Underwater Sniping n00b sharing some vids and my story. :)

[NeoTokyo]

Heya Everyone;

Brand new to the forums and about 3 weeks new to underwater sniping.

I have tried panning several times as a kid and prospecting is rich on both sides of my family though I NEVER had any luck at it.
I only ever found a few specs of micro gold, would get frustrated and run off to fish or swim.
So I have had the basic panning equipment my entire life, just never really did anything with it.

My first ever gold nugget was a small jelly bean sized nugget given to me by a nice man out on the American River by Colfax Ca some 15 or so years ago when I was a boy.
I think the road was Iowa Hill Road just off hiway 80, there is a campground down there too.

I held onto that nugget for about 5 years till I lost it, or my father got ahold of it.

Fast Forward to 3 weeks ago and several failed panning trips in between and you find me surfing around on YouTube.
I was not looking for prospecting video's but I clicked mindlessly on a related video (as many of us do sometimes on YouTube) and it was the "Gold Sniping New Zealand" video.
I dont know why but that video sucked me in and for the next couple hours I was watching all the sniping, panning, sluicing and dredging video's I could.

I then started researching this area, coming to forums to see what tools you guys use and I even called BLM to figure out where I could do it.

I then put together my bag of tricks starting with snorkeling equipment and a few basic tools (I will have my complete tool list at the bottom) and we headed out.

When I went out I just randomly plopped in the water where I found some bedrock, it wasnt too long after that I started to find gold - WOW! I thought and was instantly hooked.

I took home several nice sized flakes my first day and went back out the next.

My second day I found a very nice Nugget, a little larger than a Gold Fish Cracker but the same shape.

Its been about 3 weeks and we have about 15 grams of non-nugget gold, I dont know how much weight we have in nuggets but its pretty decent.

We are 100% addicted now and wish the water would stay calm and swimmable all year round.


I would like to hear from other snipers out there and if you have any hints or tips for tracking down nuggets.


Gear:

US Divers Mask, snorkel, flippers. (Hers)
Oceanic Ion 3x Mask, snorkel, flippers. (Mine)
A few flathead screwdrivers from short to 3' long
1/4" squared 12" long flathead prybar
36" Wrecking Bar
Rock Hammer with 1" Flat spade end (Estwing Geo hammer soon to come)
Assorted Tweezers
Gloves
2" trenching spade
Small scoops
Hand broom
Bazooka Gold Trap Sluice Box (Miners version)
2 large Garrett pans
1 small 8" blue Keene pan
2 sniffer bottles
Coleman MAX LED and Bubba Flashlight's
Stanley LED Underwater Spotlight (520 lumens)

Now for some videos.

I am only going to link up my last 4 vids but you can go to my channel to see the rest. CrainRacing - YouTube

Thanks.

-Eric-

 

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[Jason in Enid]

Nice video. That's an awesome result for a single bucket!

You are correct that your flow was a little too strong through the sluice. The hardest part about sluicing is getting it setup just right. Just remember, there are WAY more fines than big stuff. Letting the fines blow out is wasting money. But I'd be happy with your results!

 

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[NeoTokyo]

Thanks, we do pretty well in this area because in part it still being something of a secret, not many people coming down that I have seen, maybe 1 - 2 new tire trails each time we go back.

I figured that I had too much water going through but I was losing light quick and wanted to get 1 bucket through.
I was having a bit of trouble cutting the flow down without having the front rise on one side or the other and making a dry spot. :/

Thanks again.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Yep, setup can be a pain at times. Next time you go, if you have more time for setup, play with it a little. Sluice angle and water speed are inter-related. Faster water needs a flatter angle and vise versa. You may have to spend time building a wing dam to channel more water flow, or you may need to build a flow dam to slow it down. pile up rocks for your sluice base so that you can change angle by adding a little more to the front or back.

From what I have found, the best setup should take a 2 or 3 seconds for a scoop of material to clear off the flare. This may not be enough to keep bigger rocks from stopping, which is why pre-classification is important. Your gold (while big) seems quite flat. Small flat gold can soar down a sluice like a kite if you have too much flow. After setting up how you like, you should run a couple buckets, and then test-pan you tailings. If you are finding gold in it, you need to change things a litte and try again.

I'm sure you knew most of this, but I thought I would give a full explanation to help others who are just starting out.

 

[mellowyellow]

Got another video for ya guys, this time I am testing out a Keene A52 sluice box.



YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OR1MlXneFo

Great video, thanks Neo. May I ask what county you are in, CA? Seems northern CA. Lucky!

Love to prospect with you sometime bro. Learn the ropes of sniping Invite.. Invite... Lol.

I have the Keene A52, that sluice is heavier than most but it catches everything. Can't tell you the micro gold it holds. Pretty reliable. And a fast clean out. I changed mine a bit. I will take a pic later and post it. I lined the entire front metal part, with the keene black matting. This way it's very very easy to inspect and determine if your on some color. I do a quick clean ups and usually just bring home the cons if I n ow I'm on gold.. If I'm not to sure, I pan it there at the location.

If I take my cons home, I use the Keene Super concentrator. Run it through there. Move a 5 gallon bucket of cons in 5 minutes. Then I pan out the material stuck in the super concentrator. Usually only one pan full! And bam..yur dun.. The super concentrator only lost one piece of micro pepper when I tested the material I ran. I got this concentrator at a pawn show luckily for $100 bucks, lol. Look around, great deals out there.. I will post a video of the Keene super con when I get to my computer, havjng trouble putting the vids up on my iPhone..

