Gold Rush TV Show

edgemar · 12-11-2011, 01:02 PM

I love that show but I can't help but wonder how much they're getting paid to be on TV. They constantly play up how their ass is out on the line and how they have no money left. Also, the minor people from last season...Dakota Fred & The Schnabel's now have their own dedicated segments. It seems like being on TV is much more profitable then mining for gold in Alaska & the Klondike.

mnewport · mnewport's Garage

Very little about "reality TV" is actually real. I have a friend that was on one of those reality shows about cakes. She told me the story lines were entirely fabricated, and most of the "customers" were simply paid actors . The only thing "real" about the show was the cake shop and the people who worked there. I'd wager the same to be true about Gold Rush.

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

As soon as they find gold the show is over, so I would guess they will never find very much gold.

edgemar · 12-11-2011, 05:36 PM

It would be interesting to know how much the "actors" are compensated...

pksystems · pksystems's Garage

Todd Hoffman sure doesn't look like he's starving. He actually looks BIGGER in the aftershow preview. Possibly cause he doesn't actually do anything on the show.

biosurfer1 · 12-11-2011, 06:03 PM

I used to like the show but the constant "we need to find gold or we'll be broke" crap is getting old. I mostly like the how/when/why of finding the gold...i could care less that Todd's dad is pissed at him or Dakota Fred is arguing with his son.

legion · 12-11-2011, 07:18 PM

The only person who doesn't come off like an idiot is the 17-year old kid. He's running the most productive mine of the three on the show.

At first I thought Dakota Fred pulled a dick move by buying the Porcupine Creek claim out from under the Hoffmans, but they were the ones that created the possibility by missing a lease payment. They got that mine right to the point of producing and what does Dakota Fred do? He fills in their "glory hole" and throws out all of the equipment he bought from them, essentially setting himself back at least a full season.

The Hoffmans bought a bill of goods on their new claim. They were told it was all virgin, but the first expert (who isn't the guy trying to sell them a claim) they get on the property quickly proves otherwise. If they were out of money last season, how the heck did they get more money for more equipment?

asphaltgambler · 12-12-2011, 06:21 AM

Yeah - exactly. Don't know if anyone caught the beginning of this season when the Hoffmans were at their 'home place' Multiple aircraft hangers full of .....................what else? - aircraft, parts and support equipment. Now I don't know a h*ll of a lot about what I saw, but the one small hanger that had the doors open was full of some very nice looking small planes. My guess a cool $600-800K for just the planes parked in there

Flying is an expensive hobby. My guess is the Hoffmans have some sort of small aviation business and the construction side is just that.................a side. I really liked it in the beginning but it's starting to 'jump the shark' now.

How many times can you be dead-*ss broke and still come up with money for fuel and additional machines and parts?? They effin spend money like my ex wife.......good grief

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

Yea but this claim is " drop dead fantastic"

VincentVega · 12-12-2011, 06:42 AM

Quote:

I mostly like the how/when/why of finding the gold

I caught some of this show the other day. Reminds me of just about every other show on one of those channels. I'm interesting in learning about just about anything. Forestry, alligators, gold processing, fishing, motorcycles.... but that's all I care about. The personal stuff turns me away every time.

tabs · 12-12-2011, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

The Hoffmans bought a bill of goods on their new claim. They were told it was all virgin, but the first expert (who isn't the guy trying to sell them a claim) they get on the property quickly proves otherwise. If they were out of money last season, how the heck did they get more money for more equipment?

WRONG! The East side of the Creek is a hill side where the Dredge could not get and that is the virgin ground. That was pointed out by the claim owners son when they signed the lease. Further it was the Claim Owner who told the Hoffies that they were clearing ground that had previously been worked. They were absolutely stupid for not asking the Claim Owner where he thought the best place to mine was. The first thing to do on any claim is to talk to the owner..to
find out where to dig.

Th Hoffies are absolute CLUSTER FKs.

Dakota Fredd fked up by not running the Hoffie Gold Separating Plant until his new one was delivered. Also he should have dug down a bit more into the Hoffie Glory Hole as they were just about to hit it..cleaning that pocket out first..however his plan t strip mine is a good one.

