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Planning my Sunday beach/water hunt; help?

Birddog1911

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2014
Messages
413
Location
Peyton, CO
Okay, so I should have better part of a full day to hunt the lake. I'm trying to narrow down where I should focus, if I don't get as much time as I'd like.

First, I'm looking at the swim beach and swim area. I don't know for certain yet if I can actually gear up with my dive equipment in this area, but I can at least snorkel it.

Should I focus on the beach, or IN the water? Any particular area you think might look better than another? My first thought is spend the morning working the beach, and when it warms up a little more for the day, get in the water. I know it's going to be cold, so maybe split it up a little, to warm up.

Third area (not pictured), if I have time, will be the actual dive training area. That will be primarily for weights, dive equipment, etc.
 

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I only do "beach area", or "dry sand" as most of us call it, when conditions warrant that I can't go in the water. Do wet sand 1st I guess if you want to wait for it to warm up before you go in the water.
 
I'll be wearing my 7mil semi-dry suit. I figure the water temp will be in the 50s, so even if I do get it, it won't be for long at that temp.
 
Nice looking setup. Especially if you can park that close to the beach, hard to decipher the scale, but it seems pretty close :) I find people are lazy, a good amount of finds are sometimes straight down from the access point or maybe in your case right down from the concession stand or playground.

I would say start on low wet sand and see how productive it is. If not much is happening try the water.

I also recommend posting either finds or location but not both :grin:
 
I'll be wearing my 7mil semi-dry suit. I figure the water temp will be in the 50s, so even if I do get it, it won't be for long at that temp.

You think the water will be that warm in Colorado? I doubt it is over 40 here in Michigan. BRRRRR

The best thing to do is to start searching. SEE if you can find anything to see if it gets hit by others that you don't know about.

If the beach and wading area are hammered, then I would try the water over waders heads and not much deeper.

The key is to get your coil over something no matter where it is. Just because it gets hit doesn't mean they found it all.
 
You think the water will be that warm in Colorado? I doubt it is over 40 here in Michigan. BRRRRR

The best thing to do is to start searching. SEE if you can find anything to see if it gets hit by others that you don't know about.

If the beach and wading area are hammered, then I would try the water over waders heads and not much deeper.

The key is to get your coil over something no matter where it is. Just because it gets hit doesn't mean they found it all.

Yeah, I seem to have overestimated. About 45 degrees right now. Chances are good that it'll just be a snorkel dive.
 
I'll be wearing my 7mil semi-dry suit. I figure the water temp will be in the 50s, so even if I do get it, it won't be for long at that temp.
Your close to shore parking is nice...I would take some Hot water in a large cooler, hunt deep in the water...get cold come in, pour some hot water down the neck.
 
Straight out in front of the concessions, then over by those shade trees between the beach and the playgrounds...in less than 10 minutes you will have an idea if a dry sander is working this whole place, and how good they are based upon what you find in these obvious Primary drop zones...Then, you have a foundation to decide how to work this place right...

OK...So lets say all the Primary dry sand lanes are well swept and theres about NOTHING missed, which is probably the case....you can figure that is also the situation at the towel line and out into the water off the main beach up to chin deep...So, knowing this...

Id say one interesting area for a hunt would be up at the top of the picture..right almost off the frame, close to the parking area..not on the main beach, off down those dune grass trails?...yeah...right smack in there I would head...I'd be keying on foil...condom wrappers and tabs and bottle caps...Its real close to the parking, real close to the water, a bit private, exactly the kind of place people get busy...you find condom wrappers and some bottle caps in there, and yeah..you are in the paydirt...

Look at this picture strategically..you know damn well people pull their boats up there even, its the closest point to the parking lot...Like Caribbeanson said, People are lazy...they drop somebody off so they can go get the truck and meet them at the ramp....they haul coolers down there if they have to resupply during a full day of drinking...They for sure aint gonna pull up to the dock....thats really a key location I'd say, for all sorts of drops, nighttime skinnydipping, dope smoking off to the side in private......

I will say, if you live close enough to that place, you should get out there super early or at night after every hot and busy day all Summer long...Quick broom all the Primary drop zones as fast as you can...I bet theres a half a dozen guys working that location...If you get to know it and work it...you will be pulling some nice stuff out of there...It has all the signs of one hot spot...

Also, its a perfect place to salt scrap ring finds and pennies to keep those other guys occupied..even throw out some wheat pennies or buffalo nickels so they got something to post about...:laughing:...you gotta go early, and get out of there before Sun-up though..I bet that place gets busy...
 
