Fisher Gold Bug DP Metal Detector Overview
The Fisher Gold Bug DP Deep Penetrating Gold Nugget Hunter is one of three configurations of the Gold Bug Pro that First Texas sells. The detector is the Gold Bug Pro: a single 19 kHz VLF frequency designed to detect the smallest gold nuggets even in highly mineralized soil, with coin shooting and relic hunting listed as further uses. Ground Grab computerized ground balancing sets the balance when you pump the coil, and in All Metal mode you can fine-tune it manually. The display shows a ground phase number for the type of mineralization, an Fe3O4 bar graph for its amount, a 2-digit target ID in Discrimination mode and approximate depth in pinpoint. Discrimination is set from 0 to 80. What makes it the DP is the coil: an 11 inch DD elliptical searchcoil in place of the 5 inch round coil, so each sweep covers more ground. The coil is waterproof. The Gold Bug DP runs about 15 to 20 hours on one 9V alkaline battery, has a 1/4 inch headphone jack and carries a 2-year warranty.
Gold Bug DP vs. Gold Bug Pro With the 5 Inch Coil: Which Should You Buy?
The only difference between the Gold Bug DP and the Gold Bug Pro with the 5 inch coil is the coil in the box. Fisher's Gold Bug Pro manual lists the 5 inch DD round, 10 inch DD elliptical and 11 inch DD elliptical coils for the Gold Bug Pro, which includes the DP, so either one can add the other coil later. The 11 inch DD elliptical covers more ground per swing on open washes, tailings and fields; the 5 inch round fits bedrock cracks and brush and sees less ground noise in the hottest soil. Fisher's Gold Bug Pro manual notes that small coils also pick up less electrical interference than large ones.
If most of your ground is open, we recommend the Gold Bug DP. If most of it is tight, trashy or very hot, choose the Gold Bug Pro with the 5 inch coil, or the two-coil Gold Bug Pro combo if you want both from the start. The Gold Bug uses Ground Grab only with the 5 inch coil, and the Gold Bug 2 runs 71 kHz with manual ground balance and no target ID.
Gold Bug DP, Best For:
- Gridding open washes, tailings piles and plowed fields with the 11 inch DD elliptical coil
- Relic hunters who want a 19 kHz detector with a larger coil, a 2-digit target ID and a 0 to 80 DISC setting
- Prospectors who want Ground Grab plus manual ground balance
Gold Bug Pro With 5 Inch Coil, Best For:
- Bedrock cracks, brushy slopes and tight spots between boulders
- The hottest soil, where a small coil sees less ground noise
- Sites with electrical interference, where Fisher notes small coils pick up less of it
Gold Bug DP Settings That Matter on Open Ground
Ground balance first: hold the Ground Grab touch pad and pump the coil over clean ground, from about an inch above it up to 6 to 8 inches, then fine-tune in All Metal mode with the plus and minus buttons. With the large 11 inch coil we keep the coil low and level and overlap each sweep, so no strip of ground is missed between passes. Rebalance whenever the ground phase number or the Fe3O4 graph changes.
Fisher's Gold Bug Pro manual calls All Metal the more sensitive mode and recommends it for serious prospecting, so that is where we hunt for gold. Discrimination mode, with the 2-digit target ID, is for relic and coin ground: the manual says IDs of 40 or less are ferrous. For electrical interference, such as from power lines, Fisher's advice is to lower gain or threshold first; a DISC setting between 60 and 70 usually reduces interference too, but it also rejects lower-ID targets, including much small gold.
Where the Gold Bug DP Works Best and Its Limits
The Gold Bug DP fits gold prospecting on open ground, relic hunting and coin shooting, the uses Fisher lists. Fisher's Gold Bug Pro manual is frank that the detector is slightly less sensitive to high-conductivity coins such as a quarter, because the design favors small, low-conductivity metals like gold. It is not a water detector: only the coil is rated waterproof, so use Fisher's rain cover in wet weather and keep the housing out of the creek. The manual also warns that in extremely magnetic soil (above 10,000 micro-cgs units) the ground signal can overload the circuitry, and Fisher's fix is to raise the coil several inches above the ground. Ground that hot is pulse induction country, and our gold detectors collection has the options.
Coils and Accessories That Fit the Gold Bug DP
Fisher's Gold Bug Pro manual lists three coils for the Pro, including the DP: the 11 inch DD elliptical that comes on the DP, a 10 inch DD elliptical and a 5 inch DD round. For tight, trashy patches we recommend adding the small round coil; the Fisher 10 inch solid biaxial DD elliptical coil fits too. Gold Bug 2 coils are a separate series. Tall users can fit the 26.5 inch Fisher TUBE5X lower rod, the extended lower stem the Gold Bug Pro manual lists. Headphones need a 1/4 inch stereo plug; mono plugs do not work. A Fisher pinpointer speeds up recovery in gravel.
Fisher Gold Bug Series Comparison: Gold Bug, Gold Bug Pro (and DP) 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 DP from Serious Detecting?
- Free Shipping on Orders Over $99: Your Fisher Gold Bug DP 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 DP questions by phone or email.
Sold OutFisherSale Price $359.00 Regular Price
