Gold: Panning, Prospecting, Treasure Hunting

Adebisi

Adebisi

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I'm always looking for other stuff to do when I'm camping in northern Ontario during the mid-day hours when fishing kinda sucks. Somehow I started watching all these gold panning videos - guys walking through these pretty little creeks, digging up rocks, looking for quartz and gold.

It looked kinda relaxing.

Anyone know anything about hobbyist gold panning? I wouldn't mind trying it out a bit during my next fishing trip.
 
BrotherWu

BrotherWu

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I agree it looks like fun. I've always wanted to try it as well and did a little research on it while back. There are lots of organizations that go out and do it in groups and I think that would be a great way to learn the craft.

Ontario Prospectors Association

Lots of great videos on Youtube. It seemed to me that most people seem to be setting up sluices of one type or another.

I'll be curious to hear how it goes for you.

How far north do you go? I've done some fly-ins in the Red Lake area.
 
Adebisi

Adebisi

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I'm usually in the Temagami and Lady Evelyn region once a year for fishing

Google Maps

Also been up to Little Abitibi a few times.

Google Maps

Of course they're lakes chosen primarily for their fishing and nice back country camping location, but that whole area has a lot of mining operations.

How's the fishing in the Red Lake area?
 
BrotherWu

BrotherWu

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I've been to Little Vermillion, just north of Red Lake, quite a few times and it's always been good to us. Short flight, easy lake to navigate, conveniences of being at a lodge (although we always did all our own cooking and guiding, which is rare). Pretty easy to catch the biggest pikes you'll probably ever see. The walleyes are smallish but they taste just fine. I've never really found that it slows down all that much mid day. In fact, we usually sleep in and get out whenever we fee like it.

We also have made a couple of trips to Trout Lake, just east of Red Lake, and the walleyes were a little bigger there, plus we had some luck trolling for lakers.

Good luck with the panning. Check in when you have some pictures of some nuggets!
 
Sir Funk

Sir Funk

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All I know is you should pan where there are sharp bends in the creek/river, as the heavier gold particles should get caught up along the edge as opposed to the lighter sediment which will flow through.

Sounds like a fun idea though! Be sure to let us know how it goes if you ever give it a go!
 
Borzak

Borzak

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Did while in AK. Found a little "color". Didn't really see the fun in it. They have a gold panning show on the outdoor channel. I always get ticked a guy spent $25k on equipment and hauled it to AK and is tickled to death he got a little "color" after a few weeks of running it.
 
S

spanner

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Borzak_sl said:
Did while in AK. Found a little "color". Didn't really see the fun in it. They have a gold panning show on the outdoor channel. I always get ticked a guy spent $25k on equipment and hauled it to AK and is tickled to death he got a little "color" after a few weeks of running it.
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I agree. I can basically go out my back door and do it here, but working for a hour for $1-2 in gold is not worth it.
 
BrutulTM

BrutulTM

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My uncle is into it. After messing around with it off and on for like 10 years he has collected something like a half teaspoon worth of gold dust. If you're thinking you want to make money at it you better hope to be a lot better at it than he is.
 
lurker

lurker

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I've done it twice in the Sierras. Get a black plastic pan with the ridges on the inside and go for it. It will only take you month or so to pay for the pan, if you hit it rich. On the other hand, it was fun playing in the creek all day. I keep a pan in my RV.
 
Adebisi

Adebisi

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I think I just want to play in the creek all day.

Like grown up sandbox fun... digging holes, playing in the dirt, collecting rocks. IRL Minecraft.
 
Borzak

Borzak

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I think the people you really see into it are really more into the equipment than getting a lot of gold.
 
Adebisi

Adebisi

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I'll turn into Gus Chiggins

guschiggins-300x252.gif
 
TheBeagle

TheBeagle

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The part of Idaho that I'm in this summer has these old mining ghost towns all over the place. Most sporting goods stores even have a small section devoted to mining tools/kits and I'm always tempted to buy a basic metal pan. It could also serve time as something to cook in for backcountry stuff.

Great thread, I'm gonna do it now.
 
lurker

lurker

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TheBeagle_sl said:
The part of Idaho that I'm in this summer has these old mining ghost towns all over the place. Most sporting goods stores even have a small section devoted to mining tools/kits and I'm always tempted to buy a basic metal pan. It could also serve time as something to cook in for backcountry stuff.

Great thread, I'm gonna do it now.
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It takes skill to run a smooth metal pan. The black plastic pans with the riffles are easy to use and you can see the gold better against the black.
 
Dandain

Dandain

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TheBeagle_sl said:
The part of Idaho that I'm in this summer has these old mining ghost towns all over the place. Most sporting goods stores even have a small section devoted to mining tools/kits and I'm always tempted to buy a basic metal pan. It could also serve time as something to cook in for backcountry stuff.

Great thread, I'm gonna do it now.
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Where are you in Idaho?
 
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