Dredging question

[kilnmaint]

I have a Proline 3" combo. I went Wednesday to a place in Alabama that is 3 to 4 mile downstream from two 1830'S placer mines. The last trip there I watch a fellow with a shovel and sluice get fines and flakes on the downstream end of a sand and gravel bar. I dredged a trench into his hole and then using my water blaster, "dug" into the bank two or three feet. Here are my results from 4 hours of dredging.

Very small fines , and not that many. I run the dredge at half throttle just enough to keep the plug ups at a minimum. The sluice has about an inch of drop when running. The riffles stay clean of the bigger rocks. There is almost no gold on top of the rubber mat, it is all under the mat and moss. I get lots of lead shot from snake shot to 45 cal. The bigger lead and nails are in the second or third riffle. Any ideas? I am tempted to set up in the highbanker mode to see if there is any difference, but I hate that shoveling.

 

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[Gravelwasher]

I just sent out two requests for price quotes on the same unit, how do you like it?

Looks like a your on the right path just keep sampling till you get a little more quantity or better size gold. At least your out there doing it!!!

 

[Hoser John]

Amen--sample sample and then sample some more-50' offset pattern to plot the gold flow and away you go---John

 

[strickman]

your going right kiln, you will lose a lot of the fines in highbanker mode .keep going like you are . sample other areas. it's there .look for the gray hard pack ,round bigger cobbles .you will see it running in the bank. that area you are in is hit or miss . stay at it you will hit it . I have personally seen some nice nuggets come from that area ,even got a few .most is fines ,decent rough flake .watch out for dark,sometimes black ,maganese coated gold .you will even find the orange looking rough pieces .similar to burnt hickory area .when you start hitting the large black magnatite ,and large hematite you are close.