Hi Bullwinkle,
Welcome.
I also found the contributions of Loamer on this forum (and there are other contributors to be sure) that are of great assistance.
Find Loamer's writings here;
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2042
I am somewhat new to prospecting as I commenced in November / December '16.
If you would like to, (I don't read where you reside, but presume you are in Victoria with your Whipstick detecting history), that being semi retired I have the desire to undertake some continuous and serious time in the goldfields.
Being continually alone in the bush to date is not the best means of remaining safe - snakes, injury, vehicle breakdowns, whatever... so I would entertain a field trip out, and likely this could be 2 / 3 nights bush as I am serious enough about my approach.
I am now of the opinion that I need to detect an area, to concentrate solely on that area and to work it properly. I do not think that a scattered go here and there approach is best practice. In three months I have been to 3 places. Blackwood, Malmsbury and Moonambel. I have found gold.
One quote from a lecturer in a completely different field is "Get to know (it) like a cow knows it's calf !!"
There is a lot to know in detecting and I will help you as best I can with what I now know. And it is coil to the ground time that counts.
What is more though is a quote from Abraham Lincoln who said "If I have 6 hours to cut down a big tree I will use 4 hours to sharpen my axe".
Detecting can be a bit like that....
Cheers...