Big Boys Hobbies

"No Gold in the lake" ???

Owl Engineering

Owl Engineering

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Warren, Michigan (just North of Detroit)
Back in about 1986 I flew out to Denver to visit a friend. Oh by the way, I brought my detector along which as I remember was a Fisher 553 land machine which I floated on an inner tube and of course was digging with one of my early scoops.

During the day while my friend worked, I hunted 2 of the Denver lakes and was really killing it.

My friend wanted to try it so headed to the lake on Sunday. I sat on the shore while he floundered around for about a half hour. He gave up and came in with this comment: There is no gold in this lake.

I said "are you kidding me? I can go out without a detector and find gold"

So I headed out and started digging and sifting. In 5 minutes I had a 1954 gold class ring.

This is just one of my fond memories of this hobby.

Chuck
 

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Great Pictures!

Those were the days..

I love talking to hunters who hunted here locally in the 70's and 80's, some great stories. And you do learn. I've taken several out with me and the sad is...things are not like they use to be for sure...:(..I'm not sure if it is there age or it was just that easy.
 
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It certainly was more challenging when non-waterproof detectors and limited scoop options were the norm. Of course, the great thing was that there was not as much competition around. :yes:
 
more info on Denver

Compass said:
It certainly was more challenging when non-waterproof detectors and limited scoop options were the norm. Of course, the great thing was that there was not as much competition around. :yes:
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The 2 main swimming lakes in Denver were shut down in 1956 due to Polio.

Everything that I found was dated 1956 and older.

I was detecting "Smith Lake" in Washington Park when an eighteen year old came to the shore and told me that I was not allowed in the water. Since they banned swimming in 56, it was taboo to go into the water and still is today. I told the helpful guy, thank you but no thank you :p

It is likely that I was the first to hunt the lakes seriously.

Chuck
 
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Very fascinating story Owl man ! I don't think it has anything to do with age. It was just that easy ! I know I've touched on this subject before , but quality finds were much more abundant. 5 out of 10 hunts here in So.Cal I could find gold and many of those hunts were multi golds. Also the detectors and shovels were not as good. Very time consuming. And I hunt alot more now than I did then , combined with the lack of experience. It is sad when i think about it. But seeing a story like this brings a smile to THE KOB !
 
The easy stuff that accumulated over 100's of years has been found, now it's down to fresh drops and the hard to find stuff.
Nothing is ever fully hunted out though, the beach I go to is hunted all the time but I still find silver coins over 100 years old on a regular basis so there's gold there it just takes patience and persistence to get it.
 
LongJohnSilver1 said:
The easy stuff that accumulated over 100's of years has been found, now it's down to fresh drops and the hard to find stuff.
Nothing is ever fully hunted out though, the beach I go to is hunted all the time but I still find silver coins over 100 years old on a regular basis so there's gold there it just takes patience and persistence to get it.
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I sure hope your right where I live but I'm doubting.
 
LongJohnSilver1 said:
The easy stuff that accumulated over 100's of years has been found, now it's down to fresh drops and the hard to find stuff.
Nothing is ever fully hunted out though, the beach I go to is hunted all the time but I still find silver coins over 100 years old on a regular basis so there's gold there it just takes patience and persistence to get it.
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What it takes is storms. Or the constant churning of the sea to puke up the goods from out in the water. That's where the old stuff comes from now. Unless there is massive erosion running deep up into the beach. The 20+ year storms.
 
Nothing is ever fully hunted out though, the beach I go to is hunted all the time but I still find silver coins over 100 years old on a regular basis so there's gold there it just takes patience and persistence to get it.[/QUOTE]

Correct , this was the result of one hunt in one of those EVENTS that happen once in a while in SoCal, in the most hunted beach I'm pretty sure in the world. And it was just in a little section that eroded down to the clay and bedrock, the whole stretch of realestate has the same bottom, when in luck and find one of the many honey hole's you will have memories that will transcend in time.
One more thing : it was in this event that my first 720 with wooden handle got to the point of contacting the owl, and got a new one back in a matter of weeks , of course I waited for the 900 with carbon fiber handle to arrive first , there was no way I was gonna let the honey hole all alone for not even one week!!!!
The memories...... well it was not that long ago 2014.
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Sent from my SM-A105M using Tapatalk
 
That's a great story!
Talk about being in the right spot and understanding the conditions, well done!
I have seen conditions like that years ago, out about shoulder deep all the targets were just in a line parallel with shore, could have gone out there with just a scoop and gotten something every couple of minutes with no detector...
 
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