new to water detecting and have some scoop questions...

[robo]

Picked up an AT Pro and it will give me a chance do some water detecting. Fresh water , probably up to shoulder depth at the most. Looking for answeres as to what type of scoop I need. Also looking for good quality product. Not sure on what length, what style. Please help a water newbie out.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Well, not sure if this would work for SHOULDER depth, but .... for knee, waist, or gut depth, here's the long-handled one I customized. It's a long handled scoop, yet customized for single hand/arm operation. A pistol grip and arm cuff. See the pix.

 

[Rainyday101]

If you are freshwater hunting you will no doubt be digging more than just sand. In my opinion stainless steel is a must. I own a T-Rex and abuse the hell out of it in muck, clay, rocks, gravel, and sand. It shows no signs of wear and I am very happy with it. Another thing to consider is getting one that you add your own wooden handle to. It is really nice to be able to let go of the scoop and have it float instead of sink. The Stealth 720 is another nice scoop. They differ in lip design and are both popular scoops. Spend the money one time and get a good one and be done with it. The wrong scoop will make water hunting miserable. Both of the ones I mentioned are American made and very high quality.

 

[dewcon4414]

You really do need to know a little about the bottoms you will be digging in. Both the ones mentioned are great scoops..... but so is a RTG with a SS lip. The 720 does have a good point and digs in... but may be a little long, meaning in hard conditions you could be buying more handles. The TreX in the wrong soil wont drain with those 1/4 holes so you might also consider a floating sifter. Round nosed scoops can be a pain in hard bottoms.... they tend to roll on you so look carefully at the foot rest it needs a good angle.

Dew

 

[robo]

Pointed me in the right direction. Looks like I have some options!

 

[Rainyday101]

Sorry but I have to disagree with Dewcon on the round nose scoops. If you are digging into a rocky, gravel, or hard clay area the pointed scoops seem to roll off to the side more because when you put your foot on it you are rotating on just the small end point. If you do not push evenly and on the right spot it will roll off to one side or another. I find round nose scoops like the T-Rex go in easliy with the large foot area and do not roll. I abuse the hell out of mine in all kinds of bottoms and have not had a problem. Now I am not saying the T-Rex is the only good scoop, it is just what works well for me. Others have their favorites and if they do well with them it would be hard to say they are not as good. I guess to each his own. Buy a good quality scoop and you will be set. As far as drainage of the T-Rex, I only have drainage problems when I get clay in the scoop. Any scoop will have drainage problems with clay. Sand and muck drain most of the scoop by the time you get it up to the surface. Keep in mind looking at one with a wooden handle so that it floats. Nothing is worse than dropping your scoop in chest deep water and having to try and pick it up with your foot or dunking your head to pick it off the bottom. A rope tether of course would make that a mute point.

 

[Ron Lord]

Well, if you plan to hunt salt water the first thing I would do .Is get rid of the AT PRO. Get you a Stealth scoop.

 

[undersc0re]

I use the trex scoop the largest one with a handle that will never break....it is heavy, but it is awesome, I would never detect a silty, sandy or smaller rock beach again without it, it gets almost everything in the first scoop and its fast! It is like detecting a grassy park without a good pin pointer...gotta have a good scoop and the trex is the way to go....I am sure the other similar scoops are just as good....

 

[fongu]

I love my Sunspot Stealth scoop. Don't leave home without it for water hunting. I took the seller's advice and ordered the pole that come with it instead of spending my metal detecting time trying to fit a handle to my scoop. Whatever works for you is what's important.

 

[mgtmadness]

I want a good fresh water scoop also. Hard, clay, rocky, slightly sandy and silty bottom. A pole would not go 1" deep in the bottom of Keuka Lake, located in Steuben county, NY. You would need a post hammer. I'm not sure which scoop to get and try out. I'm not sure I want to spend 200+ dollars on it for it just to fail digging in the lake.
I currently have to move rocks and wave my hand over the signal and spend too much time looking for stuff.