Your experience with gold ring travel and sinking in saltwater "SAND"

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

I have done tests with gold rings and if you tie a 2 pound test mono line to your ring and lay it in the wet sand-with even mild waves passing over it, it will be 6" deep in about 15 minutes. By the next day a foot- 2'. { Assuming we are talking just sand-if shell or hard bottom is 6" down, it will stop there, of course.} With the extreme winds and rough water weve had chances a gold ring lost in August [SW FLORIDA COAST] not only may be down a few feet, it may be a 1/2 mile away, if a good current made a cut in the area for a few days, it moved that sand and all that's in it away, like a rushing river. It's not like hard ground or even most lakes and slow rivers with hard bottom or rock a foot down. Salt sand moves constantly- shifts, travels, sinks and nothing today is where it was yesterday.

In each case, I made sure in my tests, I had either no winds or west winds and in every case, the rings went straight south-stayed close to the same distance from shore and always stopped at a deeper [sometimes only a foot deeper] cut. Sometimes they traveled 50-100 yards before I got back and sometimes much further. Wind affect was my 1st consideration. No, I feel absolutely certain of this. Of course, I can only say what happens on this particular beach in my area? Some beaches may run with a swifter current or a slower current with the tides. I'm going to move this subject to the waterhunting forum and see if anyone else has info or thoughts.

I would be interested in hearing what other saltwater hunters have as an opinion, or what experiences you have had?
Thanks,
Chuck,Diggin'it in Florida

 

[hershey1]

Geat information. I can only imagine after a storm or two. Thanks. HH

 

[Cupajo]

From all the info I have gleaned from a wide variety of sources over the years including my own hunting experiences I believe you are exactly right!!

Carefull study of these dynamics can locate "hot spots" (Sort of like "catch basins") for you and when they have had the right set of wave action, wind activity and tide flow to add up to a "hit", you can concentrate your efforts at those spots!

They don't always have a "cut" or channel washed away to act as a clue to guide you, but often they do.

Developing an eye for detail and an awareness of your hunting ground's particular layout can save you a lot of hunting effort and help direct you to future "honey holes"!!

It's hunting smart in my book!

GL&HH Fellow Hunter,

CJ

 

[JOHNMARKHAM]

now thats interesting...great reading here..
but all my rings ive found ive never was interested in were it came from or how long it was there,i was just happy to find gold..
but yes stuff does move all around everyday, you just never really know what the surf gods will let you have or when,just be thankful you got some stuff..imho..
hh
john

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

Well, a storm is a bit different. You have to be right there as the storm ends, in most cases, because a short time later, that same storm that cleaned sand away-exposing gold-put the sand right back again, usually quickly!

Geat information. I can only imagine after a storm or two. Thanks. HH

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

"catch basins" That puts my thinking just right! Thanks for the right wording on that!

From all the info I have gleaned from a wide variety of sources over the years including my own hunting experiences I believe you are exactly right!!

Carefull study of these dynamics can locate "hot spots" (Sort of like "catch basins") for you and when they have had the right set of wave action, wind activity and tide flow to add up to a "hit", you can concentrate your efforts at those spots!

They don't always have a "cut" or channel washed away to act as a clue to guide you, but often they do.

Developing an eye for detail and an awareness of your hunting ground's particular layout can save you a lot of hunting effort and help direct you to future "honey holes"!!

It's hunting smart in my book!

GL&HH Fellow Hunter,

CJ

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

You can know where the surf gods dump the majority of gold. I have spots that I have gotten up to 5 gold rings in a couple of hours and it is considerably south of the main public beach. At another beach, I have similar spots, but 5 gold rings are the most I have ever found in a day. Some of this water hunting-especially in the sanded in summers, is pure luck, but some is knowing spots that the gold stops moving at, for a time.

now thats interesting...great reading here..
but all my rings ive found ive never was interested in were it came from or how long it was there,i was just happy to find gold..
but yes stuff does move all around everyday, you just never really know what the surf gods will let you have or when,just be thankful you got some stuff..imho..
hh
john

 

[Cupajo]

The dynamics change in protected waters and where the bottom is of large stones that provide a sheltered fissure between them for the jewels to nestle into.

A hunter must study his/her hunting waters to learn when and where to invest prescious hunting time.

In three years of hunting in the 1980s I had two 6-gold ring days! (I never got into counting silver rings as part of my ring total.)

I used to count the gold and weigh the silver.

[attachment 155973 100_0014.JPG]

Old photo from 1985.

GL&HH Friends,

CJ

 

[briley59]

The dynamics change in protected waters and where the bottom is of large stones that provide a sheltered fissure between them for the jewels to nestle into.

A hunter must study his/her hunting waters to learn when and where to invest prescious hunting time.

In three years of hunting in the 1980s I had two 6-gold ring days! (I never got into counting silver rings as part of my ring total.)

I used to count the gold and weigh the silver.

[attachment 155973 100_0014.JPG]

Old photo from 1985.

GL&HH Friends,
WOW IS ALL I CAN SAY- Very nice pile of findings there.
CJ

 

[TURNMASTER]

Man that is some good inteligence. Thanks for sharing. Next time I am at an ocean beach I will pay attention to such currents and channels.

Jeff

 

[midalake]

Had a great conversation with a fellow hunter about a detector for sale. He shared his story about going out to this beach, and every time he would go over this spot his detector would just go nuts. A fairly large area. One day he had decided to remove this "pipe" or anchor or whatever was there. He waded in and started digging with shovels. He then gets a look at a few coins in the sand. This area was one big resting place. I forgot the total........but it was a big number.

