12 Weeks To Find First Gold (Persistence Pays).

[reynard]

thanks for the post M.G. what priceless information. you can count me and my vixen in on a field day please. we live in gippsland so will need a little notice thanks again awesome. jim

 

[RM Outback]

I'm keen for a field day if the opportunity comes up. Fantastic information you're sharing MG thanks again

 

[user 4485]

How about holding it in Central NSW :lol:

 

[Dignit]

Hi Minelab Gold
Absolutely fantastic information you are sharing. I've been looking for detailed info like this for months, so very glad you posted it, and I stumbled across it. I've read every word and have sat pondering the many spots I've detected trying to recall the lay of the land and what indicators I've missed.
I am one of the organisers for the Vic GT 2016 Camp coming up over the Melbourne Cup Long Weekend (for those lucky enough to get one). We are going to be camping somewhere in Harvest Home. BigWave and I are meeting up next Saturday to choose the exact camp site and will then advise everyone who has indicated they are joining in.
It would be great if you were able and willing to come along and share your knowledge. I know many would be interested in some in situ guidance on how to read the ground. Of course we would be respectful of your time.
Cheers
Andy

 

[Dron]

Dear Minelab Gold,

Thanks so much for starting this thread, the information in here is priceless. Thanks to your advice and studying this thread I was able to find my first piece of gold with a detector by myself ( ie. not on a detecting course).

The secret was, as you said;
1. Dig everything - the signal I got sounded exactly like birdshot.
2. Lower and Slower. Like, ridiculously low and slow. I wasn't even sure there was a signal at first until I scraped some debris and overburden off the top.
3. Relax and don't stress!

Thanks again for posting all the pictures, the reason I detected the spot was because it looked exactly like some of the photos you posted, and when I walk the diggings now I have a much better idea of what I am looking at. Even though my piece was a tiny subgrammer I now have tons of confidence.

Cheers I owe you a beer!

 

[Minelab Gold]

Hi All,

Just updating thread with another interesting day out

In this image I hit a nice smooth target and you can see the fresh scrape mark - thought to get camera after I scraped and snap a pic - notice this area has mullock piles all around this area much like when miners would bring water up from creek so they could process shallow alluvial in a clay bottom hole - then they would keep scraping their tailings from panning out of the hole and keep the water up.

This image is 180degree from this hole - see the area where a previous detector operator has scraped maybe a 3mtr x 3mtr area - this shows us that someone to work this section is a good sign that they found something - most will spend a little extra effort on an area if they hit gold

When turning back towards the hole - see I have marked where a previous operator has dug targets - one hole still had a target - turned out to be a thick nail - when doing this it also helps to determine some peoples mindset - maybe they dug 2 targets and hit rust and the third they threw back in the hole and walked away

And this is what came out of the hole - only 2 feet away from previous operator - nice soft target but easily distinguished above the over burden compost top soil.

Cleaning the area to continue the search by raking with the pick - moving compost and sticks etc across then back over the area after detecting now creating a window to work the complete hole area

Dont let anyone tell you that you kick the material away with your feet until you hit solid ground because the gold wont sit in the light compost top soil material - check out this hole where I have circled - this next target sounded like a nail very wobbly in one direction - and screamed because it was so close to the surface - look at the small indent into the top soil - maybe 1 inch deep

This is why we check and verify every target no matter what material it is in - unless you have visual on the target you wont know what it can be. Nice looking piece of Gold

On the other side of this hole up on the mullock on a flat section - this guy who cut the wood must have walked across this piece of gold - first handful look whats sitting on top looking right at me. Small piece of gold - extremely faint even when the top 1 inch was scraped - this is a sub grammer 0.35g and was 5-6 inches down

All up 3 little bits with a total of 3.6g - and from the same hole area which was roughly 3mtr x 3mtr area - and when we look at the gold that came from here we can see 2 different locations of where the gold originated water worn moving constantly grinding over the years and the other piece a lot more reef primary type gold - this again shows us that the area that the gold was found was indeed the central water hole for a few miners who were working different locations in the area but in close proximity. We can also tell this because of the different classification of the rock in the mullock piles

And just what we all love to dig - get excited on all targets because anyone of them can be gold - but more so the excitement increases when the target stays in the ground and you are 1 foot down in solid wash - and then boom a piece of lead or a solid piece of steel 2 feet deep and it could of easily been a 2oz nugget or more - the joys of prospecting

The other day - target, target, target in a short while - today a lot of nothing which is the above image for a few hours then the last hour 3 pieces in same hole - remember for new operators - the more real estate you cover narrows your search down - just gotta persevere be patient and persistent and work the area thoroughly. Think that every target could be gold - dont ever get in the habit of trying to guess what it is and walk away. Low and slow move a stick or ten - scrape some compost top soil to increase your depth.

Search not only the mullocks but in the lower lying area's, most new operators will drive to the closest gold field with their new detector, see the closest workings with mullocks and start walking for hours over the mullocks in their search. Remember the miners were bringing the top material up to get to the paydirt and you will find some gold in mullocks, they would usually go by weight of the shovel load and the clatter of the gold hitting the wheel barrow and this would be their way of knowing they have hit rich pay dirt. Imagine that Shovel feels heavy yep we have hit the paydirt - what it must have been like lifting a full shovel load of gold. Imagine back in the day your mate say's hey the barrow is full push it so we can fill it again - and he say's i'm not pushing it the things too heavy.

All the best - happy hunting - minimal overlap - full concentration - balance the sound central and think that every little movement your waiting for that signal check and check again. your concentrating that much that any little blip in threshold may just be that target.

 

[Minelab Gold]

Dear Minelab Gold,

Thanks so much for starting this thread, the information in here is priceless. Thanks to your advice and studying this thread I was able to find my first piece of gold with a detector by myself ( ie. not on a detecting course).