The show probably bankrolls these guys efforts at mining. What ever they get is their profit or wages on the show. Did you notice that they are all driving new trucks.

The GrandPA and his Grand Kid are pros..Grandpa probably told the kid where to dig...and give it a go. How many 17 year olds are running an operation like that? Do ya think that kid has a future? This team probably had a plan of where to dig from the git go...klean out the old tailings, dig up the old dredge buckets and then move on to another patch of virgin ground up the hill side. How much more is there left on this claim before it has been all dug out and worked?

I have been Gold Mining before running a 4 inch Suction Dredge on the N Fork of the Yuba and Feather Rivers..as well as shoveling dirt in the San Gabriels. It is back breaking work for very little return..Gold is hard to find and get. it is a yardage moved game.

The value of any Gold you can pickup with your fingers is MANY MANY times that of the Bullion price...If Gold is 1600 an OZ a one ounce nugget would probably be worth 5K +.

tevake · 12-12-2011, 11:13 AM

Did you see that video that Bill Douglas posted on his gold in the river thread? That diver got more gold in 5 min. out of one crack than the Hofmans did in weeks with their whole crew.

Bill is going to be rich by the end of His summer trip :-) I figure his SUP boards are going to get him to where even the jet boats can't reach

Cheers Richard

1990C4S · 12-12-2011, 11:24 AM

Why did the Hoffman's not do a test dig with the bucket (and pan the resulting material ) before trying to clear 40 acres with a 'dozer?

tevake · 12-12-2011, 11:43 AM

"At first I thought Dakota Fred pulled a dick move by buying the Porcupine Creek claim out from under the Hoffmans, but they were the ones that created the possibility by missing a lease payment. They got that mine right to the point of producing and what does Dakota Fred do? He fills in their "glory hole" and throws out all of the equipment he bought from them, essentially setting himself back at least a full season." Legion

Well I still think that was a sh---y thing to do. They did leave the door open, but.
Then his house got flooded sort of karmic justice.

1990C4S · 12-12-2011, 01:08 PM

The 'dick move' was leasing to a bunch of idiots and taking your payment as a percentage of the gold.

After a season of 'sweet f/a', who can blame the owner for wanting an experienced miner on his claim?

And if Fred doesn't dig the 'glory hole', aren't being set up for a 'Return of the Hoffman's' season?

And finally: Who doesn't want to punch that old man in the head? What an annoying nit-wit....

M.D. Holloway · 12-12-2011, 01:17 PM

The boy and the Grand Dad are the best thing about that show.

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

I always get my gold in 10 days or less!

Just think if they had bought real gold with all that money they flushed down the hole the first year they could have tripled their money and did nothing!

sammyg2 · 12-12-2011, 01:34 PM

I tried to watch it, but just couldn't take the dumb and dumber routine.

tevake · 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

The 'dick move' was leasing to a bunch of idiots and taking your payment as a percentage of the gold.

After a season of 'sweet f/a', who can blame the owner for wanting an experienced miner on his claim?

And if Fred doesn't dig the 'glory hole', aren't being set up for a 'Return of the Hoffman's' season?

And finally: Who doesn't want to punch that old man in the head? What an annoying nit-wit....

WOW tell us how you really feel. That was funny really. True but funny.

Nathans_Dad · Nathans_Dad's Garage

I admit to watching the show for both seasons. Old man Hoffman is ridiculously stupid.

I'm also getting tired of the "go USA" speeches from the Hoffman's every time they decide to take a dump! Just go dig, idiots!! It's pretty obvious that the History Channel wants them to be bumbling idiots, I can't believe anyone would risk that kind of cash without getting professional help first. The number of just dumbass mistakes that have been made over and over are amazing.

Dakota Fred is an ass. End of story. The claim owner had every right to lease his claim to someone else, but for Fred to act their their buddy last year and then screw them over the next season is pretty low. I also couldn't believe he just filled in the previous mining site, the Hoffman's were down to decent bedrock, any bonehead would have at least run some dirt from that hole to see what was there. Would have taken no time at all.

My prediction is that Dakota Fred comes up empty this year, Parker Schnabel will hit it big and the Hoffmans will get some gold but not enough to break even.