Dirt Fishing - Metal Detecting & Abandoned Places

It's a cold December morning atop the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts but that doesn't stop these two detectorists from finding an 1800's coin purse

Deep in the forest of Germany, just beneath the forest floor, lies an undiscovered trove of war relics.  The days of WW2 have long since passed but the

Dirt fishing is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.  I guess that's what I love the most about this hobby, the excitement of what I might find next.  You don't have to look too hard to find buried treasure, no matter what town you live in. There are many tools you can use to find historic properties in your area.  Driving around asking permission is usually the best method, you'd be surprised how many people are willing to let you dig up their yard if you just ask politely.  Real estate websites are a great resource, on  Zillow , you can filter properties by the date they were built and then search the curb strips in front of the house.   Historic Aerials  is a website you can use to print out old aerial photos from different points in time.  When using the free version of the site the maps are watermarked but if you sign up for an account you can avoid this.  A visit to your lo...

Metal detectorists  DrTones24k  and crew do some dirt fishing on the property of this historic home built in 1878.   With permission from the property owner, these guys find some nice coins that others who have detected this land before must have missed.  This is a great example of why diligence is the key to successful treasure hunting.  I have experienced this before down here in Florida.  My buddy and I have searched the same permission 3 or 4 times and we still dig up coins. Swing low and slow. When swinging your detector remember to keep your coil close and parallel to the ground, you do not want to roll the coil upwards at the ends of each swing.  Before you start out you may want to grid off the property, at least in your mind, so you can be as  thorough as possible.  The last thing you want to see is your buddy swinging over where you had just been and turn up a silver! Asking permission to d...

Video provided by:  The Silver Fiend Here's another great example of how important location is when metal detecting. Research and planning are what separate the amateurs from the pros. Know Before You Go! If you are new to metal detecting and are tired of finding the same old junk and occasional coin, maybe it's time you put down your metal detector and head back to the drawing board.  Beaches and public parks are great places to practice and learn your machine but if you are ready to get serious about finding true treasure you need to brush up on the history of your area. While driving around keep your eyes peeled for older homes and buildings.  Try to imagine what the town looked like 100 years ago.   Disregard the modern structures and new dirt (land that has been filled in for construction or landscape purposes) and try to imagine how people lived before the age of technology, look for natural signs that show the age of the area you are in.  ...

I'm not sure exactly when I caught the treasure hunting bug.  If I had to guess I would say it was in 1985 when I first saw the movie "The Goonies"  I was always an adventures kid and there is just something about the lure of hidden treasure, and in this case WW2 relics, that just keeps me fascinated.  I recently took up the hobby of metal detecting.  My first hunt was in the east of Germany where I dug up a a bunch of old war relics, live ammo, a live grenade and even a WW2 Helmet.  Since then I have been absolutely hooked on dirt fishing which led me to watching countless hours of treasure hunting videos on YouTube , which led me to magnet fishing.  What is magnet fishing you ask?  Well as the name implies it is fishing for metal with a very strong magnet.  I haven't yet tried out this crazy hobby yet is seems so simple and effective I've just gotta try it.  You can purchase a magnet for fishing on Amazon for next to nothing, p...

Treasure Hunt of a Lifetime! When it comes to coin shooting (metal detecting for coins) this could be considered the find of a lifetime.  Using his Garrett AT Pro, YouTuber  MUDplug  hit pay dirt when he found this 1652 pine tree shilling in Massachusetts.  Weather you are a seasoned detectorist or a newbie this is sure to get your blood flowing.  Nothing gets me stoked to go out treasure hunting more than watching the success of others.  You just never know what you might find on any given day and that's what keeps us coming back to this hobby.  Hunting for coins can be tricky, before you head out make sure to know what you are looking for and what type of signal you should expect.  If you are new to you dirt fishing check out this beginners guide where you can learn some valuable tips and tricks before you get started.  Not sure which metal detector is right for you?  Take a look at our buying guide  to help d...

