Who hunts at night???

stpauli914

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Jun 7, 2011
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Gulf Coast FL
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I am thinking of some evening hunts on the West Central Gulf coast. I feel I may be missing a prime opportunity. I usually hunt Sunday early morning and there are always other detectorists in the water. I am thinking of trying saturday or sunday evening. Anyone do this that would like to share some info? What time is best? Just after sunset or a little later?

Thanks everyone,
Aaron
 

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goodmore

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Be careful. I never go deeper than ankle high at night. You never or I never know what is in the water at night. Plus drowning at night is considered bad. And there is always the mugging issue. Take a friend or pack a little protection.
 

Buried Crap NJ

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I hunt at night just not well populated attractions that have boardwalks,they tend to attract the thugs and they go down to the beach to do there drugs and annoy. The good thing about night is the waves calm down.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Dusk and Dawn are the perfet time to find them, that is usually when you can find the big ones................ sharks that is......

Remember there are land sharks as well as those in the water....be careful.........A friend by the name of Sterliing was mugged at Daytona while hunting at night.......

There are a lot of sharks off the gulf coast, more than you could image untill you see them from the air, most do not come near shore, but there are a few that do... Use to fish off the Piers there when I was young and there were more than a few 10 footers caught....

800px-jaws_great_white_shark_south_.jpg
 

petersra

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Treasure_Hunter said:
Dusk and Dawn are the perfet time to find them, that is usually when you can find the big ones................ sharks that is......

Remember there are land sharks as well as those in the water....be careful.........A friend by the name of Sterliing was mugged at Daytona while hunting at night.......

There are a lot of sharks off the gulf coast, more than you could image untill you see them from the air, most do not come near shore, but there are a few that do... Use to fish off the Piers there when I was young and there were more than a few 10 footers caught....

800px-jaws_great_white_shark_south_.jpg

I think that shark is laughing...
 

jyt2017

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Boy am I glad to live in new england. No sharks like that. No gators. Just snapping turtles...and I guess snakes. I don't think I could get in the water with anything big lurking. I guess the cape has some sharks...but not usually. Anyway.

As for night hunting. I am in middle of setting up for that. I work second shift...so its ideal situation for me. Just be safe, carry a weapon and wear headphones with one off. HH -Joe



petersra said:
Treasure_Hunter said:
Dusk and Dawn are the perfet time to find them, that is usually when you can find the big ones................ sharks that is......

Remember there are land sharks as well as those in the water....be careful.........A friend by the name of Sterliing was mugged at Daytona while hunting at night.......

There are a lot of sharks off the gulf coast, more than you could image untill you see them from the air, most do not come near shore, but there are a few that do... Use to fish off the Piers there when I was young and there were more than a few 10 footers caught....

800px-jaws_great_white_shark_south_.jpg

I think that shark is laughing...
 

Can Slaw

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One thing to remember, sharks feed at night and Florida leads the nation in shark attacks every year. Is a piece of gold worth the risk? It's not for me, plus I want to be able to see what's in the water with me, like the stingrays that are in the area from May to Oct., can't see those at night.
 

Bobbypins

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While I'm not in the exact location as you guys are, I find that hunting at night is the perfect time for me. There's not much crime to speak of, so I enjoy hunting the dry sand or in the water most days between 10pm - 2am, and I'm usually by myself.

The hardest part for me is actually seeing. I use a red light so any potential onlookers would think I'm a fisherman, but it doesn't give me much clarity when I'm trying to find a coin in a scoop full of shells, coral, rocks, and the occasional crab.

Now... would I hunt at night on a beach in Florida? Not without my Sig and 2 extra magazines.
 

Can Slaw

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Bobbypins said:
Now... would I hunt at night on a beach in Florida? Not without my Sig and 2 extra magazines.

Wouldn't do any good...Sharks are the original Stealth Fighters :D
 

Treasure_Hunter

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I have hunted in the water at night on occasion, but I usually don't get any deeper than mid calf to knee deep. While the chance of a shark attack on someone detecting our beaches is low, I sure wouldn't want to be the one exception to that....

The danger is far greater from land sharks you might run into at night, I have retreated into the water (like I was going to hunt)when I was being followed by some shady looking characters on a couple occasions till they moved on.............

