Becoming a Successful Detectorist

May 2017 by Rod Fitzhugh

During my adventures I’ve learned a few key best practices that help me to consistently find gold nuggets with my detectors. You can apply many of these best practices to any type of prospecting. These best practices are really common sense; however, they are easy to neglect.

Tucson Show Marketing

May 2012
Normally we do not cover gem and mineral shows, but this one is a little different. The Tucson (Arizona) Gem and Mineral show is the sales source for so many small mining operations, I felt I had to address this show and its possibilities for the small miner.

Improving Your Nugget Count With A Detector

July 2023

The Fine Art of Panning Heavy Sands

October 2011
The fine art of panning heavy sands requires a measure of patience. If you enjoy panning gold, you ought to enjoy this too, once you get the hang of it.

Pot Hole Gold

January 2012
It was early in the 2008 season on the Mokelumne River near Pine Grove, California. Considering the potential for high water through the month of June, my wife Fran and I set our sights on investigating some of the pot holes in...

Crushing Quartz in Calaveras County: A Placer Miner Learns New Tricks

June 2014
I had never run an impact mill before, but anything involving rocks, water and a big electric motor sounded great.

Detector Prospecting Accessories

January 2016

One of the first things to consider but that many people ignore is ergonomics. Prospecting for gold can involve long hours, often for days or weeks on end.

Finding Streams of Gold

September 2014
Without knowing or even thinking about it, I had put together a map that showed me a pattern of the ancient Sacramento River channel. I also had a distinct picture of where the ancient channels of several other creeks and rivers were running.

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