Gold Panning for Beginners (Find Gold Today!)

[@VoGusProspecting]

Now please watch this whole video, as there is a development of information that makes it all tie together, if you only watch half of it you’ll get only half the idea and might leave a silly comment and get an even sillier reply.

[@pauly51]

I've often thought of same. Every spoonful seems slow

[@doogssmee9742]

Hey Gus opps Chris ... Not sure exactly where you are but are you ok ?

[@codymackniak6328]

Great video Chris 👍👍 stay safe and a happy new year to you and yours 🥳🍻

[@jeremyhallman2496]

@Светлый Ангел Australia

[@VoGusProspecting]

@Светлый Ангел north east Victoria

[@nchrisftw]

Just realized I’ve become an old moldy hat here after watching for over a year. Thanks for the videos

[@captnron59]

At 61 years old, I learn more from you than most other prospectors. Thanks for all you do for in the learning process. I've done this experiment before but totally planning the gold out each time and planning not scraping. It took me 2 hours to do a 5 gallon bucket.

[@alicegriffin402]

Chris, I love watching your videos. I have watched a lot of them in the last 6 months, while I waited for the doctors to figure out what is wrong with this aging body! I was terrified they would never find anything, and they would tell me, "it's all in your head!" 😉 They finally found a tumor! It has been removed! Because of your videos, I have added gold panning to my bucket list. I am 70! So, thank you for your videos!

[@VoGusProspecting]

Glad to hear they found it mate. Waste no time, go forward and pan!

[@jamesolson4420]

Bud I'm 70 years old. And I really never looked for gold until 4 years ago. And I love it

[@stevenprice9327]

Stay safe fella down there, all our thoughts and well wishes are being sent to you wonderful Aussies with all those terrible fires.

[@scootericu1]

this video deserves thousands of thumbs up,,,, explained well and detailed. Your episodes keep getting better and more interesting. Thanks

[@pauljacobs8073]

Good stuff. I hope you are safe from the fires. Thanks for the logic and R&D. Most people just think about efficiency and go right back to doing the same thing the same way theyve always done it. Never changing a thing. You just saved me weight in my backpack and increased my ability to confidently process more material. Thank you for sharing.

[@davidvilla3243]

Proper testing leads to proper results.Great job Chris.

[@matterbach6200]

I like that you're always thinking of new methods to gain efficency and tryin 'em out like a stream-side science experiment. Best wishes to all out there this summer

[@rcs368]

Been subbed for a time now, love all your vids, can't believe your not over 100k you deserve it.

[@PittwaterMowingAustralia]

Its a shame that youtube does not recognise us Aussies trying to make it on youtube

[@JorgeRodriguez-iq7vb]

I don't know why anyone would be in a hurry to process/pan gold unless that is their only source of income. To me it's a hobby and I enjoy doing it. Same with metal detecting, I see so many people in a hurry do to an area, then I come right behind them and get all the goods they missed. I enjoy looking for treasure and taking my time doing it.

[@VoGusProspecting]

Thats not the point of the test. I should have explained better. Gold hof said their pan was just as fast as sluicing, but my tests show it loses heaps of gold and its just an over priced gimmick. So i showed in this film that you can faster than a sluice with a regular pan and not get ripped off. It was never about moving dirt. You would get exahsted doing this all day.

[@Manuelslayor]

Hey. This is a hobby for me as well. Hoever i live somwhere that does not have a lot of gold! Even if you search the prime spots in a river. For me thers about 1 litle speck of gold in 30 - 40 pans! Having 1 or 4 specks of gold at the end of the day is a big diference on how fun it is!

[@insolentstickleback3266]

I have a lonely little Royal Manufacturing sluice. Poor bugger never gets put to work, I just simply enjoy panning. Excellent video, thank you for the demonstration and information. Stay safe, I have been praying for the folks who are affected by the fires.

[@VoGusProspecting]

Poor loanley sluice

[@dirtfishingvictoria6761]

Have tended to come to the same conclusion. So I pan to test and crevice and high bank to move larger amounts. And I always clean the high banker at home.

[@gnomespace]

Been doing that for years and told I am out of my tree. Glad to see some verification! And yes, always save the cons for the crappy weather at home with a drink close at hand.