The secret was, as you said;
1. Dig everything - the signal I got sounded exactly like birdshot.
2. Lower and Slower. Like, ridiculously low and slow. I wasn't even sure there was a signal at first until I scraped some debris and overburden off the top.
3. Relax and don't stress!

Thanks again for posting all the pictures, the reason I detected the spot was because it looked exactly like some of the photos you posted, and when I walk the diggings now I have a much better idea of what I am looking at. Even though my piece was a tiny subgrammer I now have tons of confidence.

Cheers I owe you a beer!

Hi Dron,

Thanks thats great - its pretty amazing when you find that very first piece of gold - and good to hear that some advice has helped you. Like they say perfect practice makes perfect.

Just wait until you hit ground and you think its red clay you you scrape down and still sounds like red clay - you balance the machine and the sound is still there - you think to yourself that this sounds exactly like ground noise - because when your detecting, ground noise will be often, then you get down a foot deep and it becomes more solid - eventually you get to 2 feet deep and unearth a really nice find. Or you may be lucky and hit a 1-10+oz screamer

1. Thats great having the concentration to pick up birdshot size - this is excellent concentration and speed.
2. Low and Slow - hah sometimes I feel like I am not even moving but consistently covering the ground is the key - my overlap sometimes is reduced to inches in some instances - and always coil on the ground
3. Psychology is a big part in detecting and most things

Great work and hopefully you can share your next gold finds here - or post your own thread and send me a message

Cheers

 

[Minelab Gold]

Hi Minelab Gold
Absolutely fantastic information you are sharing. I've been looking for detailed info like this for months, so very glad you posted it, and I stumbled across it. I've read every word and have sat pondering the many spots I've detected trying to recall the lay of the land and what indicators I've missed.
I am one of the organisers for the Vic GT 2016 Camp coming up over the Melbourne Cup Long Weekend (for those lucky enough to get one). We are going to be camping somewhere in Harvest Home. BigWave and I are meeting up next Saturday to choose the exact camp site and will then advise everyone who has indicated they are joining in.
It would be great if you were able and willing to come along and share your knowledge. I know many would be interested in some in situ guidance on how to read the ground. Of course we would be respectful of your time.
Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,

Sounds interesting - I will need to check my schedule for that date. No probs on the info in the thread hopefully it will help all level operators. Even if there is one little piece of info for higher level operators that can be of use makes it all worth while.

I have received a fair amount of interest regarding a day out soon. Looking to have a group of 5 to 10 at most to ensure that I can spend as much time with each and discuss some technical details - I will be choosing a location either closer to the majority or a central GT location after the list is filled. I will arrive early at the location to setup the training area for advanced target distinguishing - then some ground work. All people interested will be provided GPS Co-Ords with time and date.

Thanks again - talk soon

 

[Dignit]

MG
I'd be keen to be one of the 5 to 10 if you have room. Happy to travel to where ever.
Cheers

 

[Tathradj]

This one of the most informative classic post's that I have seen for a while.
Deserving to be a sticky for all the hard work you have put into it MG.
Thank You.

 

[Mickkat12]

MG
I'd be keen to be one of the 5 to 10 if you have room. Happy to travel to where ever.
Cheers

Raise hand !

 

[Minelab Gold]

MG
I'd be keen to be one of the 5 to 10 if you have room. Happy to travel to where ever.
Cheers

Thanks Andy,

sent a PM and added to our list. All the best - I will also discuss my CGS System with you on the day when we are out - it may be of interest to you - and others who are looking to speed up the learning curve, it's also an excellent system for any level operator

 

[Minelab Gold]

MG
I'd be keen to be one of the 5 to 10 if you have room. Happy to travel to where ever.
Cheers

Raise hand !

Thanks Mickkat12 - PM sent to you

 

[BigWave]

Hi MG, very keen to catch up for the day out. Please count me in. Cheers

 

[Alexc]

Thanks for the great post good for someone new like me having no idea on where to go dectecting.

 

[Leroy]

MG. what can I say, other than 'best informative posts I've read on this forum' I'm reading them over and over trying to get your valuable information into my detecting (minimum ) brain. I can see I have a lot to learn and would be very grateful if you were able to fit me in on one of your informative meets
Many thanks.

 

[mardymoose]

Hi minelab gold your information is absolutely brilliant and just what is needed
If you do organise a trip l would love to be one of the 5-10 you take out
Thanks again for the onfo
Cheers Mardy

 

[oldschool]

G'day Minelab Gold.Thankyou for sharing such indeepth information absolutely awesome.
Reading the ground would have to be the hardest peace of the puzzle so with your post at
hand it does make it alot easier.I read them all over and over trying to fill my brain with it all.
Would be fantastic if a trip came about to be counted with a mate of the 5-10 to take out.

Thanks again

 

[Pirate pete]

Hi MG have just sat and copied all your post to a folder so i can use it as a reference, there are 91 pages which I will print off and keep with my detecting gear so I can have a look in the field when i need to make sense of what i am looking at.This is one of the best post i have seen on any forum .Thanks again for all your time and effort .

 

[Reef Rover]

Hi MG. I went back to reread your post for like the 9th time and it was gone! ....There was a moment of self abuse for not taking snaps of the thread.....then I spotted it on the Sticky column! Yes! Snaps taken now!

This thread absolutely belongs in the Sticky column!

The knowledge and experience you've shared is awesome! and it's truly a rare thing for someone to be willing to share it. I have learned heaps from your post and thoroughly love reading it. you've encouraged me to think a bit differently about the way I do things and how to go about reading the ground. Thank you much MG!!!

And please consider me for one of the 5-10 on your field day out. You name it. Anywhere, Anytime, I'm in! Thanks again
Regards Richard