Some Freshwater Tips...

[dahut]

This came up on another forum and I thought it might stir some ideas for others. I've been frequenting one particular beach nearby so that I might become and "expert" on it and I have found these things to be true:

1. Most goodies have been found in ankle to thigh deep water.
2. Most goodies have been found within the roped off area.
3. Most goodies have been found in the central zone of the swim area.

There have been exceptions, of course, but this is the pattern I have found at my local freshwater beach. Keep in mind that there is no tidal action at the lake, so items in a fresh water swim area stay where they fall. It's best to learn how that happens and apply it wherever you are. In keeping with item 3, learn where the most people congregate. This is an old "rule," but has stood the test of time.

Be a People Watcher
Something you should do now and then is turn your detector off, grab a cold beverage of your choice and spend some time on the beach observing your "target audience," as it were. I try to do this sometime during every hunt.

I especially like to watch the "hotties" (for obvious reasons). They dont remove their jewlery all the time when they shed their clothes (not much, in fact) and so where they go, many goodies go, too. Eventually, a gaggle of these "beach sprites" and some hopeful suitors will gather and begin scrambling and scuffling about. The influence of hormones during these rituals plays a big part in many losses. When you hear a young girl shrieking at the beach, pay attention!

The other group to pay particular attention to is young males, sans hotties. They wrestle and sport around, throwing balls and frisbees and engaging in all sorts of strenuous activity - showing off for the aforementioned hotties, of course. In so doing, they lose keeper items. This applies to males in general, in fact.

After careful observation of people in action, I think much has to do with the fact that you can't really frolic well in really deep water, so most losses occur in mid-torso depth, and shallower, water.

The really shallow rings remain an emigma to me. They are invariably ladies rings, which lends credence to the theory that moms with little kids lose them while splashing in the ankle deep water with their tots. Stay at any lake beach long enough and someone will lose something, usually hollering about it for all to hear. I have YET to hear some mommy with her kids cry out about losing her ring...

While it remains true that any ONE thing can be anywhere, these are my observations for MY freshwater beach. YMMV.

 

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[dahut]

The "peeline" - I love it1

In my case at the beach I frequent, I'd have to disagree, though. Once you reach waist deep, the finds seem to thin out.

 

[Sandman]

I've seen many hunters at freshwater lakes march right out to waist deep water or deeper thinking that is where the bigger mens rings are. The hunters with the waders are the ones that stay shallower find the most rings. How many times have you seen even couples enter the water an as soon as they reach thigh depth, the arms drop down to throw water on the other person. This is the depth where I've found many rings.

 

[neilo]

Hi Sandman I have to agree with all you say most things are definitely in the shallow water below thigh deep. Best things in water less than a foot deep mainly mothers diamond rings coming off playing with kids.This also applies to the ocean,here are a few shallow water finds. Seeya Neilo

 

[dahut]

The hunters with the waders, the ones that stay shallower, find the most rings. How many times have you seen even couples enter the water an as soon as they reach thigh depth, the arms drop down to throw water on the other person. This is the depth where I've found many rings.
Precisely, Sandman. It has to do with your perspective. When I was younger, I was interested in the beach babes and could care less about things like jewelry hunting. Toay, while I still like the beach babes , I have another perspective to work from.

Observation is just learning the obvious, the things to see if you pay attention.

 

[Marty-Graw]

i had just about decided that the shallower water was where the goodies were because thats where it seems i find more....although i did find a man's silver wedding band about chest deep....but found a lot more in the knee deep area including a 14k ring

 

[Marty-Graw]

went to the beach today for about 8 hours and this ring and the bracelet was in chest deep water, but the crucifix was about knee deep

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,94887.0.html

 

[dahut]

Good salvage work.

Like I said originally, anything one thing can be in any one place. This includes finds in chest deep water.Fresh water hunting is much like land hunting in that regard. Too, especially in reservoirs, water levels fluctuate - last years wading area may have been in what is now very deep water.

But on any given day, the most losses will be where the most activity occurs and that is invariably in the water at mid torso depth and below. If you watch the activity, there is a larger number of folks in the mid depth water over the course of the day, so that's what the averages favor.

Those bathers who ARE in chest-to-chin deep water are typically loafing, just staying afloat.

I didn't imply that you will NEVER find anything in chest deep water, of course, and I search there too. There are many variables, as well, like moveable swim platforms that are in different spots over the seasons.

But I typically work from the water line out, instead of heading straight to the deepest water. I'd be interested to see the results if you kept records of your total water finds. Id wager that most would be in the mid-torso depth and shallower water.