 

[mellowyellow]

Great video, thanks Neo. May I ask what county you are in, CA? Seems northern CA. Lucky!

Love to prospect with you sometime bro. Learn the ropes of sniping Invite.. Invite... Lol.

I have the Keene A52, that sluice is heavier than most but it catches everything. Can't tell you the micro gold it holds. Pretty reliable. And a fast clean out. I changed mine a bit. I will take a pic later and post it. I lined the entire front metal part, with the keene black matting. This way it's very very easy to inspect and determine if your on some color. I do a quick clean ups and usually just bring home the cons if I n ow I'm on gold.. If I'm not to sure, I pan it there at the location.

If I take my cons home, I use the Keene Super concentrator. Run it through there. Move a 5 gallon bucket of cons in 5 minutes. Then I pan out the material stuck in the super concentrator. Usually only one pan full! And bam..yur dun.. The super concentrator only lost one piece of micro pepper when I tested the material I ran. I got this concentrator at a pawn show luckily for $100 bucks, lol. Look around, great deals out there.. I will post a video of the Keene super con when I get to my computer, havjng trouble putting the vids up on my iPhone..

Here's a few pics, noting special , but riveted a few clamps on the sides to hold a pry 36in pry bat and a shovel. The mat works well, very easy to see the color right where u are dropping the material. Cheers.

 

[mellowyellow]

Are you in a dry suit there Neo? How cold was the water here? Thanks..

 

[coffee]

man, I wish I lived on the west coast!

Is there gold located in NJ?

 

[NeoTokyo]

No dry suit but a really nice guy gave my wife a 7mm wetsuit because it didnt fit him anymore.

Coffee there is gold in New York so I would assume that you might have some luck there too.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

I just got turned onto this thread. Nice video NeoTokyo. And thanks goldenmojo.

 

[NeoTokyo]

lol, yup, one of my earliest threads.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Im looking to get into sniping this year.

 

[sidvail]

Just moved to Redding this month. First weekend I drove around and checked the rivers and and trailheads. Just getting familiar with the area. Have to say I was surprised by the extensive tailing piles along Clear Creek. Did not know they had the large dredges up this far north.

Can't wait to get settled in and start prospecting. Any areas I need to stay away from? I heard Whiskeytown rec area is off limits. Horsetown also. Though a ranger told me pick, shovels and pans were okay along Clear Creek.

I'm thinking of trying the snipping thing also. My best find in Sacramento area was picked out of the bedrock while swimming one day. I think Neo has the right idea.

Anyway, hello to all the Redding folk. Maybe I'll see you on the river.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Welcome to Redding!

We should meet up sometime to snipe.

There are lots of tailings piles all over Shasta county, big dredges brought into some remote area's.
French Gulch was one of those areas that was commercially dredged and still has massive tailings piles scattered around.

You are mostly right about the area.

Whiskeytown Rec Area is open to pans and hands only, scoops can be no larger than 8" and I think the max size of a pan is 14".
No screens or sluice boxes are allowed either. You can however use a Pyramid Pro Pan in the park but because of the shape, you may run into a ranger that doesn't agree with the others. Best thing to do is take down the name of the ranger that said it was ok. The Pyramid Pro Pan is the best possible tool to use legally in the park.

You also may only prospect within the water and not undermine vegetation, roots or structures.

You must purchased a 1 year gold panning permit at the visitor center for everyone that is panning, they are $1 dollar each.
You also have to have the park pass (Per vehicle), either a $40 One year pass or a $10 Seven day pass, I opt for the 1 year pass.


As for lower clear creek, Horsetown is 100% off limits to all forms of prospecting.

All else listed on the maps are open to all non-motorizes prospecting including sluice box's and require no permits, just good times and cleaning up a little bit a trash along the way.

If you decide to try your luck in the Canyon there are a couple spots that are private property between Clear Creek Bridge and Placer St. Bridge, check a map and memorize the turns of the creek to avoid prospecting on those properties. If you go above Placer St. Bridge along Mule Mountain Road, be careful as the Whiskeytown park does start again down the road. A map of the area showing the park borders is the best way to play it safe.

Lower Clear Creek is an automatically water/temperature managed creek that can turn into a raging river at the blink of an eye.
This is rare to have happen to that extent but rising around a foot in a short time is not uncommon.
This happens because the creek is infused with cold water from Whiskeytown Lake if temperatures get too high.
The temperature is usually around 52-55 degrees.

I do not snipe Lower Clear Creek until we see triple digit heat numbers, then I can manage the frigid waters.

Lower Clear Creek is filled with Mercury, and where there is Mercury you will find gold.

Chip at the Miners Cache sells a fully contained, jacketed and cooled Mercury retort for $240.

I would not bother too much with sluicing gravels on lower clear creek, there isn't much color left in them, the good deposits are in the creek on bedrock.

 

[NeoTokyo]

PS. There is TONS of lead in all the creeks, especially lower clear creek.
Be awesome and take that lead home.

 

[sidvail]

Neo,

Thanks for the info. I see I've got plenty of areas to visit. Was wondering about that area between the bridges on clear creek. Looks pretty nice. I did the cloverdale loop trail and got a look at it. I'll check my maps and figure out some safe areas to try. What about above placer road up to the park border? Or even higher up above French Gulch? Didn't I read about a huge nugget that was found on clear creek? Or was that spring creek?

Can't wait to get out there.

I'm with you on the lead. Just like trash, pack it out if I find it.