Dredging a lake bed

[G1sammons]

I think a 4" dredge is a good dredge for a one or two men group and a overall good machine to start off on. If is a 3 men group then i would use a 6" since it requires more production for the whole team if you hit a paystreak and shouldnt be as bad to carry with 3 guys. Also in dry seasons some rivers run almost dry where it might not support a 6" dredge pump so you will be limited in those days. I like reading daves website he haves tons of information ; Think is goldgold .com.

Right on the money !
It's about the perfect balance !

 

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[mxer47]

I agree on a 4". I use a 3" because I got it cheep used. I want to throw this out not as a wet blanket but as someone who believes in fundamentals. I know you described yourself as new so I have to ask a couple of questions. Please don't take offense, knowing some things will help us help you.
First, have you spent any time panning? Have you ever run a stream sluice? Do you know how gold of differing sizes and shape act in either piece of equipment. Have you spent any time reading and testing in creeks and rivers in your area? Do you know how to find out where you can go legally without taking from other people's property, or claim?
I can tell you it isn't as easy as just sucking up rocks and gravel.

 

[Bigmanco]

I agree on a 4". I use a 3" because I got it cheep used. I want to throw this out not as a wet blanket but as someone who believes in fundamentals. I know you described yourself as new so I have to ask a couple of questions. Please don't take offense, knowing some things will help us help you.
First, have you spent any time panning? Have you ever run a stream sluice? Do you know how gold of differing sizes and shape act in either piece of equipment. Have you spent any time reading and testing in creeks and rivers in your area? Do you know how to find out where you can go legally without taking from other people's property, or claim?
I can tell you it isn't as easy as just sucking up rocks and gravel.

I took no offense what so ever. My experience has thus far been as followed gold rush bering sea gold a lot of the real gold mining shows a fair smouny of reading and youtube has been my friend. Honestly iv never in my life held a pan ok wait i did at a store somewhere once lol.
When i saw im a newbi well i mean new. My hope is i can find a local to help me alot if not ill go it alone.

Tell me if u think this is a good idea. Im fixing to get a good settlement from a car accident and thus this will fund this indeavor. Im thinking buy the gear i need to start out when i get the check. Which is here soon im hoping. Buy say a few hundred bucks of gold maybe half ounce. Some of it fine some small nuggets mix it in some dirt and pan it out in say a big tot. Figure if i start with half an ounce and when i get done panning if i ant got half ounce ik im doing something wrong all the gold i lost is safely in the tot after i get the panning down start working the sluice and or a dreadge the same way

 

[mxer47]

Ok that helps a lot. This is my opinion based on my personal experience. It may differ from some others. Ok enough of the disclaimers, get a couple of pans 14" and a 10" cleanup pan. I prefer round pans. Get some river gravels and fool around with them. Figure how to handle them and how much material you can work with. A gold pan is always used by miners no mater what primary equipment they use with few exceptions. There is a utube video with the title something like 40+ years panning experience British Colombia. This guy shows how to use a round pan. I wouldn't buy gold to practice with I would start out with a bb or a staple. Pan all the material out of your pan and if both are left in the pan your doing something right. You will use panning for as long as you prospect/mine so learn it first and you will get better as you go. I would then look up a public area to prospect at. Go there with your dad, enjoy yourselves, don't worry too much about the gold, just see if this is for you. Have fun. If prospecting is for you you'll know after a couple trips. Look up a local club if that is your kinda thing. Learn from some locals. Don't let that check burn a hole in your pocket. A dredge is complex. You don't just start it and wala you have gold. You have to learn where gold is, and not just from research and articles like "how to read a river". Those help you to learn while you are out there. The worse case senerio is to drop a couple grand on a dredge drop in behind a boulder in the river ( because that is where the gold is of course ) work all day and nothing, now you doubt your equipment and fiddle with that because it must be the problem. You get discouraged and now the dredge sits collecting dust and your out 2 grand. It is much cheaper to find gold with a pan ( this is called sampling and I do it to know where to dredge). Then buy a sluice ( a component of a dredge so you continue to learn things that will benefit your ultimate goal) use it to see if a dredge will actually make you money. Ie: x amount of material per hour =x amount of gold. Increase material run per hour in a dredge =that much more gold.
One last thing don't buy every kind of equipment thinking you will be better of because of it. A new prospector with the newest baddest thing can't find nearly as much as an experienced miner with a pan. And the thing is they may be only 10-15 yards away from one another. Get experience then you will know what to drop the money on and where to use it.
Good luck!

 

[Bigmanco]

I agree on a 4". I use a 3" because I got it cheep used. I want to throw this out not as a wet blanket but as someone who believes in fundamentals. I know you described yourself as new so I have to ask a couple of questions. Please don't take offense, knowing some things will help us help you.
First, have you spent any time panning? Have you ever run a stream sluice? Do you know how gold of differing sizes and shape act in either piece of equipment. Have you spent any time reading and testing in creeks and rivers in your area? Do you know how to find out where you can go legally without taking from other people's property, or claim?
I can tell you it isn't as easy as just sucking up rocks and gravel.

You back a very good point. I think next week when i get paid i will order a few pans ik there is a town near by u can mine the river there on public lsnd. So i just might run over there and get a few buckets to try the panning out. Add a few bbs like u said to practice with never know might find alittle gold

Then go from there. Hopefully by spring i can have the panning down and get started on a sluice

 

[Bigmanco]

Something id like to add i really appreciate your guys help and information. Iv always wanted to give it a try and even if i break even itll be worth the fun and experience

 

[specksandflecks]

Check your local craigslist even if just looking for a pan. It's not unusual for people to offload a significant amount of gear from dredges to snuffer bottles and everything in between all in one listing.

