2 questions about panning in Ohio

[ohiochris]

I am new to gold panning but probably wont be able to join the gpaa for a while , maybe once I can find a few flakes I will be able to convince my wife that it may be worth spending the money. Has anybody ever panned for gold in the Blanchard river ? I live right next to it and there has reportedly been gold found in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers which arent so far away , so it seems like there should be some to be found right here in the Blanchard. I bought a pan last week and went over to the river one day last week for about 15 minutes , filled up the pan with some sand and gravel I dug out from under a large rock , I worked it down to black sand but seen no color in it.

Also , does anyone have some advice on how to locate places on rivers ( any river ) that are public access ?

thanks

 

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[Goodyguy]

Welcome to prospecting OhioChris

I almost want to say, "post back after you have panned at least a few hundred pans full of material then if you are still interested I'll answer your questions"

But we all have to start somewhere and you deserve a straight answer as much as the next guy so............
Almost all right of ways where a bridge crosses a river are public access. Except limited access highways and where marked otherwise.

Generally any navigable river is public access on the river, it gets sticky where the water is low and land is dry, then landowners want to call it trespassing.

When the river runs through public property such as state parks and federal parks you are governed by park rules so check with the rangers first.
There is not plenty of gold in Ohio or Indiana. What little gold there is came from Canada deposited by glacier known as glacial gold.

Get used to panning! Take a panning sample every 20 ft Pan at least a hundred pans a day, most wont contain any gold and when you do find some color, chances are it will be super fine glacial gold and not enough to cover the bottom of a vial.

Believe me, convincing the wife is not going to be easy, unless she likes the outdoors and will enjoy going along. Otherwise it's just another excuse for you to go have fun and spend money without her. (in her view)

Find a gpaa club near you and take her to one of their outings. That's the best way to get started, most will be happy to share their knowledge.
Once you get your green horn worn off you will know how to get more gold by running more material, using a sluice, high banker, dredge, etc.
Of course sample panning lets you know the best places to set up that equipment.

Go for the gold,
GG~

* note there are picker size gold and small nuggets to be found but that's rare. Most glacial gold in OH & IN is what's called flour gold.

 

[ohiochris]

Thanks for the reply. I know there isnt "strike it rich" gold in Ohio but with the price of gold these days it shouldnt take much to be worth a little extra spending cash. In theory , a person might be able to work up 1/2 ounce to an ounce in a year or two , ..... not that there is a good chance of it , just that its possible. I am a long time metal detectorist so I am used to the uncertain nature of treasure hunting and just enjoy being out in nature and never knowing what might turn up next.

According to supreme court statute , all navigable rivers are public access , as long as you are below the high waterline but Ohio still goes by common law and says the adjoining landowners own the river bed , anybody there is trespassing. The state and local law enforcement and even the courts rule in favor of common law and the landowner , and completely disregard the supreme court statute. This means that unless you are in a boat just passing through , even on a navigable river , most of the rivers in the state are completely off limits except for sections on public property. That kinda makes it hard to find places to prospect unless you know where the public property is.

 

[Goodyguy]

Just ask the landowners for permission that's what I do. They think I'm crazy but I always tell tell them that I will remove any trash I find, and split the gold with them.

Be sure to dig as close to the bedrock as you can to increase your chances of finding any gold.

The club is the way to go because they already have property to prospect on.
Here is a glacial map of Ohio you can zoom in on it a little.
http://www.buckeyegold.com/images/glacial.gif

GG~