[@VoGusProspecting]

People are afraid of new things, does not mean you're wrong

[@highaltituderc7753]

Great video Chris. You are totally right about using your hand to make your panning faster. My good friend Jesse from Vic's gold panning showed me some tricks with gold panning. When he would talk about gold panning competitions he would tell me to use my hand to get rid of all the big rocks after stratification. Then he would pan it down enough where he can be able to to see the gold. He would usually get 1st or 2nd place in the gold panning competitions. Just because of his trick. I can pan a whole pan with some material above the pan in a couple minutes. I have been gold prospecting for 8 years now and have gotten better and better at panning. Also I have learned so much about gold prospecting. One thing my good friend Alan who got me into gold prospecting is research. 90 percent of gold prospecting is research 10 percent is actually getting the gold. That's what I did and have learned so much. Keep up the great work.

[@hobbyadventurer583]

Wow Chris.That panning technique is interesting and with very little Au loss.I do a similar process with cleaning my pan too,very close to what you show.Nice.Sorry to hear about your fires there.Do hope the rain gods show up soon !

[@IllusoryRedoubt]

Hi Chris, I have just recently found your channel while looking for information on prospecting and getting started. I have really enjoyed your videos that I have watched and just wanted to say cheers. I hope you and your family are safe from the fires, it's smokey here in Albury but thankfully far from the fires. Keep safe and thanks for making awesome content.

[@ziongray918]

Thats how I speed pan too with a extra water filled pan. Classifiers are useless for a pans. When panning I usually place a big rock on the opposite edge of my panning pond and smack the front lip of my pan back n forth off it as im agitating and stratafing with one hand helps drop the heavies faster. Just somethin i do

[@nickfranklin1867]

A very interesting and informative video, you wouldn't think you could pan faster than a sluice, I like the way you bring science to gold prospecting, keep up the good work, Nick

[@brendomac848]

Thanks very much, we certainly love washing rocks!

[@jacquesmolay3676]

Thnx for sharing ur knowledge and thoughts with us again Chris. Hope things will go positive in Australia with all those terrible fires. Peace from Central Europe!

[@brushitoff503]

Fantastic video Chris and very well explained! I'm learning so much from watching your channel and love it! I'm actually getting out in the bush now and learning the craft hands on. Thank you so much for everything you do and share with us all. We got rain here in SA today so hopefully it comes your way too.

[@brushitoff503]

@Walk About Prospecting Thanks buddy, I've been watching your channel too and it's great! The knowledge you guys have is amazing and your both younger than me ha ha! I've strted putting a couple videos up of going through the learning process and am about to post a couple short ones now from today. Prospecting without tools on the way home from a camping trip. Cheers for the reply bud.

[@douglasnelson8276]

We're not all your age young buck. but your knowledge and entertainment value are most enjoyable.

[@DunkyandtheRav3n]

Another great informative video! Thank you so much for all your videos. Watching you and Walk About Prospecting has helped our efficiency a great deal. You guys have put in the hard yards so that we don't have to and then with your personal approach we learn from you. Thanks Chris :)

[@DunkyandtheRav3n]

@Walk About Prospecting we have help from a master :)

[@seanparchim9165]

I'm going to try my first prospecting adventure this spring and between you Dan Hurds panning methods I think I can pan for gold with properly explained methods thanks Chris I appreciate it...

[@William_Borgeson]

Chris, I love how you quantified both methods and 33% efficiency is a big deal if you're trying to make some money. Thanks again and stay safe my friend, I wish you all the best!

[@stanleyolson3228]

Where I work, on the shores of Lake Superior, the material I run is mostly black sand. 95 percent is heavy with iron, magnitite, garnet and blonde sand makes up the rest. Sluice is the only way to go. It is like continually working cons.

[@DetectaBull]

Nice. One factor that you missed was cleaning out the sluice which could add a few minutes to your total time.

[@VoGusProspecting]

I cut that and many other bits to keep the time down. Very good point though.

[@joeljeffery8704]

I don't have a river sluice but I always thought panning would be faster way to retrieve your gold. Great video and very informative. Thanks.

[@carlmclelland7624]

Excellent primer, thanks Chris!

[@allansgoldmining]

Nice demonstration Chris. Basically comparing apples with apples. Obviously, a larger sluice operating at higher water volume would require virtually no screening, thus out perform a pan. But for prospecting purposes the pan is king ! Have you tried a Gold Claw yet ? That pan is simple and fast. Cheers mate !! 🤠⚒⛏👍👍

[@VoGusProspecting]

Tried them years ago, they are ok. But loose gold

[@GrotyGold]

Nice work mate, love a good testing vid it helps us all get better at it. Thanks for sharing stay safe out there Alicia & Steve.

