How to Get Started in Shallow Fresh Water Detecting

[Iron Buzz]

Experienced land detector here. I've tried to find some information online on getting started at shallow water (freshwater lakes) detecting. Equipment, techniques, how to find historic beaches & swimming holes, stuff like that. Doesn't seem to be much out there.

I did a search for this forum and will be picking through it looking for advice but thought it best to also ask my question directly. Thanks.

 

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[Xraywolf]

Any tips for finding sites that aren't slammed by everyone and their brother? I prefer old stuff, not terribly interested in modern day bling even if it is worth a lot of money.

If people told you here, they wouldn't be unslammed very long, would they ?
Pretty tough order to find a historic, virgin beach - Best to get out there and see what you can find, and do some research if you think its possible to find something old and untouched in your area.

 

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[Thoadin]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6284307972/

How is the wire mesh attached to the pvc?

 

[Xraywolf]

Hard to see mesh lasting very long, I used a black polycarb sheet with holes drilled in it, attached with zip ties.

Here is a writeup I did a couple years back http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/beach-shallow-water/507615-floating-sand-sifter.html

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Here is a writeup I did a couple years back http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/beach-shallow-water/507615-floating-sand-sifter.html

Yep!!! Indian Steve read your write up first, sent it to me = IT WAS ALL YOUR IDEA

So far, the mesh has lasted two full seasons and has more to go. It's not some weenie mesh. More heavy duty.

 

[Xraywolf]

Yep!!! Indian Steve read your write up first, sent it to me = IT WAS ALL YOUR IDEA

So far, the mesh has lasted two full seasons and has more to go. It's not some weenie mesh. More heavy duty.

Ok thats good to know, I would have thought it would have been prone to tearing, clogs and snags. I use a mesh finds pouch and usually end up replacing it every season.

 

[Indian Steve]

The mesh that Deepseeker & I use was originally shade net for green houses. I brought it home from the dump 20+ years ago. If you don't use any metal in your float, you can use your pinpointer to find the treasure. We have hunted a site that is mud bottom with layers of clam shells and deep targets. The float sure makes it easier.

 

[Xraywolf]

Oh yeah I know, them little shells are a PITA, very laborious to recover a target in the scoop but a breeze with a sifter

 

[Iron Buzz]

If people told you here, they wouldn't be unslammed very long, would they ?
Pretty tough order to find a historic, virgin beach - Best to get out there and see what you can find, and do some research if you think its possible to find something old and untouched in your area.

I asked for tips for finding places, not for actual places. Good grief... I've been metal detecting for long enough to know not to ask for actual sites.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Yep!!! Indian Steve read your write up first, sent it to me = IT WAS ALL YOUR IDEA

So far, the mesh has lasted two full seasons and has more to go. It's not some weenie mesh. More heavy duty.

Good god, no! We do not want any weenie mesh!

 

[Xraywolf]

I asked for tips for finding places, not for actual places. Good grief... I've been metal detecting for long enough to know not to ask for actual sites.

Don't be so sensitive, you got tips - There is no magic solution for finding virgin ground with old coins and jewelry, on land or in the water. It takes research, persistence and luck.

Really, your best odds for that are private lots or street tearouts.

 

[ARC]

AC (air conditioning replacement) mesh is the best IMO.

Single noodle... slit.
Single 1/2 inch 3-ISH (or larger if you want) foot long PVC pipe.
One 1/2 inch coupler.

3/4 will work as well... just harder to get smaller circle.

Zips.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Don't be so sensitive, you got tips - There is no magic solution for finding virgin ground with old coins and jewelry, on land or in the water. It takes research, persistence and luck.

Really, your best odds for that are private lots or street tearouts.

That wasn't being sensitive. I asked a sensible question and got a somewhat snarky answer from you instead of some helpful advice. And as I pointed out, I am hardly a newbie and I do a ton of research for the landbased sites that I detect. Private lots and street tearouts are some of what I do now. I'm trying to expand my knowledge into water detecting, which is why I'm asking these questions. Simply telling me to not ask is not helpful.

