After a long days hunt with little to show for it, I was ready to pack it in. But then, just a few steps away from the ramp leading off the beach, I got a strong signal from my detector. What I found still amazes me . . .

As with most of my visits to the Florida treasure coast beaches, I had high hopes for what I might find.

Reports of recent finds from the 1715 Spanish fleet wreck had been trickling in, so I felt it was a good time for me to drive across the state and hit the beaches around Vero.

I started my day at Treasure Shores beach, but after two hours hadn't found anything except heavily corroded iron flakes from off-shore wrecks.

Because of the lack of find, I decided to move down to Turtle Trails beach after my lunch break.

And that's when my luck changed.

Going north on the beach from the Turtle trails entrance, I got a very strong signal right at the water's edge.

The tide was going out, which gave me a brief window to dig, before the incoming tide would make digging in the sand impossible.

I started digging, and even down to 2 feet - I hadn't reached the target.

But the signal kept getting stronger and stronger.

I didn't give up, and eventually I was rewarded with a heavily encrusted object about 3 feet in length with a swirled hand grip on one end.

According to those who I have shown it to, it might just be a Spanish pike from the 1715 fleet wreck!

I have since returned to that same beach, and in the same area helped another person dig two Spanish reale coins.

So when visiting the treasure coast, Turtle Trails is now a beach I always detect.

If you want to learn more about the Treasure Coast, as well as current beach conditions there, check out http://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/