[@otrdriver6767]

I like to go slow when I dig, classify and sluice. Thank you for sharing I enjoyed it with thumb up.

[@rastamanralph6670]

Check out my homemade arba made from a peg basket with some holes drilled into the bottom.

[@rogerclaiborne6815]

I've put a wire grate over a big rectangle plastic concrete mixing tub. Put tub under water at angle, put sliding grate classifier over it and load it with gravels, clay and rocks. Five or six shovels or more. Break up clay and shake off large rocks and boulders. Get a good amount of concentrate and shake it to bottom mixing tub and take off top. Only do this where there is a lot of fines. Get a lot more gold than panning or sluicing.

[@rogerclaiborne6815]

More material you move the more gold you get.

[@ashleyking6743]

Love your channel mate. As a new prospector I can find everything I need to know just through your channel. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my friend.

[@ronvi4539]

Thanks, really appreciate your sharing of technique and methods. Always learn something.

[@insolentstickleback3266]

I had to come back for seconds. I love seeing those nice summer days when it is grey, drizzly, and pissing down winter rain. Keep a hairy eye on the terrain, it looks snakey as heck there!

[@johnnywadd9918]

Chris , love your videos keeps an old man young...stay safe i hope the fires havent affected you and your family.

[@spikemulligan8964]

That’s awesome I also thought there must be a faster way to pan, thanks for saving me some cash Chris. You videos and many others on the channel chains have taught me so much and harnessed a bug. Happy days all... stay happy and speak up 😎

[@spikemulligan8964]

That cash saving will go to out hurting mates so double good Chris

[@Humperdinck169]

Great video - God bless those buckets!

[@georgedobrovsky3800]

Hello Chris, I classify dirt on spot ,using my sieve and bucket, and carry only fines to a puddle to wash in large metal pan.Faster still. (now no water left in creeks around here,so I detect bedrock instead)I am housebound by weather and around 40 deg. since Christmas.Good Luck to You in 2020 and keep Grizzly safe . (snakes), regards George

[@virginiarocks]

Best to avoid “danger noodle” situations indeed!

[@BeefyPrepperthegolddigger]

Great video Chris !! Not much different then how I speed pan. I hate that you all are dealing with those bush fires I wish there was more that could be done. You are doing great at raising awareness for mental heath and the bush fires. Keep up the great work mate!! I also love your films!!! Give grizz a scratch behind the ears!

[@rickreimer1050]

Thanks Chris. Good pointers.

[@dagreynolds8013]

Clever boy! Once again very interesting (and useful) Perspective. Thank you!

[@maxwellt.v.5563]

I did this the other day due to lack of water and it looks so much better on the final pan the gold wow

[@procrastinator1727]

Great video mate, always assumed panning in most cases is more efficient than river sluicing (so long as you're using a decent sized pan) but great to see it properly tested/proven -- you'd really need to jump to using a good highbanker to make it worthwhile and even then, only if there is sufficient amount of paydirt. Perhaps a good fluid bed sluice (if sufficient water flow) would work okay as well but they're expensive and rarely are the conditions right to be able to use one properly.

[@AgateDad]

Great video man!!

[@marksexton4860]

Gave both my dogs a scratch for ya thanks alot that really encourages me just starting and was really unsure of what to do or buy I can pan but slow that really helps wondering what u would suggest for a old marine vet 55 with leg injuries and back but still gets out and can go fairly hard for a half hour at a time then needs to rest a bit before going again for about 4 hrs a day is about it for me what might work better for me love your videos

[@davecam5085]

Hi Chris. Like always love your content. I suppose to some people efficiency might be key, but I’ve got to say your usual technique,from a followers perspective is much more satisfying to watch. I’m still to pop my cherry on prospecting and hopefully that will get sorted in the next few months. Your videos are really informative and I reckon it’s a great starting point. Anyways mate.... cheers. Stay safe down Mexico way. Take care. I’m out

[@rickshaw393]

Good video mate. Hope to see you out there soon!

[@Jake12220]

Now compare to a highbanker... But yeah totally get your point, at that price point knowing how to pan quickly is probably a better idea than investing in a sluice, at least in terms of gold take. I so envy even that little stream of water, where l am in central Queensland there hasn't been flowing water for over a year now.