Beach Hunters Metal Detecting Dirt Fishing is more than just an exciting hobby.  It can also be a great way to get out and meet new people as we see here in this amazing video from R Adams . Whether you are teaming up with a fellow treasure hunter or just showing off your haul to nosey tourists metal detecting can be surprisingly social.  Which to me seems to be a bit paradoxical as I always thought it was looked at as a nerdy hobby .  Tell that to the guy who finds the gold ring, am I right? Beach Hunters If you are looking to get into under water treasure hunting here are some good machines to look at.  Amazon has some great deals on new and used metal detectors though I suggest taking a look on Craigslist before you buy.  Not only can you upgrade to a nicer detector for a better price, you will also save on shipping.   Before you buy make sure to do your research, there are many types of machines out there and choosing the one that i...

Underwater Metal Detecting Lake Tahoe Imagine combing scuba diving and metal detecting.  If you are like me, fascinated with treasure hunting and adventure, this sounds like the ultimate hobby.  Watch what happens as Ed The Beach Hunter  takes his metal detector to the bottom of beautiful Lake Tahoe in California.  Just the location itself is a treasure and the amount of clad to be found is remarkable.  Take a dive into this underwater dirt fishing adventure and see what treasures await.  Remeber, just because you aren't able to take such a dive doesn't mean you can't find a great location where you live.  Part of the thrill of hobby is researching and finding new and interesting locations to go treasure hunting.  No matter where you live or to where you travel there will always be history just waiting in the ground for someone to find.  I heard a statistic from a fellow metal detectorist that says there is more currency in the ground th...

OK, this may not be the biggest gold nugget ever found but it sure is a nice chunk.    T his 3.8oz beauty was found in the goldfields of Victoria using a GPZ 7000 metal detector.  Skip ahead to  the  7:45  mark and you can actually hear the nugget as its drops just inches from the coil.  It took a while to pinpoint this gold nugget but as you can hear in the video the signal was strong and relentless.  It just goes to show that dirt fishing is a hobby that takes time and patience.  This gold nugget is valued around $5000.00, kinda makes you want to go out and start metal detecting doesn't it? Gold Metal Detecting Digging for gold!

Civil War Metal Detecting: When it comes to dirt fishing, the Eastern United States is a relic hunters dream.  Watch as these seasoned detectorists unearth some of the most important artifacts in American history.  In this video the team find a variety of civil war relics from buttons and bullets to a live artillery shell once again proving the old adage location, location, location.  Not every plot of land is going to offer such finds and hunting on historic battle grounds may be off limits.  Always make sure to have proper permission before heading out and be careful, digging up live artillery can be extremely dangerous.  If you are relic hunting in an area that may have unexploded bombs, mines and other explosives, please do so with great caution.  Dig slow and always hunt in groups of two or more.  If you do find anything that seems dangerous contact the proper authorities to report it.  In most cases the item will be taken and safely...

Best Metal Detecting Finds Ever! Weather you are a seasoned metal detectorist or just a newbie this video is sure to spark that treasure hunter within.   While most people are digging up pull tabs, bottle caps and the occasional coin, these people hit pay dirt as they made some of the best dirt fishing finds ever!  From a YUGE chunk of gold to a 17th century Spanish gold mug these metal detecting finds are so mind blowing you may just go out and buy a new metal detector.  Keep in mind these stories aren't the norm.  Dirt fishing, like any other hobby takes time, practice and patience.  Though there is much luck involved, the keys to successful  treasure hunting is research, location, and learning your equipment.  Spending top dollar on a metal detector isn't necessarily going to yield better results.  The best thing you can do to increase your chances of finding the good stuff is practice even if these means setting up a mock hunt in y...

I recently took a trip to East Germany to do some WW2 relic hunting.   Equipped with my Garrett Ace 150 metal detector and an old German Army shovel I borrowed from my Father in law I wandered the mossy forest looking for old Army foxholes.  The small town, about an hour east of Berlin, lies just on the border to Poland.  A peaceful town with a not so peaceful history.  This area was a hot spot during WW2 when the Nazi's were pushed out of Poland, across the eastern front of Germany and into Berlin.  Even without a metal detector, you can find evidence of war all over the area.   Metal Detecting WW2 Relics Here are just some of the finds from my 4 day adventure.   Though the first 2 days were slow, I soon found a hot spot of trenches and began finding WW2 relics one after another.  Though a lot of it was trash and none of it was treasure, I thoroughly enjoyed digging up the past and holding in my hands small pieces of history...