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I'm a water guy. I'd hit the swimming area and work a pattern out to the drop off and back towards shore then back out like you were mowing a lawn.
Remember it's not how fast you mow...it's how well you mow fast;)
 
Find where the busiest swim spot is. Where is the exact spot the most people will be during a busy holiday weekend. Turn detector on 5ft above the high tide line and slowly walk straight down into the water swinging your detector. Chest deep? Turn around and walk back to the high tide. Do this several times until you see where the most targets are located. Then work that "line" right along the length of the swimming area.. 10ft x 100ft? I've become accustomed to working new locations that I have little Intel about . The photo has out you well ahead in the game already
 
Find where the busiest swim spot is. Where is the exact spot the most people will be during a busy holiday weekend. Turn detector on 5ft above the high tide line and slowly walk straight down into the water swinging your detector. Chest deep? Turn around and walk back to the high tide. Do this several times until you see where the most targets are located. Then work that "line" right along the length of the swimming area.. 10ft x 100ft? I've become accustomed to working new locations that I have little Intel about . The photo has out you well ahead in the game already

Only thing that goes against your thought is lack of tide. This is a lake. But, still good info, thanks.

And while it's a challenge some times, like picking a gold ring from canslaw, thanks to Mud-puppy for good info as well. :D
 
Your close to shore parking is nice...I would take some Hot water in a large cooler, hunt deep in the water...get cold come in, pour some hot water down the neck.

Okay, any shallow water dive would of course negate what I'm about to say, but maybe someone can learn from my next statement.

I will, almost never, use hot water to warm after a dive. Now, saying this, a shallow dive is MOST LIKELY not ann issue at all. However, it should absolutely be avoided after a deep dive, as it causes nitrogen to come out of solution far easier. I've personally witnessed a diver get bent after a single, 80ft deep dive. Air temp 45, water temp 62, dive time of a total of 20 minutes. Jumped under a hot shower, almost blacked out, and temporary loss of the use of his left arm. Not a fun weekend, though he was fine in the end.
 
Damn, 7 mil wetsuit, that's a straight jacket. I get claustrophobic in my 5 mil. I would think the water gets hunted a lot less than the sand simply because of the temperature of it. I would go for the water. If I was planning on spending the day in that cold water, I would have a thermos or two of hot coffee. It warms you up going down, and again when coming out, if you know what I mean.;)
 
Damn, 7 mil wetsuit, that's a straight jacket. I get claustrophobic in my 5 mil. I would think the water gets hunted a lot less than the sand simply because of the temperature of it. I would go for the water. If I was planning on spending the day in that cold water, I would have a thermos or two of hot coffee. It warms you up going down, and again when coming out, if you know what I mean.;)

I totally agree with you. Trying to swing a detector in a 7mil is no fun. If the water is too cold for me to wear my 5 mil I am done for the season.

Will wait to see his post hunt results on Sunday. BRRRR
 
Okay, any shallow water dive would of course negate what I'm about to say, but maybe someone can learn from my next statement.

I will, almost never, use hot water to warm after a dive. Now, saying this, a shallow dive is MOST LIKELY not ann issue at all. However, it should absolutely be avoided after a deep dive, as it causes nitrogen to come out of solution far easier. I've personally witnessed a diver get bent after a single, 80ft deep dive. Air temp 45, water temp 62, dive time of a total of 20 minutes. Jumped under a hot shower, almost blacked out, and temporary loss of the use of his left arm. Not a fun weekend, though he was fine in the end.


That's one hard way to learn....Wow!
I don't dive but hunt upto shoulder deep, I first started hunting that method worked for me (other then cold feet) but as I got older dry is the only way to go in cold water, if the waters not frozen solid I can hunt it 4 to 5 hours easy.:snowing:

Good Luck, looks like an interesting spot.
 
Get a kayak

If you have a long coil wire mount your coil on a long shaft and troll for targets.

Drop a marker bouy (fishing weight, string and plastic milk bottle).

When you got a collection of targets than go in the water.

40 degrees is nuts and not good for the nuts.
 
good luck going in those waters this time of year without a drysuit or chestwaders i woulnt go in with my 7 mil wetsuit this time of year brrrrrrr waders would work great for that lake good luck :D
 
There's only Two kinds of Divers...The Ones that Pee in their Wet Suites,and the Ones that Lie,and say they don't..
stoneshirt.
 
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