The Perfect Storm

[AceGVSU11]

Well I went on my first official beach & water hunt yesterday. We made it a group hunt and I went with 3 other guys that are in our metal detecting club. We headed out to the "Big Lake" which is Lake Michigan to try our luck. I had to borrow a water detector and I must say I really liked it! (Fisher CZ 20).

We drove through a rain storm on the way to the beach and figured that would be about it for the day but oh how we were wrong. We got all geared up once there and set out for the water around 8am. We were the first ones there and within about 5 minutes I had my first target ever water hunting, a 1995 quarter. I thought to myself... I could get used to this! I went another 5 minutes until my next signal and BAM! A 925 ring!!! (The ring on right in the 1st picture). That's what I'm talking about!!! Rings never seem to come this easy in the parks... so I'm loving the water right now.

After a good 2 hours in the water we noticed the clouds rolling in and heard some rumbles in the distance. We figured this would be a good time for a break and one of my other buddies had a ring to show me once up at the car. The clouds were blackening behind us as we walked and I decided to detect the sand on the way up. Once I had made it to the car I noticed he was standing with a gal posing for a picture and they had the ring out. Turns out that ring actually belonged to her husband who lost it just the day before over the weekend!!! Awesome day already... a return story and I myself scored a ring! As soon as the picture snapped however, the storm made landfall and it hit hard!!! Everyone scrambled into the car as 70mph straight line winds shot through the area. We pulled up the radar and saw the storms would be gone in about an hour so we decided to wait it out and just hope the car didn't blow over!!!

Once the storm and lightning ended, we headed back out to try our luck again. We couldn't get into the water because the storm really picked the surf up and they had red flags flying so on to the dry sand we went. About an hour or so went by and they issued another storm warning and advised everyone to seek shelter, but looking around it didn't look so threatening yet but I began to swing back towards the car just in case. I didn't make it far until I got a sweet mid tone and looked in the scoop to see it smiling back at me! (Middle ring in 1st picture). I had just gotten my 1st gold!!!!! (10k with diamonds)

The storms never made it so we kept at it for a few more hours and I pulled another fat silver ring marked 925 Turkey on it before the day was done. (Left ring in 1st picture). If it hadn't been for that perfect storm, who knows, I may have never found my 1st gold! Or I may have found 20 gold in the water lol but I like to think the storm guided me to where I needed to go!!! Also picked up 58 coins for the day and an earring. Long story I know but hope it was a good one for you to read!!!

[BEACH-HUNTER]

thats a nice bunch of rings!! very good hunt !! WTG!!

[Terry Soloman]

Wow, THAT is a great rainy day story! Congratulations!!

[zeemang]

GREAT job, nice looking rings there!

[Gold Nuggets]

Call it beginning luck for beach hunting or what-ever....
you did really well and congratulations to you. Sweet
rings....Gold Nuggets

[Gerry1]

Now you know why we hunt Beach and Water, shhhhh don't tell anyone.

Gerry

[FelixtheCat]

That's a great first venture into water hunting!!! Continued success to you with the CZ!

[Crumble]

Looks like a damn good day to me.

Keep up the good work!

[foreverRich]

Great story and finds. Sounds like you are "hooked" to me. Couldn't ask for a better way to be introduced to water hunting. Best of luck on your future hunts.

[NHKeith]

3 rings !! super job

[OZARKS]

WOW! Congrats!

[frankiefry]

Awesome story and collection of rings there, Ace. I'll expect to see them next week at the meeting. : ) Congrats!

[AceGVSU11]

Thanks for all the comments and support! They encouraged me to head back out this morning to a local beach with my M6 and try some dry sand hunting along the beach. Along with some change and a jack from the game jacks I also found this hiding in the volleyball area!!! I see what everyone loves hunting the beaches now after these last two hunts I've had! Definitely different than hunting the woods. Easy diggin' too!!

[JBEXPRESS]

Awesome! Congrats on your goodies!!! WTG!

[frankiefry]

You're just having WAY too much fun. : ) Congrats. I think that water machine is getting closer all the time. Good Luck on future hunts.

[carpe diggum]

Ringa ding ding! Gratz on your new discoveries! That silver ring up top is FAT

[pjsouthflorida]

The water is where it's at my man!

[DirtyRob]

What beach were you at? I thought alot of the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan was like here in Indiana and part of The National Lakeshore? There's only a couple of little beaches here that detecting is allowed. I'm up for a little roadtrip!

Nice gold and silver!

[DirtyRob]

By the way, that storm knocked out power to over 900,000 customers in the Chicago area before heading your way across the lake. I, actually, slept through it! Those straight line winds knocked over or uprooted a bunch of big OLD trees. These I am currently looking for to hunt the new open dirt in and around the exposed roots!

And this storm caused this type of warning later as the storm hit the Michigan coast...very interesting stuff! Chicago beach hunters should already be aware of this...seiche warnings...a kinda fresh water tidal wave/sunami.

http://www.isgs.illinois.edu/section...-seiches.shtml

[AceGVSU11]

Ya it was quite the storm and rolled in quick. One minute it was light overcast across the lake and about 10 sweeps later it was black! We hunkered down in the van as it got sand blasted from the winds. So strong that I think I saw a few small children from Chicago blow across our hood haha! We were at warren dunes. Couple other hunters were there too that we didn't know. Road tripping is always fun!