[@Goldwaschenid]

great Video Chris , well done 👍⛏

[@rodneybushnell9120]

Good to see you my Friend have a Happy an Prosperous new year.

[@clintdoolittle1576]

Hey Chris I am sorry to see and hear alot going on in Australia right now I hope ur message gets out there u r a fantastic man for helping out other people that needs just even some 1 to talk to and everything else u r doing for ur home b safe out there Chris and a AWESOME viddy as well good technique doing the pans I thought for sure the sluice would have been faster anyways peace out🇨🇦😎👍🇨🇦😎👍🇨🇦😎👍

[@jeffcoll1377]

Chris I really enjoy your channel! I feel like I learn a lot from each episode, even though I'm in central Pennslyvania USA, not much gold here!

[@VoGusProspecting]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Party-Marty]

Great vid & well explained. I pan the same as that - as soon as I can tilt the pan slightly, I do. Work that gold in to the lowest edge & anything above it is overburden - wipe off with back of hand. Garrett 15” pan with the 2 deep riffles - very hard to lose gold... Watching people take 10 minutes to pan frustrates me 😜

[@starman10548]

GOTTA WATCH OUT FOR THOSE DANGER NOODLES. GREAT INFO, THANKS

[@709badwolf]

???? oooh,,,the snakes! lol,,,lol,,,lol 👋🏼

[@trytinz8256]

suggest you add some small check dams to the areas you work, use a per ma-culture approach of Geoff Lyton , a Zealander, to hydrate the areas you work. make AU green

[@rt-ks2bh]

Great vid thumbs up but 1 thing puzzles me how can you go into the snake zone without the proper foot wear or gaiters,,,one bite out there my friend and your basically cooked,,plz explain mate im confused,,,cheers

[@VoGusProspecting]

Because they move on well before I get to where they were with noise I make smacking the shovel around in front of me.

[@Uriel_222]

Very nice Chris. I would have thought that the sluice would have been faster but wow 😳 I was wrong . Thanks again for the informative video’s 👍

[@DaleDuffy]

Great comparison....have a fantastic 2020 prospecting...!

[@dennissorensen167]

Thanks for sharing Chris!

[@eckk7405]

Sweet ur a legend chris lol i used the last bit of the vid stockpile the reduction but i used a classifer and does take a long time. That was wicked advice wish i seen ur vid dismornin, all good next time ill put ya yoda advice to use for sure. So much to learn still it all seems easy till ya get to the creek an ya have a mind boggle.

[@ray4334]

Big fan but I do have an observation from my end. When you were first stratifying in your speed run you were much more aggressive then when you were looking at losses into the other pan. Have you tried to see what your losses are when you are more aggressive in your stratifying into a tub, then panning that out? It seems to me before the heavy particles have a chance to fall through the other material it is being washed out over the edges. Especially with fine "mustard" gold.

[@matthewswan9961]

Hey Chris! Here's some inspiration 😃 Go take Fern and a pan and enjoy yourselves. Loved the experiment mate 🤘👍

[@petereaton6740]

Interesting technique but as you say it does tend to take the fun out of it👍 years ago when i used to pan it was all about relaxation 😉 oh and the surrounding environment i was relaxing in lol and btw i just loved the cover shot👍

[@parkerrowe4687]

Great video and comparison. Thank you.

[@BenzoGold79]

4 min. That's just dirt. Takes me 20+ to class a bucket, all rock and clay. Great info sleepy music👍🍻

[@JPLawnsMore]

Benzo Bonanza Mining&Prospecting we need an arbor classifier!🍀🍺⛏

[@BenzoGold79]

@@JPLawnsMore yeah man, just 80 with shipping or just save for the Keene or green mtn. Lol. I'm honest and blunt with chris and pauly I figured that they have so many people kissing their ass a straight shooter but not a troll is appreciated. Maybe. Lol

[@JPLawnsMore]

Benzo Bonanza Mining&Prospecting yeah I don’t kiss arse either! And we don’t even get all the clay broke down in those 20 minutes.

[@Famo59]

Great information video., Hopping 2020 is a awesome year for you mate. Cheers Famo59 👍🤓🍺⛏

[@metaldetectingaustralia6355]

Another awesome video keep up these awesome tutorial and interesting gold panning videos

[@jeffkoehne4852]

And after hours and hours does the sluice make it easier.

