Fisher Gold Bug Metal Detector Overview
The Fisher Gold Bug is the entry model of the Gold Bug family, and First Texas lists coin shooting, relic hunting and gold prospecting as its purposes. It runs a single 19 kHz VLF frequency chosen for sensitivity to small, low-conductivity targets such as gold nuggets. Ground Grab computerized ground balancing cancels ground mineralization: you hold the touch pad while pumping the coil over clean ground. All Metal mode gives the most sensitivity, and Discrimination mode, set with plus and minus buttons, helps reject unwanted targets with a low or high tone. The display shows a 2-digit target ID, a ground phase number and an Fe3O4 bar graph for the amount of mineralization, and a pinpoint mode with a depth indicator. Gain and threshold are adjustable, and VCO audio changes pitch with signal strength. The 5 inch DD searchcoil is waterproof. The Gold Bug weighs 2.5 lb (1.13 kg), runs about 15 to 20 hours on one 9V alkaline battery, has a 1/4 inch headphone jack for stereo plug headphones and carries a 2-year warranty.
Gold Bug vs. Gold Bug Pro: Which Should You Buy?
The Gold Bug and Gold Bug Pro share the 19 kHz frequency, the 5 inch DD coil, the 2.5 lb weight, the ground phase and Fe3O4 readouts, the 9V battery and the 2-year warranty. The Gold Bug Pro adds manual ground balance on top of Ground Grab, so you can fine-tune the balance in All Metal mode, and a numeric DISC setting from 0 to 80. First Texas pitches the Pro at serious gold prospectors and advanced users, and the Pro is also the platform for the Gold Bug DP with its 11 inch DD elliptical coil and for the two-coil Pro combo.
If you want the lowest entry point to the family and a detector that balances itself to the ground, the Gold Bug is the one we recommend. If you already know you want to tweak ground balance by hand, or you want a bigger coil in the box, choose the Gold Bug Pro or the Gold Bug DP. If your gold is very small and the ground is heavily hunted, the 71 kHz Gold Bug 2 is the specialist, with manual ground balance and no target ID.
Gold Bug, Best For:
- First-time prospectors who want automatic Ground Grab balancing and a short list of controls
- Bedrock cracks, brushy ground and hot soil, using the small 5 inch DD coil
- Relic hunters and coin shooters who want one light 19 kHz detector
Gold Bug Pro, Best For:
- Prospectors who want manual ground balance for variable or very mineralized soil
- Hunters who want a numeric DISC setting from 0 to 80
- Buyers who want the 11 inch coil (Gold Bug DP) or two coils (Pro combo) from the start
Gold Bug Settings That Matter in Gold Country
Ground Grab is the first thing to learn. Fisher's manual has you hold the Ground Grab touch pad while pumping the coil up and down over ground with no target, then release when the sound evens out; it works in All Metal mode, not in Discrimination mode. We re-grab every time the soil color or texture changes, and we watch the Fe3O4 bar graph: when it climbs, the ground is getting hotter and it is time to balance again. Then we raise gain until the threshold gets unstable and back it off a step.
All Metal mode is where we hunt for gold, because every target gives a VCO signal and nothing is rejected. Discrimination mode is for checking a signal or working a trashy site: targets below your setting give a low tone, the rest a high tone, and the 2-digit target ID adds a number. On a gold site we dig every repeatable signal and use the ID mainly to spot iron.
Where the Gold Bug Works Best and Its Limits
The Gold Bug is at home in mineralized gold ground, on relic sites and in old parks and fields, the uses First Texas lists for it. The 5 inch DD coil fits into rock crevices and between roots, and its small footprint sees less ground noise than a large coil. It is not a water detector: only the searchcoil is waterproof, so creek edges are fine for the coil but the control box must stay dry, and Fisher sells a rain cover for wet weather. For wading and diving, see our waterproof metal detectors. For the smallest gold, the 71 kHz Gold Bug 2 is more sensitive, and for deep nuggets in heavily mineralized goldfields prospectors move to a pulse induction detector; compare both in our gold detectors collection.
