How profitable is panning?

[Cappy Z.]

How 'profitable' is panning?

I know it is exciting to hunt for gold. The hunt itself is a good thing. Many of the shipwreck divers talk a lot but you never see much results. (Once every 5 years) Aside from recreational enjoyment, what would be a dollar amount per day, week, or season for panning say on weekends? I'm just curious.

Thanks

 

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[2cmorau]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

I'll related it to were yur from
its a lot like fishing Cappy
some do it for a living and do very well and don't give up their secrets
others do it for the halibut and have a lot of fun proving it

 

[homefires]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Some times I find Nothing.

Some times I find some color.

Some times I find a gram a day.

Some times I find a half a gram a day.

Once I found 1/2 a once in thirty minutes.

Ya just never know until you get done at the end of the day.

 

[Jeffro]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Panning is for testing really. Profit comes with moving yardage, something you really can't do well with just a pan.

 

[Goodyguy]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Panning is for testing really. Profit comes with moving yardage, something you really can't do well with just a pan.

 

[Cappy Z.]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Panning is for testing really. Profit comes with moving yardage, something you really can't do well with just a pan.

Yea...I watch that Gold TV show and boy do they move 'yardage'! lol.

 

[Jeffro]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Thankfully they have finally found a guy who knows his stuff on recovery. I'd love to go up there and go through their tailings, LOL!

 

[Goodyguy]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Me too Jeffro, me too.

 

[russau]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

for "recreational" panning you arent going to make anything! gas money,equipment expenses will eat up any/all of what you thought you were going to make. but the experiance being outdoors and doing something will make you a rich person! if you want to make money at this, forget about the "recreational" idea! like it has been said, you got to move a lot of material to make any money.i have friends that have big dredges and arent makeing a lot of profit. they do this because theyre out of work and need to keep the wolf from the front door!

 

[Klondikeike]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Klondike here.....

In todays modern times with lots of regulations and over worked grounds and stream beds...you'll make gas money only by panning.....maybe...

But lets go back a few years to the gold rush days.... every town had a place where a down and out prospector get get a grub stake if he wanted to work for it...a place was set aside from mining..and only for those needing a grubstake could PAN there and whatever they found in a predetermind time frame was theirs to keep...

In the 1980's I spent a lot of time and did a lot of mining around Downieville, CA... there is a small park just to the left of the Highway 49 bridge... it is called "Tin Cup Diggins"...This is one such place... it's named so because a down and out miner could fill a tin cup with gold just by panning...considering the size of the tin cups back then...that may have been pressing on a $150 to $200 worth of gold, back in the day..a very good grubstake for the day...

If in todays world, if one could ever find a place like that....and fill a large tin cup with gold just by panning....if they didn't have gold fever before they certainly would now...

A second story comes fom the Mountain Messenger...the oldest continuously operating newspaper in California..dating back to 1850 for it first printing...

It often reprints a page from years past....I remember reading with great interest about Major Downie....the namesake of Downieville..and his third trip up what was then the North fork of the North fork of the Yuba River....

He declared on this third trip... the river had been mined out and was no longer a valuable place to search for gold... his method for making such a statement came from him sliding his boot around in the sand of the many sand bars in the river..and could no longer see any gold at all...as in the prvious two trips he could easily see gold around his boot as he slid it through the sand....but now no longer...so he declared the area mined out.....

These are two examples of what a panner can do... but the likely hood of finding such a place today is extremely rare...and while doubtful...still possible...


Klondike......

 

[russau]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Klondike here.....

In todays modern times with lots of regulations and over worked grounds and stream beds...you'll make gas money only by panning.....maybe...
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Ike i gotta disagree with you in that a new "recrerational" panner( i wish people would stop using "that word"), for the most part, probly isnt going to make gas money unless he does his homework on gold and goes out there with that knowledge and really gets into it. you never know when a nugget will jump into his pan!

 

[Klondikeike]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

Hey russau...

It seems you didn't really "read" my post....it seems we agree more than you want to disagree with me...


Klondike....

 

[russau]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

haha,OK Ike! i agree to that!it seems because of the gold prices rising so fast that theres a lot of people thinking prospecting is their answer to the $$$$ problems and going off half cocked and not nearly informed enough to find gold or know how to stay off someone elses claim and ending up in trouble! but in saying that,yep i do agree with you!

 

[rtenpin]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

I have about 3.8 grams of small flakes and fines that I have found using nothing but a shovel, pan and a sluice.

I average about 8-12 hours a month out on a good producing creek and have been at it just over 4 months.

At this moment, spot price for gold is $55.26 a gram so I have $209.98 dollars worth of gold.

If I was selling the gold I'd get roughly 80% of the spot price or $167.99.

My pans cost $30. The sluice cost $125. Gas runs about $3.40 a gallon and it takes a gallon getting to my spot and home again so at about a dozen trips that's cost $40.80

I've bought 4 buckets at $2.00 each and I bought a new shovel with an unbreakable handle for $25.00

All-in-all I'm about $60.81 in the hole right now

But! I am having the best time ever and enjoy this hobby better than any other I've taken up.

That has no price!


Edit** Gold went up a penny a gram as I wrote this so I am 3.8 cents better off now! LOL

 

[russau]

Re: How 'profitable' is panning?

basically i agree with this! you just cant put a price tag on the pure enjoyment of getting out and enjoying yourself!