River Sandbars

[catfishterry]

Has anyone had any luck THing on river sandbars?

 

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[birdman]

I talked to a guy that found a US belt plate on a river bank in Tenn. Some people have all the luck.

 

[Monty]

I live 5 mile downstream from a major dam and reservoir on the Arkansas River. It is sandbar heaven. When the floodgates are closed there is miles and miles of sandbars exposed. I use to walk the riverbed without a metal detector when I was a tad younger and found all kinds of interesting junk. I say junk because most of it was just junk to me at the time. I haven't had my detector down there yet. It is such a huge area to contemplate detecting I wouldn't know where to start. The good thing is, every time the gates are closed you have an all new area to detedt due to the swift river current. If you are not attentive, it could be hazardous to your health however. The floodgates can be opened at any time without warning and you could look around and find yourself cut off from shore by rising water. People are rescued several times a year that this has happened to. A few have drowned. If you are downstream from a dam I would recommend keeping an escape route close by just in case. Things I use to find in the sand were interesting river rocks worn smoothe and polished by the sand, old license plates, cartridge cases, A few have fouind Indian artifacts, arrow heads, etc. I have seen quite a few bottles, probabllly washed out of creek gullies when the water was high. I haven't a clue what may lie buried, but it should be easy digging. Also, quite a bit of quicksand. Quicksand isn't dangerous like in the movies, rather just might cause you to lose your shoes if you get into it. Not unusual for you to sink up to your knees and have to struggle to get out. I don't think I ever heard of anyone getting sucked under quicksand in the river bottoms though. It does trap live stock because they are heavier and don't have sense to get out of it right quick May be a gold mine there, who knows? There are a couple of old low water wagon crossings you can see when the water is low that might bear checking out. Monty

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I hunt sand bar islands alot. My favorite is one where the river flows on both sides and is about a 1/4 mile from a bridge. Since it is covered with brush and larger trees, , I like to get out to it as soon as the winter snows and ice have melted, before the greening starts and hides any new stuff.. Have found lots of old pottery,clay pipes,bottles and occasionally something newer like waterlogged purses. I usually go in with the canoe and then spend a couple days up and down the river. The river empties into the lake, and I see every spring how much the sand bars have shifted or new ones develope. HH

 

[catfishterry]

I live just a couple miles from the Mississippi across from St. Louis and the river has been real low with miles of sandbars with easy access and I never see anyone out there.

 

[suwannee pirate]

I hunt the suwannee river quite a bit, mostly under water and the sand is in constant motion and moves around like sand dunes in the desert only its water current instead of wind doing it.I tend to look where the sand dunes have moved away from and left a little sand or exposed bottom as the good stuff tends to be heavy and goes to the bottom and lays on the carst, bedrock or hardpack . The good stuff goes right through the sand most of the time , a flood or wave action will sometimes delay this but eventually gravity wins in the sand.Good Luck !