to start scooping this is to hit the target you would want to be back say 8 inches to insure you get it..

My 2 cents

 

[RVRoamer74]

Read in the Red box then look at the chart.
If you have a 20 degree scoop and keep the handle up straight I Think you will be digging way past your target. the deeper the water you are in the harder it is to push the handle out in front of you to try to dig down straighter.

I show a 10 inch deep target. A 5 inch deep target would be 6 inches behind the coil to start scooping this is to hit the target you would want to be back say 8 inches to insure you get it..

My 2 cents

Thanks for the GREAT info!! Sounds and looks right on "TARGET"!! My 720i is the 20 degree, so your chart looks right on. I would have never thought

this would be the case, but you have explained it clearly. Heading to dig some holes in some different sand tomorrow, down the road a bit, will give this a

try for sure.

Thanks for your effort and sharing,

Dennis