Anyone around Panama City Beach?

[khouse]

I will be there June 21st through the 28th, 2014. This will be my 3rd trip to Florida in the last 14 years. I usually bring a waterproof machine but decided to hit the wet and some dry sand this time. I'll be swinging an etrac and will most likely be hunting through the night. If you want to get together and do some hunting just shoot me a message? I hope to shake loose for 2 or 3 hunts.......We could hit the land as well if you know of some good spots?

 

[beepsilver]

I won't be there, but I'm from there. Use your water machine at the jetty in St Andrews State Park...old coins like to deposit themselves at a barrier like the jetty. If you're out for jewelry, new coins, etc., be sure to hunt on the beach in front of The Spinnaker and La Vela night clubs on Thomas Drive....you probably already know how drunk and crazy spring breakers can get there.

I'm not much help with land hunts there, but that area has been a huge logging area because of the local paper mills. If you can find some historical maps with logging camps, you'd be a leg up. But be careful, the snakes are poisonous there and be sure to get permission from landowners who react a bit differently in that part of the country. Good luck!

 

[khouse]

I will hit those beach areas for sure. I'm not going in the water other than some wading this time. I'll be taking a lighter machine for the dry. My wife want to have some family time so I'll probably only hunt 2 or 3 times. But it will be 8 to 10 hours each hunt........Thanks again for the hot spots!

 

[BootyHunter]

Cool I'm going down there soon myself! In my experience there really isn't any "wetsand" to hunt like te east coast beaches. "Tidal" changes seem to only amount to the level of the water in the gulf I.e. at high tide you may be chest deep in the water where at the same time at "low" tide you're knee deep, without much noticeable change on the beach. But I've only been there 2 times and the water was very rough (for the area) both times. Hoping for some glassy calm conditions this time. Gonna be wading and snorkeling with a pi with a vlf for a back up detector. I'll post my finds here. Good luck to you!

 

[khouse]

Thanks. I usually hunt from about 7pm to 5am 2 or 3 times a trip. I'm not much for detecting in and around people. At least by myself.

 

[BootyHunter]

Thanks. I usually hunt from about 7pm to 5am 2 or 3 times a trip. I'm not much for detecting in and around people. At least by myself.

Yeah I get out around 6am and wade the gulf for a couple hours then snorkel with a detector in diving mode for awhile in the afternoon.

 

[khouse]

I can't even put my face in the water with a snorkle on. It freaks me out.

 

[2deep]

I live about four~five hours from there, near Gulf Shores - there have been TV news reports of lots of bull sharks in the shallows this week so be careful.

 

[khouse]

Thanks. I'll check the reports. I don't usually get in the water much. But my Wife and kids live out there.

 

[beepsilver]

Good luck guys.
Be extra careful hunting at night. Even in the 1980s a couple of my highschool friends were held up at gunpoint on the beach. That was unusual then, but now I'm not so sure. Stay in well lit areas if possible.

In addition to those two nightclubs I mentioned, maybe add any location with a pier...there are several along PCB.

 

[khouse]

I'm glad Florida accepts my Missouri Conceal Carry license.

 

[BootyHunter]

Although it also accepts TN carry permit and I'm glad of that, I won't be out at night. I used to chase the low tides at Myrtle Beach no matter the hour, but last couple of years too many unsavory characters out late at night. I'll leave the night to the night people lol. At PCB tides not so much a factor, I like that I can get out and put in a few hours hunting before te rest of my clan even gets up.

 

[khouse]

That may be the best idea. It looks like low tide for that week is from about 5 to 6:30pm? So I may have to hunt around some people.......

 

[beepsilver]

And something else I just remembered...the hurricanes over the past couple of decades ruined the natural dunes....so what they do there is use barges to suck up sand off the ocean bottom and redeposit it back where the dunes are. The dunes you see are many times recycled...so keep that in mind when you're hunting. Also, if I remember correctly it's illegal to traipse around on the dunes because it exacerbates erosion. I clipped this from a web page, but you can do your own search:

The sugar white sand you know and love from Panama City Beach will be dredged from offshore

 

[Bootlegger Jim]

Tons on trash.

 

[mudpuppy]

Hungry Bullsharks, tons of trash, replenished sand, the chance of getting robbed or killed...sounds like a pretty good adventure, or a typical vacation in the making!
Mud

 

[khouse]

The last time I was in Florida was about 6 or 8 years ago. At that time I bought a new water machine to use and simply sell when I got back home. That worked out good. But I didn't get into the water much and used my lightweight machine in the dry mostly. So this time I just brought my etrac for wet sand and dry hunting. The mistake I made was not buying a water machine for this trip. I do miss getting in the water and I found a nice calm water area that looks good but I have no water machine. Plus I forgot just how quick the rains come and go so there are times I leave my machine in the car because it's over cast. I won't make this mistake again. So far I haven'y found any jewelry. Lot's of the usual square tabs, water flavor packs, ketchup packs, foil caps, clad etc...............................
PS: There doesn't seem to be much wet sand to hunt even at low tide. I mean the wet sand still gets a lot of waves and I fear for my etrac! Where do you go where there's a lot of sand exposed during low tide?

 

[khouse]

The beach area by us at night is pretty well lit. I only saw one guy passed out on the sand but his buddies simply dragged him back toward the bar by his feet.

 

[fongu]

I left PCB in 1984 and haven't been back even as a tourist. I would love to make the trip and see what I could find, but can't get far from home because I'm Mama's caretaker. If you are concerned about your land machine getting wet and ruining the electronics, I'd advise you to get a sling. I use the limbsaver, but there are others available. Since I bought it in 2012, it hasn't been off my detector, on land or water. I bought my sling from one of the sponsors, Kellyco. GL & HH.

 

[khouse]

I brought a detectorpro pal that works fine. I may break it out and do some wading.