Basic prospecting -Finding a good spot

[Eu_citzen]

What you need:
Pan
Classifying screen
shovel (and/or) hand dredge for crevices/bedrock

How to do it:

Begin by looking at the river, note approximately where the high water line is.
 (how high the water is/could be when the spring flood is)

Begin panning yourself towards the middle of the river from that point. (or the probable point)
The middle usually hosts little gold as the "high pressure" area is there. (meaning the water moves the fastest there)

Look for increase in black sand amount and/or other heavy minerals.
Look and note the amount of black sand and/or other heavy minerals. (very important!!)

At one certain place the amounts of black sand often dramatically reduce in amount per pan.
Often close to this area it is likely to find a "pay streak" or in other words the most traveled path of gold.

It is often so that the "pay streak" starts where the black sand line is at it's highest
(meaning the most black sand/ pan) or where the amount of black sand drops.

When this position has been confirmed to hold gold (which it according to my experience mostly does) mark it and work it with a sluice or what ever.

This is how I have found my best paying spots, hope this helps some one.

Why it works:
The river not only sorts material density wise down wards (aka gold as far down as possible) but also across the river, meaning the lightest stuff will often be close to the shore. (land)

Try it yourself, if there is sand close to the shore (at least for me) there isn't much black sand in it as black sand has higher density then normal sand.
Gold has higher density then  black sand so it is about where it (black sand amount) drops.

Depending on the high pressure area in the river it often forms "layers" of river material across also.
First you often have sand, then bigger particles, then black sand, and lastly gold. (that is if there are no other heavier metals present)


Is it worth it?
That's your call and also depends on your area, in some areas 4 pieces/pan is much in other 25/pan is little.
That's when you choose how much you want for the time spent.

River Bends:
A side note, in curves water looses speed,
for example a 90 degree turn let's the water loose (sometimes) up to 50% of it's velocity! (speed)

This may very well be a good spot to check thanks to the above phenomena.

Best Regards,
Eu