It (the pan) will probably be seasoned, come with 1 or 2 classifiers, some potential locations and save you a few bucks that you can spend on gas.

I'd say get at least a 1/8" (#8) classifier and 1 size bigger or smaller, and plan on using it. The panning will be much easier.

 

[principedeleon]

Ok that helps a lot. This is my opinion based on my personal experience. It may differ from some others. Ok enough of the disclaimers, get a couple of pans 14" and a 10" cleanup pan. I prefer round pans. Get some river gravels and fool around with them. Figure how to handle them and how much material you can work with. A gold pan is always used by miners no mater what primary equipment they use with few exceptions. There is a utube video with the title something like 40+ years panning experience British Colombia. This guy shows how to use a round pan. I wouldn't buy gold to practice with I would start out with a bb or a staple. Pan all the material out of your pan and if both are left in the pan your doing something right. You will use panning for as long as you prospect/mine so learn it first and you will get better as you go. I would then look up a public area to prospect at. Go there with your dad, enjoy yourselves, don't worry too much about the gold, just see if this is for you. Have fun. If prospecting is for you you'll know after a couple trips. Look up a local club if that is your kinda thing. Learn from some locals. Don't let that check burn a hole in your pocket. A dredge is complex. You don't just start it and wala you have gold. You have to learn where gold is, and not just from research and articles like "how to read a river". Those help you to learn while you are out there. The worse case senerio is to drop a couple grand on a dredge drop in behind a boulder in the river ( because that is where the gold is of course ) work all day and nothing, now you doubt your equipment and fiddle with that because it must be the problem. You get discouraged and now the dredge sits collecting dust and your out 2 grand. It is much cheaper to find gold with a pan ( this is called sampling and I do it to know where to dredge). Then buy a sluice ( a component of a dredge so you continue to learn things that will benefit your ultimate goal) use it to see if a dredge will actually make you money. Ie: x amount of material per hour =x amount of gold. Increase material run per hour in a dredge =that much more gold. One last thing don't buy every kind of equipment thinking you will be better of because of it. A new prospector with the newest baddest thing can't find nearly as much as an experienced miner with a pan. And the thing is they may be only 10-15 yards away from one another. Get experience then you will know what to drop the money on and where to use it. Good luck!

Yeah wouldnt want him to be like some dredger that i know that haves to find someone else to pan the cons for him loll

 

[Hoser John]

No dredging in lakes in colorado,or most states. Unless you can get in on the mercury removal scam as posted above like on Lake Combie. 60' is doable easily with the proper equipment but as a PADI diver you must know that at that altitude your decompression tables are pushed waaaaaaay out there and hyperbaric chambers non existant. Problem with lakes is you smoke yourself out quick like as no flow to cleans the water. Underwater dredge or air assist ring works also. Many engines,pumps and jets and many MANY years of experience required to not kill yourself. John

 

[mxer47]

Sorry about the dad comment. There is another thread where a guy is asking some newcomer questions and I got confused. Still, not a bad idea.

 

[Bigmanco]

Its ok buddy. My dads alittle interested in it. Basically i think hes willing to try it cause i want to. Weve always done things together. Last few years we got away from that manly cause i got with this dumb woman and went ******ed for the derision of said relationship lol. Plus my dads greedy like me and being a big guy anything thats gets me more exercise hes down for especially if it can make money

I agree on a 4". I use a 3" because I got it cheep used. I want to throw this out not as a wet blanket but as someone who believes in fundamentals. I know you described yourself as new so I have to ask a couple of questions. Please don't take offense, knowing some things will help us help you.
First, have you spent any time panning? Have you ever run a stream sluice? Do you know how gold of differing sizes and shape act in either piece of equipment. Have you spent any time reading and testing in creeks and rivers in your area? Do you know how to find out where you can go legally without taking from other people's property, or claim?
I can tell you it isn't as easy as just sucking up rocks and gravel.

 

[kazcoro]

Problem with lakes is you smoke yourself out quick like as no flow to cleans the water. John

This is a big point I hope you don't gloss over. You get down on the bottom, stir up the muck, and it won't dissipate. Now, you are in a silty cloud, can't see your hand in front of your face. Suck up your regulater, no air. Get wrapped around something, bad things waiting to happen.

 

[Bigmanco]

Ya theres a lot of danger in either diving or mining put the two together far worst. I think a benifit i have is my diving experience. Iv dove nasty dank silt filled strip pits to 100 deep ocean dives on wrecks with 100 feet vis but wicked current where u get picked up 1/8-1/4 mile down from ur entry point. Iv had my share of issues when recovering a sunk news paper vending machine i ran out of air got wrapped in a rope and few other issues over the years. I do agree get mining down then go down that road

 

[G1sammons]

Wise choice ! Here's plenty of place to play ! I'm a big diver and think you'll get your fix at 15 ft .... There's plenty to look at and keep you busy dredgeing that time goes way to fast .. I couldn't imagine having to surface for degassing ..

 

[Bigmanco]

Ya i love diving. Its my therpy lol.
Im open i find those sweet spots here i can dredge at like 15 feet ans get both the gold and diving fix

 

[G1sammons]

Ya i love diving. Its my therpy lol. Im open i find those sweet spots here i can dredge at like 15 feet ans get both the gold and diving fix

well don't be in a hurry gold does not come easy.. But if ya stick with it you will find what your looking for .... ..
Plan on your first year of just learning and not finding any that way when you do it's all a plus!