2008 to 2012 A friend and me did the drives to OC MD..2 hours 20 minutes, several times a year. I averaged about 25 gold a year. I found the best hunting to be, July 15 to Sept 15th or only if there was a event. Like a coastal storm, or something that was not normal. All of the other trips down, I was lucky to find much at all.
So off season hunting those areas one really does need to live near the beach, be retired, and able to go on a whim....... to put yourself in the right spot for gold.
And it could be........Earl (SurfMaster) keeps those places cleaned out.