Coils and Accessories That Fit the Gold Bug
Fisher's Gold Bug manual lists three coils: the 5 inch DD round that comes on the detector, a 10 inch DD elliptical and an 11 inch DD elliptical. In this collection that means the Fisher 10 inch solid biaxial DD elliptical coil (which also fits the Gold Bug Pro) and the Fisher 11 inch solid biaxial DD elliptical coil. For open ground, the CORS Cannon 14.5 x 10.5 inch DD coil is a CORS Labs coil made for the Gold Bug. We recommend keeping the 5 inch coil for crevices and trashy patches and adding the 10 inch DD for washes, tailings and fields. Gold Bug 2 coils are a separate series and do not fit.
Tall users can fit the 26.5 inch Fisher TUBE5X lower rod, which Fisher's Gold Bug Pro manual lists as the extended lower stem. Any wired headphones with a 1/4 inch stereo plug work, such as the DetectorPro Black Widow; mono plugs do not. A Fisher pinpointer speeds up recovery in gravel and bedrock, and the free Gold Bug digital manual is in this collection.
Fisher Gold Bug Series Comparison: Gold Bug, Gold Bug Pro and Gold Bug 2
All three Gold Bug models are single-frequency VLF gold detectors with waterproof searchcoils, a 1/4 inch headphone jack and a 2-year warranty. The differences sit in frequency, ground balance, target ID, coils and battery.
| Feature | Gold Bug | Gold Bug Pro | Gold Bug 2 |
|---|
| Technology | VLF, single frequency 19 kHz | VLF, single frequency 19 kHz | VLF, single frequency 71 kHz |
| Search Modes | All Metal, Discrimination | All Metal, Discrimination | Normal, Boost, Iron Discrimination |
| Ground Balance | Ground Grab computerized (automatic) | Ground Grab computerized plus manual | Manual (Ground Reject knob) |
| Discrimination | Adjustable (plus and minus buttons) | Adjustable, DISC 0 to 80 | Iron Disc mode (ignores hot rocks and ferrous objects) |
| Target ID | 2-digit numeric | 2-digit numeric | None |
| Ground Phase and Fe3O4 Readout | Yes | Yes | LCD shows the ground reject setting and the Mineralization setting (Low, Normal, High) |
| Pinpoint | Yes, with depth indicator | Yes, with depth indicator | No pinpoint mode |
| Stock Searchcoil | 5 inch DD round | 5 inch DD round (Gold Bug Pro); 11 inch DD elliptical (Gold Bug DP); two-coil combo | 6.5 inch or 10 inch elliptical; two-coil combo |
| Fisher Coil Options | 5 inch DD round, 10 inch DD elliptical, 11 inch DD elliptical | 5 inch DD round, 10 inch DD elliptical, 11 inch DD elliptical | 6.5, 10 and 14 inch elliptical |
| Water Resistance | Searchcoil waterproof; Fisher rain cover available | Searchcoil waterproof; Fisher rain cover available | Searchcoil waterproof; control box dust and moisture resistant |
| Headphone Jack | 1/4 inch (stereo plug) | 1/4 inch (stereo plug) | 1/4 inch |
| Battery and Runtime | 1 x 9V, about 15 to 20 hours (alkaline) | 1 x 9V, about 15 to 20 hours (alkaline) | 2 x 9V, 25 to 35 hours (alkaline) |
| Weight | 2.5 lb (1.13 kg) | 2.5 lb (1.13 kg) with 5 inch coil | 2.9 lb (1.3 kg) |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
The Gold Bug DP and the two-coil combo are configurations of the Gold Bug Pro, so they share its column.
For the 19 kHz versus 71 kHz decision in more depth, read our Fisher Gold Bug Pro vs Gold Bug 2 guide.
Why Buy the Fisher Gold Bug from Serious Detecting?
- Free Shipping on Orders Over $99: Your Fisher Gold Bug ships at no extra cost across the continental US.
- Authorized Fisher Dealer: Showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan, full 2-year manufacturer warranty and product registration support.
- Help Before and After You Buy: Our staff answer setup, coil and Gold Bug questions by phone or email.