I do not carry a pistol when I am hunting the beach at night, but if I hunt any time other than daylight hours I carry a dive knife on my arm, and a 12 inch fillet knive in my finds pouch that I found in the surf years ago..... The handle is water worn and I can say I just found it if the police ask about it...... I did have a beach officer ask me one night about the dive knife on my arm, I told him "it is for a possible shark, water or land".......

Can Slaw is correct, the rays are a bigger danger.........
 

ron lord

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May Thur Sept. is sea turtle season . Sitting just off shore is that nice big tiger Shark waitting for the turtle to come back into the Water ,and along come this guy with a MD , Shark say FOOD ,The shark doesn't know if a turtle or What? All it know is it is FOOD. A few month ago someone found a CZ-20 washed up on the beach,but no hunter ,ever? maybe a shark ate him or her , are you going too be NEXT.Think about it!! People who hunt in the water at night should make out a Will first then out huntting!!!!!!! IS IT WORTH YOUR LIFE FOR A FEW COIN OR A LITTLE GOLD???????????????????
 

Les West Central Fl

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Feeding time is when it's dark. I like all my body parts and plan to keep them. One of the guys in our club once had a shark chomp down on the coil of his detector. Guess it thought the coil was a sting ray.
 

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stpauli914

stpauli914

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Jun 7, 2011
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Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'll just stick to the early am. The beaches around here stay packed until after sunset so late afternoon hunts are out. I don't feel right swinging between peoples legs so I try to avoid the crowded times. Guess I'll see you guys at daybreak :) Any local clubs here in the Tampa Bay area?

Thanks, Aaron
 

Treasure_Hunter

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stpauli914 said:
Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'll just stick to the early am. The beaches around here stay packed until after sunset so late afternoon hunts are out. I don't feel right swinging between peoples legs so I try to avoid the crowded times. Guess I'll see you guys at daybreak :) Any local clubs here in the Tampa Bay area?

Thanks, Aaron

Aaron, don't be afraid or too shy to get right in there with the people.... I hunt in the water when it is crowded and I weave right through the people, as well as on the shore, I will detect right between and through them, just be sure to have good shades on so they can't see your eyes.... ;D I have also swung my coil right up to the towels that some sexy ladies were laying on..... :icon_thumright:
 

DewGuru

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Can Slaw said:
I want to be able to see what's in the water with me, like the stingrays that are in the area from May to Oct., can't see those at night.

Actually you can, if your light is on. Just a few days ago, I was in the water at night and spotted what appeared to be a nice gold band shining at me laying on the sand. I reached down to pick it up and got a handful of slime. It was one of the little guys with their eyes way close together shining mightily, lol.
 

Can Slaw

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DewGuru said:
Can Slaw said:
I want to be able to see what's in the water with me, like the stingrays that are in the area from May to Oct., can't see those at night.

Actually you can, if your light is on. Just a few days ago, I was in the water at night and spotted what appeared to be a nice gold band shining at me laying on the sand. I reached down to pick it up and got a handful of slime. It was one of the little guys with their eyes way close together shining mightily, lol.
Yep, that's why I don't hunt at night, wait until you grab the barb end, or one grabs you. No thanks, I don't need the gold that bad. You sure won't have any competition night hunting from me.
 

DewGuru

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Can Slaw said:
Yep, that's why I don't hunt at night, wait until you grab the barb end, or one grabs you. No thanks, I don't need the gold that bad. You sure won't have any competition night hunting from me.

HeHeHeHe!! Yep, their lots of fun. I've noticed fewer at night than in the day as of lately -- the problem right now at night are the attacking needle fish with attitudes. ;D
 

Can Slaw

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DewGuru said:
Can Slaw said:
Yep, that's why I don't hunt at night, wait until you grab the barb end, or one grabs you. No thanks, I don't need the gold that bad. You sure won't have any competition night hunting from me.

HeHeHeHe!! Yep, their lots of fun. I've noticed fewer at night than in the day as of lately -- the problem right now at night are the attacking needle fish with attitudes. ;D

I don't know abut Tampa. but the number of rays are the same day or night down here ;D You notice fewer at night because you can't see them!! and that is why I don't hunt at night, I want to see what's in front of me, beside me and sometimes in back of me.
 

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