Dave

 

[harvdog42]

Now we're talkin'. I've always liked discussions on how to increase one odds. There is a small beach here in S. Ca about 100 yds long that gets densly packed with people. Alot of swimmers also because it is inside a breakwater. The breakwater is about one mile off shore. The waves seldom get above two feet high at this beach and that is on a windy day. The sand is fine and gets packed quite hard at the surfline. The funny thing is I've never had any luck at this beach in the wet sand and in the shallow water. All I seem to find are pulltabs and other light stuff. I'm going to do your test at this beach to see what is happening with the heavy stuff. The warm season is rapidly approaching and now would be a great time to run some tests. Thanks for lighting the fire Chuck. I'll let you guys know the outcome.

Harvdog

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

Hello, now of course, there has to be traveling water. So, if, for instance, you went fishing there and threw a weighted line out, you would have to notice considerable current running with the tides. What you explained, almost sounds like a place where the water would not be moving much-maybe everything just sinks deep and fast?

Now we're talkin'. I've always liked discussions on how to increase one odds. There is a small beach here in S. Ca about 100 yds long that gets densly packed with people. Alot of swimmers also because it is inside a breakwater. The breakwater is about one mile off shore. The waves seldom get above two feet high at this beach and that is on a windy day. The sand is fine and gets packed quite hard at the surfline. The funny thing is I've never had any luck at this beach in the wet sand and in the shallow water. All I seem to find are pulltabs and other light stuff. I'm going to do your test at this beach to see what is happening with the heavy stuff. The warm season is rapidly approaching and now would be a great time to run some tests. Thanks for lighting the fire Chuck. I'll let you guys know the outcome.

Harvdog

 

[therick]

n/t

 

[harvdog42]

Test are ready to be conducted. I just made a new "ring" mold and cast about 100 lead rings. They weigh about 11 grams and simulate a pretty beefy wedding band. Though not quite as beefy as the real band Clive posted a little while ago.

Nevertheless, I'll probably do some similiar "sink" testing as Chuck has done and probably some seeding as well at the beaches I hunt. The copper rings I used to seed previously were probably a little on the light side to be good indicators.

This is part of the fun of the hobby, trying to figure out the puzzle.

Harvdog

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

Just be sure to use 2 lb mono and the very tinyest styrofoam fishing flots. The water I put mine in goes from the sand edge and drops off almost immediately to about 2' then witin say another 6' or so [it changes] it drops to about 4-5' and stays that depth for aprox 20-60' and then reaches a sandbar or, if the sandbar is washes away [sometimes it is] then it quickly goes deeper and deeper.
I mentioned later, but overlooked saying in my initial post, that a beach like Ft Myers beach and like what I have seen at Daytona, the times ive been there, that goes out very gradually, dropping only an inch a foot steadily, has no way [other than super storms], to move a ring. You need a beach that drops enough, that the tide creates moving water where the rings are lost.
I look very forward to your results!
I drop mine at night, after beach goers leave and come back just before they would arrive-so they don't go grab your floats!

Test are ready to be conducted. I just made a new "ring" mold and cast about 100 lead rings. They weigh about 11 grams and simulate a pretty beefy wedding band. Though not quite as beefy as the real band Clive posted a little while ago.

Nevertheless, I'll probably do some similiar "sink" testing as Chuck has done and probably some seeding as well at the beaches I hunt. The copper rings I used to seed previously were probably a little on the light side to be good indicators.

This is part of the fun of the hobby, trying to figure out the puzzle.

Harvdog

 

[harvdog42]

Chuck,

How long of a line do you use? And can you buy tiny styrophome fishing floats or is that something you rig up somehow?

Even if the rings don't move and just sink beyond detector reach, that at least tells you something. It tells you you may have to be quick and get in right after the crowd goes home.

I'll keep you posted.

Harvdog

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

In an average of 4' of water, I used 20' of 2lb mono line.
You can buy the tiny floats in WalMart's fishing dept. You get 4-6 floats for under $2.00 They are small and narrow, so wind and current have no effect on movement. I'll be watching for your report!!!
Thanks!
Chuck,Diggin'it in Florida

Chuck,

How long of a line do you use? And can you buy tiny styrophome fishing floats or is that something you rig up somehow?

Even if the rings don't move and just sink beyond detector reach, that at least tells you something. It tells you you may have to be quick and get in right after the crowd goes home.

I'll keep you posted.

Harvdog

 

[harvdog42]

Went out today and threw in a simulated gold ring in an area about four feet deep inside the break water. With this particular "ring" I hooked up a bobber as per your suggestions. The ring did not move in four hours. I guess that means I'm going to have to get wet. This is something I know nothing about. I guess I'm going to have to practice target recovery on shore blind-folded with a long handled scoop.

I threw in a lead ring close to shore in the shallow water. The lead "rings" actually weigh 9.5 grams. The ring did not sink very deep in four hours. When I first threw it in, I watched it and it got covered by sand in a couple of waves. My initial thoughts were: Wow, this thing is going to be gone in thirty minutes. Not so. After four hours it still hit strong.

I did find in this hunt, a 1961 silver quarter but no gold. The season is just beginning though and I'm optimistic.

Harvdog

 

[harvdog42]

The results of the sand movement really surprised me. Even inside the break water there seems to be a large flow of sand. Imperceptable yesterday after four hours but I went back today and the ring that I threw out in four feet of water had moved about fifty feet north. I thought maybe this could have been the result of the small bobber pulling on it so I went and checked the ring that was closer to shore. That ring has nothing attached to it. The ring had moved north about five feet. It did not sink mucht and was a strong hit once I found it. Both rings seemed to stay about the same distance from the shoreline. I'll probably go back out tomorrow and check the progress as this beach is quite close to where I live. This was really telling as I will now bias my hunting north when the season gets into full swing.

By the way the breakwater is quite large. I'm guessing it is about ten miles long and about one mile off shore so the sand inside the breakwater definitly has a life cycle of its own.

Harvdog