 

[Xraywolf]

Well what can I say, you ask "Any tips for finding sites that aren't slammed by everyone and their brother?", I tell you that no one has the magic secret for finding unexplored honeyholes, and if they did, they more than likely wouldn't post it for "everyone and their brother" to see.
You call it snarky, I call it reality - Let it rest and happy hunting.

 

[CASPER-2]

Actually...OBN is the King of unexplored honeyholes
i dont think ive ever had a "virgin" spot ever in my 40+ yrs
make it or break it following others - learn your machine - try and go slow and try and go deep
try and hit areas the others may not have or might not have hit very well
like rocks or rougher water or spots loaded with sinkers or areas loaded with trash
i go out deeper than most at spots i hit at low tide
out side the box - I have a friend that for yrs hit inside the buoys of his spot
dont know if i had something to do with it cause i said that yrs ago there werent any ropes or
buoys and most beaches were bigger than they were now - but he ventured outside the ropes and started
making good finds and stretched his search area each day and was told the swimming area was
pretty much all around the pond he was hitting and ended up killing it - now others hit there too
but they never thought to hit outside the ropes either - think outside the box
here are a few examples of nice finds found outside the ropes at a fresh water spot - ropes were out at about 5 1/2
feet - one day i was there and place had been hit the night before - i could see scoop marks on the bottom
so i went just on the other side of the buoy line and reached out as deep as i could - Bingo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6283867129/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6283830799/

Well what can I say, you ask "Any tips for finding sites that aren't slammed by everyone and their brother?", I tell you that no one has the magic secret for finding unexplored honeyholes, and if they did, they more than likely wouldn't post it for "everyone and their brother" to see.
You call it snarky, I call it reality - Let it rest and happy hunting.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Well what can I say, you ask "Any tips for finding sites that aren't slammed by everyone and their brother?", I tell you that no one has the magic secret for finding unexplored honeyholes, and if they did, they more than likely wouldn't post it for "everyone and their brother" to see.
You call it snarky, I call it reality - Let it rest and happy hunting.

Tips for finding sites are not asking for sites. Tips for finding sites are things like, "Look at old maps for roads that go to a lake and end there, for no apparent reason" (meaning, a probably swimming hole). That is helpful information (given to me by a local water hunter) and the sort of tip that I was looking for. I didn't ask for any "magic secret", as you call it. If you can't offer something helpful, just don't post.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Actually...OBN is the King of unexplored honeyholes
i dont think ive ever had a "virgin" spot ever in my 40+ yrs
make it or break it following others - learn your machine - try and go slow and try and go deep
try and hit areas the others may not have or might not have hit very well
like rocks or rougher water or spots loaded with sinkers or areas loaded with trash
i go out deeper than most at spots i hit at low tide
out side the box - I have a friend that for yrs hit inside the buoys of his spot
dont know if i had something to do with it cause i said that yrs ago there werent any ropes or
buoys and most beaches were bigger than they were now - but he ventured outside the ropes and started
making good finds and stretched his search area each day and was told the swimming area was
pretty much all around the pond he was hitting and ended up killing it - now others hit there too
but they never thought to hit outside the ropes either - think outside the box
here are a few examples of nice finds found outside the ropes at a fresh water spot - ropes were out at about 5 1/2
feet - one day i was there and place had been hit the night before - i could see scoop marks on the bottom
so i went just on the other side of the buoy line and reached out as deep as i could - Bingo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6283867129/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6283830799/

Thank you, Casper. That was helpful.

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...&ved=0ahUKEwjtmfPkgN7pAhWUK80KHS0wCiIQ4dUDCAw

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...&ved=0ahUKEwj1rfnsgN7pAhVFZc0KHWkUCz0Q4dUDCAw

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...&ved=0ahUKEwjXif-Sgd7pAhXkAp0JHccIAtUQ4dUDCAw

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...&ved=0ahUKEwikgpyygd7pAhWCG80KHaIDCu0Q4dUDCAw