Im new to this as well, and i can understand what alot of people and sites say about gold in texas. Truth is, it is here, its just HARD as f&@k to find. Doing some amature geology, i found a spot within the city limits of austin. Yes, austin. While panning here (in just one spot, same spot all the time), i have found small amount of little tumbled peices of garnet, "1" little piece of copper, a nice amount of pyrite (which i dont want) a peice of siver, and 2 tiny specs of gold (so tiny). I also found this interesting peice of pyrite which coats a silverish metal in another location when i was scouting it out. Gonna see what that creek has to offer.
I just find it had to believe that gold doesn't exist in this area when 1) if found traces and all signs are right, and 2) there were, at one point, mines in towns that surround austin. Anywho, its fun to do and pass time, but finding that amount that changes it from a hobby to money in your pocket is a perk.
In 2000-ish, they were building a new sky rise down downtown. In digging the foundation, the found a nice amount of dinosuar bones. This had everybody thinking what else might the city be sitting on that we dont know about? You never know until you look, but im sticking to the creeks... Good luck