what is a good detector for hunting creeks/rivers?

[Jessgo33]

I want to know what would be a better choice a fisher gold bug2, and minlab 705 or a eureka gold.
Do any of these detectors turn out or discriminate nails? I was thinking the eureka gold, but don't know. No one has them in stock that i know of so im going to get my bills caught up and try to research them. Any good pointers or a comparison would be great. thanks.

 

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You might want to look at the Garrett AT Gold. It has some new features and is waterproof to 10 feet. There are some information videos at the Garrett website.

 

[Lanny in AB]

The Minelab 705 has an excellent discriminator on it for nails and other trash. Now, when it comes to hunting nuggets, lots of hunters search in all metal--no discrimination, which the 705 will allow you to do as well. If you find a good used PI (SD2100 model and up), and buy an after-market waterproof coil (check out Doc's detecting in Vegas) you'll have a powerful PI that will ignore many of the annoying hotrocks that drive most nugget hunters crazy.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[nuggetshooter323]

Of those three I would only consider the GB2 or the ML705. Both nice machines with good coil selection. I would stay away from the Eureka Gold because, 1. I've rarley heard any good comments about it, in fact I've heard a lot of bad comments about it's performance, 2. It only has one coil, you need the capibility of a small 4"-7" coil for nuggets, 3. It's much more expensive by at least $300. Here in Colorado I've never seen anybody use a Eureka Gold. Usually Gold bugs, MXT's, Lobo Super Traq's, and GMT's.

 

[Jessgo33]

Thanks Nuggetshooter. I will take that into account before i order.

 

[Jessgo33]

I have gotten over the hot rocks. I just don't have alot of experence at detecting a river area. I have been trying up the bank and around bed rock.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Are you in a known nugget producing area (without giving away your exact location)?

 

[Jessgo33]

Yea i live in Northern California. I find gold all the time either panning, slucing, or detecting. They found a 54 lb nugget in 1850's bout 10 min from my house or bout 3 miles as the crow fly's. So the eureka gold is no good?

 

[nuggetshooter323]

I've never used an Eureka Gold, but I've seen few good comments about it. If you get a screaming deal that you can't pass up, then try it. But for really tiny nuggets the GB2 does a great job, even a little better than the GMT.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Your best bet in the river is where there's some shallow or some exposed bedrock. If it's friable (closely stacked sheets and plates) of bedrock, slow down and detect that stuff very, very carefully--it's an excellent gold trap. I really think detecting the bedrock is your best bet. Having said that, I've detected the stream-bed proper, and when you do that, if you're in an area with lots of old square nails, a good discriminator will most certainly come in mighty handy.

One thing about digging targets in the stream-bed--they take off for the bottom as soon as you disturb the gravel around them, and they'll keep on diving every time you move more gravel--it's more than a bit frustrating as the rocks aren't nice and uniform like, let's say, the sand or small pebbles on a beach where you can use a sand scoop to quickly trap a target.

So, good luck, and keep us posted as to how things turn out.

All the best,

Lanny

P.S. Don't forget to check the usual stream traps (downstream side of boulders, behind outcrops, in suction eddies, etc.).