Taking The Bait

[bigscoop]

Arrive at the beach to discover that the swells are a bit higher and stronger then yesterday, not too strong to hunt but certainly going to take a pounding all day if you stick with the original plan. After giving it some thought you figure you'll just "test the waters" to see just how much of a pounding you're going to take. And there it is, right off the bat, as soon as you step foot in the water you get a good hit on a small gold earring. "Yep! Sticking to the plan." Five hours later you exit the water feeling as if you just went 10 rounds with an angry Sumo wrestler, the only thing in your pouch being that one tiny gold earring that you found during the first minute of the hunt, "the bait" that made the following five ridiculous hours possible. If not for the early hit on that tiny earring I would have waved the flag of surrender after an hour, maybe not that long.

 

[Les West Central Fl]

Feel your pain, been there and done that.

 

[sponge]

BS do you feel that in the water is where I need to be. I get knee deep most times once I was about waist high that was fun. I feel u guys are producing more in the H20

 

[bigscoop]

BS do you feel that in the water is where I need to be. I get knee deep most times once I was about waist high that was fun. I feel u guys are producing more in the H20

It's pretty much a crap shoot. I just spoke to a guy today at the beach and he showed me 2 - 14K rings that he got off the upper beach today, and that place has been pounded to death and continues to get pounded to death. So I think it really all comes down to getting the coil over the goodies, which means really getting the most out of your machine and then hunting every inch of the ground in the areas you choose to hunt. It's not the machine or the coils or the headphones etc., as much as it is the intensity in which we hunt. Some guys spend a few hours on the beach, some guys spend most of the day on the beach. Sure, the headphones, coils, machines can add some tiny measure of advantage but you still have to get the coil over the goodies with some consistency. Me, the heat index is over 100 out there so I like being in the water, even prefer to be in the water during the winter months, I just like water hunting over the other hunting options unless there are some features on the beach. And I think this is what really makes the difference - and I just said this in another thread but I really believe it so I'll say it again - "The average gold ring is less then an inch in diameter, miss a square foot of ground and you just missed 144 potential hiding places." Now miss 10 square ft of beach in the area you chose to hunt. I think this is the biggest difference maker regardless where you hunt. I can honestly say that most of the goodies I find are not that deep, say within the first 10" of sand, and the vast majority of them are in the first 6 - 8 inches, depths any quality beach machine should easily handle. I spend a lot of days in the water every year not finding squat. And all of this is about as honest an answer as I can offer you.

 

[sponge]

I have a 55 gallon drum almost 1/2 full every little piece is a dig. Thanks BS

 

[bigscoop]

You know, Sponge, your question is a really good start on the subject of those who find a lot of goodies. Case in point - the other day I was in one of those rare intense hunting moods, in a little over four hours I only managed to cover a length of beach that was maybe 100 yards long by 25 ft wide, I only dug 9 targets but most of them were good targets. Now think of the guy that has the mental and physical ability to hold that same intensity for 6 - 8 hrs nearly each and every day. I guarantee you that guy has found a lot of goodies and he will continue to find them. Me, I just can't produce that level of intensity each and every day and 3 -4 hrs is usually all I'm good for these days. After 3-4hrs, unless the hunting has been pretty good, I'm ready to call it a day and move on to something else. If I force myself to stay I'm just aimlessly swinging the coil with my mind somewhere else. But the guys you see posting all those goodies all the time....they can stay focused and just keep it going. I think this is a big factor that most of us just can't muster every time we go hunting. I use to be like that but I've noticed in the last couple of years I just can't do it anymore. Heck, last year I actually started taking nice little naps on the beach.

 

[Captain PopTop]

I've met a few people lately that only hunt the sand and don't post , & they "Claim to be cleaning up", I cant do the sand or only for brief agonizing minutes of pain back to the car. when you only got some chum change in your pocket hoping that next swing is gonna do it. & some can slaw from hours of trying to sink the scoop on targets from being bounced off of it while grabbing onto the stick, now I just call it the day and hit a restaurant for lunch. We've only had a few weeks over here of ruff surf at a time or when a storm has cell has hit, otherwise I've been getting a lot of calm days along with some cloudy or very clear water. I watch bay news 9 and wait for the cells to pass

 

[SonnyFl]

Like wise and it hurts!