How long till your first (nugget).

[Teemore]

Continue to see stories of happy prospectors with their first find, well done on, in some cases, lots of perceverence.

See other stories (albeit probably from very very experienced prospectors) who go out and get a nugget almost at will.

So, curious to hear how long each of you took to break the drought and find that elusive first bit of yellow, and for interest what you were using to find it.

Quite a few people seem to have found their first while undertaking guided tours and such, are you one of these?

Hopefully it may give some encouragement to the "nugget virgin", like me.

Cheers Tom

 

[Ben78]

I found a nugget the first time I walked a creek with a detector. It was sitting on top of a rock in a crack, spotted it from 10m away lol

Next nugget came 14 months later and was detected. It's nice to be getting gold but there isn't a lot there and most of it is deeper than can be detected. Coil time on the ground is what gets the gold.

 

[Jacko]

I bought an X-Terra 705 in Kalgoorlie 3 years ago, detected for a couple of weeks and didn't find anything, but then didn't have any exerience either. Decided to buy a Minelab 4500 a couple of years ago which I found heavy as I didn't adjust it comfortably so continued with the 705. Hubby adjusted the 4500 more on our last trip to the west in May, and with good tuition from our travelling friends as to just what to listen for, finally found the first nugget at Kanowna then a few more at Sandstone and then Clermont Qld. So, looking forward to next year.

 

[Billabong]

Took me about 6 months to find the first one (using a GPX5000).
After that i found a few more....
The key is research and thinking "outside the box".
There is a lot to learn about reading the ground and terrain.

I am by no means an expert though and if you can find a tour that can teach you the basics on reading ground and what to look for etc it may well be worth it...

 

[deepblue]

Took my Father 7 years of detecting before he found his first nugget a 1 ounce piece couldn't wipe the smile from his face for weeks. Found it with a GT16000 on a field trip with Doug Stone. Took me about 2 years using a XT17000.

 

[Greglz86]

Still to find one
But I always seem to find myself doing more panning than detecting. I have had my GMT for only a few months but I have only had it out for about 8 hours all up.
Still has 75percent of its origiinal batteries that came with it. But that will be changing over summer.

 

[trashmagnet]

hi
it took me a full year to find my first nugget because I started out with crappy vlf's, once I bought my first p.i it only took a couple of weeks. then the nuggets started coming in just about every trip.
that was many many years ago, these days if I find less than a kilo a year then is a bad year but the amount of people getting into detecting in the last few years has made it a little harder so
it's not just a matter of getting the latest detector and cover the ground like you could years ago, these days you have to think out side the box and put more time in than we used to.
but that's not a bad thing with the price of gold these days, better than the few hundred dollars we used to get.
regards trashy

 

[Teemore]

Interesting feedback so far, anywhere from 6 months to 7 years, with the elusive first still haunting some.
Nice going trashmagnet, there are a few dedicated pros like yourself, not sure if they pull 40 oz a year (that's really impressive) like you but they're pulling a few nuggets on most days so I suppose it adds up pretty quickly (unlike my fly poo specks).
Keep em coming,
Cheers Tom

 

[trashmagnet]

Nice going trashmagnet, there are a few dedicated pros like yourself, not sure if they pull 40 oz a year (that's really impressive)
Keep em coming,
Cheers Tom

i'm not a pro mate, just go flat out anytime i can and have been learning for a long time, and maybe i should have mentioned that for the last six years i have been working an area that is not a known goldfield, so it may sound impressive but it's not, it's abit like shooting fish in a barrel as the patches are virgin patches
if i had to stick to the known goldfields i don't think i would be pulling in that much so any new comers out there don't quit your job just yet :lol:
regards trashy

 

[Tassie Daz]

Yep, the first one is still haunting me too. I've had great offers form operators to give me the lowdown and I may take that up when I can hit the goldfields again. Its a bit hard coming from SA but I've been swinging my Scorpian for about 3 yrs I think and apart from some interesting relics.........nothing. But I hope that changes shortly with the purchase of the new ATX. Havent seen it yet but look forward to opening the box soon. I expect we'll give the thing a run in February when we get over to Vic. Believe me, if a can jag even the tiniest bit of yellow, you take the smile off my dial either for a fortnight. Keep you posted. TD

