noelm

What is the tank made out of?

Casting is something that takes practice, you can't learn it from a couple of movies (in my opinion) if possible, get some pointers first from an accomplished caster so you don't create bad habits. Where I fish is easy, it's mostly sand, nothing behind me, but, now and then I fish off a rocky shore, which for a novice like me can be a challenge, but an expert put me onto a washing baskets around my waist threaded on a belt, you pull the line into the basket, rather than at your feet in the rocks, you look like a goose, but it works great.

I have a pretty basic "combo" I bought years ago and it's still good to use, my son has a very upmarket setup and it's nicer, but not 4 times the price nicer, if you get what I mean? I fish for Bream, Trevally, Blackfish and Mullet, just using bread for burley and a bread fly, works a treat for me, but I am a long way from an expert, it is good fun though.

Not too sure I understand that bit, what timber did you dig at with the chisel?

Lots of them at Bass Point, around the Gravel Loader, and most of the northern side, I have seen some quite big ones diving, speared one once accidentally, thought it was a big Drummer in a darkish hole.

From the inside is the best method, but, it's harder work, it allows proper adhesion to stringers and floor section (that you said was soft) it's a bonus if it does have a solid glass underfloor structure. Rot from unsealed holes is the major cause of transom rot.

And some ice in the esky....hallelujah! Can't beat nice fresh Flathead fillets.

Advantages in all materials, ply is cheap, easy to get, easy to work with, and if properly done (not like most "legendary" boats were built) it will last for decades, especially if care is taken when drilling holes.

Yep, fair enough, it would be good for "family" outings, when you have to do everything, been there, done that.

Nothing against pre making rigs at home, but I have yet to see a wild Flathead/Snapper/anything bite that required an instant rig change, by the time you find your packet, get your remade out of it and clip it on, a new hook could be tied anyway. Maybe if you are using the useless double dropper rig, with the hook just "looped" on, maybe, but with a decent, simple setup, it takes no time to repair/retie

In the example shown, running sinker to hook rig, in reality there need only be one knot (at the hook) tying on swivels and snaps way over complicates the simplest rig ever, and introduces more knots and gizmos to fail.

Yep agree, never been a fan of rigging gear at home and clipping it on, it's just as easy to tie a new setup if/when you lose it, rather than having to store premade rigs. (In my opinion)

The weather has been pretty ordinary lately, it's either raining, windy or both.....

It's easily a home job if you have basic skills and tools, but, it's not a lot of fun doing all the cutting, repairing is pretty easy, preparation is not.......best guess they will cut one side of the floor out, investigate rot and repairs just to see what's what inside.

Yes, tar-wine

No difference in eating qualities, unless someone told you, it would be hard to pick which one you were eating, caught hundreds of them, you get quite big Tarwhine out deep fishing for Snapper during summer.

Yep, plenty of water will go in there, are you intending to do the repair yourself? It sure looks like a quick "patch" has been done there before (not a repair, two very different things)

Don't want to scare you, but that is not going to be easy to fix, that's substantial damage, and probably some internal rot. You will need to cut the floor out and repair it from the inside to make it a proper long term repair. It looks like it might have been "patched" before? How long have you had the boat?

Tarwhine have a much more rounded head, and usually have kind of stripes on their sides, and have a black stomach lining, where a Bream is silver.

Never really been a fan of Whalers in general, but as I said, it would be a giant step up from the Viking.

Not a huge fan myself, but there's lots of them around, and I have seen plenty of them out pretty wide in choppy conditions. They seem to go OK, be way softer ride than the Viking.

There's a place near me with huge Silver Drummer, but unless you want to catch them for fun, they have limited eating qualities at best.

My favourite is just filleted, skinned, rolled in flour then cooked in hot oil, simple and delicious, my wife prefers them crumbed, but to me, they taste too good to mess around with. They have a great flavour, not strong or over powering.

Great fish to catch and eat, well done. Drummer love bread.

No pictures.......