Swinging vs walking the riverbank: which is better for spotting ledges?

I've been running a 8-inch dredge on the Rogue River for two seasons now. Started off swinging the nozzle back and forth like a pendulum to cover ground. But last week I switched to walking the bank slow and letting the nozzle settle in one spot before moving. Found a nice crack in a bedrock ledge that way, pulled out about 3 ounces of flood gold in one day. The old timers at the shop swear by swinging though. Which method do you guys use for hard-to-reach spots and why?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahhall2d ago

You bet, walking the bank slow saved my bacon on a tight spot last fall.

betty_barnes2d ago

Walking the bank is the way to go for ledges, no question. Swinging skips over the deep cracks where the heavy stuff settles, especially in swift water where flood gold drops first. I run a 6-inch on the Klamath and found a seam under a overhang last month by doing just that - let the nozzle sit for a full minute before moving, got half a ounce of chunky stuff out of a pocket you'd never hit with a swing. Stick with what worked for you, the old timers don't always have the last word on every spot.