North of Lake Pleasant (Agua Fria) - Advice on My Spot (pics)

[CJB]

Ok so I found this spot near the Agua Fria. The space between the Bradshaw mountains and Lake Pleasant are known for gold. This spot had some exposed bedrock and a few spots at some bends that look like they have been prospected before. Lots of bedrock cracks and obstructions which seem ideal gold traps. I pry'd open some cracks in the bedrock, got some black sand, and some buckshot, but not a flake of gold. I only spend a couple hours in this location, but not a flake of gold. Im looking for some input on this one. There are still plenty of cracks and areas I could dig here, but Im wondering if I should just move on considering I didnt find a single grain of gold. Thoughts?

 

[TerryC]

CJB, I am very interested in how you do up there. TimC and I hunt just south of there around Rich Hill. May I suggest trying the Lynx Creek area? The Lynx is written up as the most productive creek in AZ. Tim uses a "shrimp gun" to collect gravels out of small pools of water on the Lynx. Keep us in the loop. TTC

 

[CJB]

I definitely want to get up to Lynx Creek! On my to-do list. The spot in these pics is much closer to Lake Pleasant than the Bradshaws. Maybe Im just too far downstream here?

How do you do in the Rich Hill area? Im leaning hard toward joining Y-Not so I can spend some time up at Rich Hill

 

[leadnugget]

your close to some gold areas, from the pictures it looks like you came in though table mesa road?
some of those washes carry a bit of gold.
in that area you might want to try humbug or cow creek, i have found nuggets in both, the gold is spotty.
you have to be careful, there are a lot of claims in the area.
there is some open ground.
i would recommend a 4x4 or at least a high clearance vehicle to get into these areas.
terry has a good suggestion with lynx creek. its easy to get to and there is good gold in that creek.
if you go to lynx in the winter it might be all iced up or no water. also get some thick rubber gloves.
joining one of the clubs would be a good idea, its worth the fees to get on better ground.
a word of warning, there is no cure for gold fever.

 

[MadMarshall]

All to often I hit an area an turn up nothing just to have to my brother or myself return and quite often do well. I would change up styles of prospecting if you are not having any succsess in crevicing than I would change up methods of sampling. I find myself getting tunnel vision in prospecting. I love crevicing so it is not uncommon for me to sample an area and dismiss it soley on crevicing when in truth different areas on rivers and creeks deposit gold differently and so on. I hate it when I'm just goining to town with the sledge to get in a crack to get nothing and then move on. My brother comes along and digs a few inches in the gravel bar where I was sitting and his pan is showing gold. I don't think it's a matter of if there is gold, but where is it. Exspecially if you are in a know gold area..

 

[okbasspro]

Be very carefull if you are inside the lake park they can cite and or arrest you.I grew up working lynx creek and hunbug creek.

 

[CJB]

Thanks for the input guys. So maybe keep working the area a bit more? I don't want to move on being too impatient but also don't want to waste my time when I could be exploring more productive locations!

 

[okbasspro]

I have found gold all the way down to the lake in creeks and washes.Keep your activity to yourself and nobody will be the wiser.Try looking in humbug creek just north of the highwater level of the lake.Do not give up you will find something.
Happy Hunting
Jeff

P.S. Make the trip to Lynx it is a great place just a couple hrs north