 

[trashmagnet]

hi daz
there's no need to wait until you get to vic as there is some great gold in s.a
you just never hear about it, some say they get there gold in vic because your not suppose to sell your gold that is found in s.a. your suppose to be getting gold for yourself only.
others just keep quiet because they have learnt the hard way not to tell what there finding because of security reasons and they also know they will get people snooping around where they detect if others find out what there finding.
but if you do a little home work you will find some good spots in s.a
regards trashy

 

[Guest]

Took me 12months all over vic and my wife found her first bit before mine the next day I found my first bit at the end of the day we had 4 each all found with a GMT and GMZ
Great little detectors but it helps to swing over gold.

 

[Teemore]

I just go flat out anytime i can and have been learning for a long time,

Think that says it all, your "patch" is a bonus, sure you would be doing just as well in other areas, seems you have "the knowledge" that most of us are trying to achieve ..... time "in the field" is probably one of the most important aspects as is respecting the advise that those in the know impart from time to time.
Life's just one big neverending "school" we should all embrace it while we can.
Cheers Tom

 

[jethro]

Got my first bit within 2 hours with MY first detector bought brand new. A minelab XT17000, My Missus found a bit on the same heap 3 hrs later. You should have seen the look on the "sales & demo" guy's face when he turned up next day to give us a tutorial on how to find gold with the latest & greatest detector of the era. Needless to say, we thought we were going to clean up with that noisy plastic overpriced piece of electronic wizardry. Nine months later the SD2000 was released & that changed the detecting game for us as we couldnt afford the pricetag to get into the race for the gold that was now easily detectable that was way out of reach before. It was a long time between drinks with the XT Sqawrk box.
BTW the first two bits were just pure luck & getting half lost out the back of whroo & pulling up at the right mullock heap at the right corner of the right track.
Jethro.

 

[loamer]

First baby nugget find - 1972, panning at Slaty Creek and still have it. First specie - probably the 1980s with an old VLF. Finding 'at will' :lol: - 14 hour days,latest gear, up-to-date coils, spend $$ on research, walking, walking, walking. Noticed an interesting reply to a post - I commented on another post that i spent a lot of time walking without a detector and a comment was made 'why have a $6000 detector sitting in the car'. I like to see the lay of a set of diggings -whats where etc etc. The detector is a distraction. I notice Teemore you are in Vic. I may get belted for this - find gold with a detector in Victoria, you can find gold anywhere in the world. we have the worst mineralised ground - hence the reason detectors get tested here.

 

[Guest]

I don't think it matters what detector you have if you want the gold that much you will travel and swing over it somewhere in the world. Mine wasn't found in vic either but because we travelled 1000+ kms made us want it more and we put that little extra effort in.
I Dont give up that easy.

 

[Teemore]

First baby nugget find - 1972, panning at Slaty Creek and still have it.

As I mentioned I sluice/pan, without the aid of a HB, so slow and steady with lots of walking to get my stuff to the water, which happens to be where you found your 1st over 40 years ago ..... love the old diggings there but alas the baby nuggets have been reduced to baby fly poo.

Appreciate your input and knowledgeable posts/"guides" I'm sure many appreciate you passing on your experiences.
Cheers Tom

 

[loamer]

Teemore - please don't laugh at this observation. I love Maldon and its one of the greatest historical towns. The side street off the high street - main street? I was with my grand-son Jack the other week - i think main street has the old slate/granite/basalt slabs in the gutter - we were guttsings out on sausage rolls at the bakery. He pointed out that he spotted flakes of gold in the gutters - i swear to god I reckon there was as well. it was where the slabs meet and act like a natural riffle. it would not suprise me and i dont think we were imagining it.

 

[Teemore]

. I love Maldon and its one of the greatest historical towns.

Totally agree and nothing would surprise me, used to go there frequently, my wife collects "Steif" bears, used to be a shop that sold them, and you can't beat a good sausage roll
GS is obviously a young prospector in the making.
Cheers Tom

 

[Hunting the yellow]

i found my first gold speckie in an old mine heap after the first hour looking around and just picking up quartz and looking at it. but i found my first nugget found with a garrett pro pointer in a crevace in a creek it weighted 00.04 of a gram