[@ThisIsSolution]

Less bendy over

[@bjvoorhies]

@@ThisIsSolution And for us "can't squat for squat" moldy oldies that's a consideration.

[@aumetalmental8403]

Cool video. Pros and cons and techniques...😎✌️

[@ESteveMcLaughlin]

Really like your comparison videos.

[@VoGusProspecting]

Glad you like them!

[@48vdcwrld]

Good info, hope to apply it soon thanks...

[@alexreifschneider6709]

Good luck with the fires!

[@respectanimals2]

Great thorough test, loved it, 😎⛏👍

[@merfishsandwich691]

IMO using a sluice isn't just a matter of efficiency it's also a matter of ease of use. Panning out the same amount of material is far more physically intensive. If you can spend more time because you're not exhausted or blistered makes a big difference in how much gold you take home at the end of your day.

[@1313nate]

Danger noodles are the worst! Out here we have heaps of rattlesnakes, and water snakes. This past summer I was out with a friend of mine working a creek and he warned me that there was a snake behind me. I looked and thought it was just a branch so I moved a bit closer and NOPE. Danger noodle and out of the water we went. Also, didn't know rattlesnakes could swim until last year.

[@tesstickle7267]

Can i ask the sizes of that sluice, looks like a nice compact but also capable size

[@ferdburphel2076]

Well done!!👍

[@drewdouglas4883]

Good stuff Chris

[@mikeobrien4437]

Very good video and you show thinking out of the box. You mentioned Gold Hog losing some gold but wouldn't that loss be covered by no need to classify thus more dirt moved? Just a thought.

[@VoGusProspecting]

No, it looses heaps.

[@HookedOnFishing61]

Chances of you replying may be low but heck I've got a question. I picked up 3 random bits of quartz while out fishing, when I got home I crushed them and panned it, I found about $10 worth of gold in those 3 bits about palm size rocks. Does that tell me that I should be taking more of these quartz rocks ? I wish you were down near Bendigo so you could guide me and maybe get the spot :P 😂

[@glassontherocks]

I'm to old to mess with things I can't see anymore but it seems to me that someone could meld a pin pointer of some kind into a pan so you could detect at the same time. Have a go at that... Make you some money.

[@TisButAScratch666]

Fun and informative as ever!

[@Thengol]

Did you add some rocks to the sluice before you added the processed material of the bucket?

[@VoGusProspecting]

Yes to see if the flownwas correct

[@unvrkno77]

Another great vid bro! At what point do you recommend doing a cleanup on the sluice? I always feel like I'm losing gold if I run it very long without a cleanup. Thanks again mate, for all that you do.

[@VoGusProspecting]

I do it out of that one every 8 buckets or so.

[@williampendergrass186]

Very interesting. Do you think this method would work on beach sand where you are separating very small specs from magnetite rich sand? Why do I ask? Because in Oregon you can not use a motorized sluice on the beach and in many gold rich areas there are no creeks for a gravity sluice.

[@VoGusProspecting]

You will have to rest and find out

[@FlourgoldWizards]

All great information!!!! ✅✅✅✅✅

[@Sleazin]

Stay safe man. Hope all is okay

[@Stunrr]

The gold left the building at 15:41

[@tasdgoldprospecting2979]

Nice work mate 🌾👀🌾

[@bjvoorhies]

Great vid! Need to check the river sluice for losses, too. It doesn't catch everything, either. How about your father's reef? Like to see more of that, too.

[@VoGusProspecting]

Yes I has to cut that bit from the video because if length. Dad's reef is currently under an evacuation order because of the fire.

[@frederickbierweiler8020]

watched your beardcut last night lol cant wait to see you in the bush beardless lol great video this one, also wish id seen your flowpan review before i bought one, my results similar to yours oh well live and learn

[@VoGusProspecting]

Yeah mate, I wanted that pan to be good but it's pretty bad. I can't wait to hit the creek, I don't care if it's 1 dot of gold. I want in!

[@liam4982]

Since this video is about efficiency could I use the pocket pan as a efficient pan thank you for your time

[@VoGusProspecting]

Not really, it's too small for any real application on the creek other than fun. It is however a great clean up pan.

[@liam4982]

Great thanks

[@trippingonrocks1165]

I really enjoy these tests you do, always interesting. Thanks Chris 👍🏼#thefinders

[@MikeWD9JJV]

Did you just describe a "turbopan"? I've got one of those. I was just about to spend a bunch of money on something I thought was better! Thank you!