Bag a Barra — 5 June 2020

It's time to head to the Top End and Bag a Barra. With Glenn Watty Watts, thanks to Shimano. Remember to buy local and fish local. visit Shimanofish.com.au.

And from the Victorian high country, right up there to the Top End, it's time to catch up with my man, Wadi, he's on the line. Whatdy, g'day, mate. G'day, Doc. How you going down there?

Not too cold? Oh, mate, it's pretty cool. Well, I've got to tell you, I don't want to sound like a soot, but geez, I'm going through some firewood here. But that's what you blokes do down there, isn't it?

all summer and burn firewood all winter. I know it's a bit like. It is a bit like that, mate. Oh, mate, we've been going through plenty of lumber here.

Don't worry about that. But I think what, what, what, what doesn't help my, my, my timber stocks, as they say, is the fact that every weekend I've got fires going out the back and having a beer around them and camp ovens and all sorts of things. So I've just, yeah, it just doesn't stop, but anyway, it's all good, but you'd be happy to know that in New South Wales, and I'm pretty sure in Queensland this weekend too. The 1st times you can go camping, so there's nobody home.

Oh, yeah, that's the go. Good time to put the buddy Balaclaver on and go and do a bit of five-finger discount, is it? Yeah, exactly what I said earlier. You can imagine that, you know, the, the, the burglars and all the, uh, the people who are in that business, they, they, they'll just be walk around the neighbourhood freely.

I mean, nobody, we know what he aims. If you've gone out, make sure you shut the front door. That's always my biggest fear, Watty, whenever I go on a big trip, did I shut the front door? Okay, because you're that excited when you're going.

But anyway, mate, what's doing up in the Top End, mate, if you drop the line anywhere, what's happening? Well, I'm about to go out for the weekend to drop a line, probably one of the last trips in my current boat, and that's what I thought I'd chat to you about today is boats. A lot of your caravaners particular will drag a, drag a boat up and we get a lot of blokes drag boats up and, and leave them up here, fly up and down a few times a year. So, um, we have a, quick chat about boats. Yeah, yeah, go for your life.

Yeah, so obviously, the most, I'm getting a new boat built, which is what's prompted my, um, this train of thought. Most blokes um sort of bring up a pretty small boat. I think you're really best off to be something over about 4 metres if you can, and that's um roof toppable and easy to get in and out of billabongs, but uh, you know, about the same size as most of the crocodiles. So you're in with a fighting chance anyway.

Yeah, no, exactly right, mate. So, I mean, that's the thing with. I mean, do you ever get nervous when you're in a tinny and you're out there in a boat and a croc's swimming around you? I didn't use to.

I started up here in a 12 footer with an 8 horsepower. Um, but now after stepping out of a, you know, 7 metre boat with a 175 on the back, I, I don't like going in the small boats anymore, but it's, it's, it's relatively safe as long as you play the game by, you know, the normal rules of being crock wise, you're, you're pretty right. Most of these sort, sort of 14 foot high-sided tinnies that the gray name had folks have gotten these days are perfectly fine and unless you go out into the rough weather, which you, you know, you would be. Well, forget about being up the Top End.

I mean it wouldn't matter where you were. You don't go out in a little, you know, you always, mate, whenever you go out in a boat, you just make sure your boat can handle the conditions, it's always a good start, no matter where you are, mate, whether it's down here, up there, or if you're in Kalunga, look, it's just simple as that. Yeah, so mate, you've been looking forward to the area. Yeah, go on.

topic of conversation, the boats, and I get a lot asked a lot from people. So if anyone does have any worries or want to confirm anything that they might need. Just just hit us up and I'll I'll sort them out. you know, offline.

Yeah, no good stuff, mate. So, mate, and so this boat you're getting, it's going to be a cracker then. Yeah, brand new, 7.2 metres with a really shallow draft and big seagoing sort of flats boat, so really exciting crossover um to do our barr stuff and the blue water things, it, it should be on deck by the time we finish our um, our restrictions up here. So 1st of August, we're planning on having it in the water. So, very, very exciting.

Oh, happy days. That sounds fantastic, mate, and 1st of August, eh, that date, see, okay, I'll just write that down, and... My hot people, I called it for September on Facebook here a while back, but I'm moving it forwards, I reckon August. Yeah, good stuff, mate. Happy days.

We look forward to that. All right, mate. Well, good luck this weekend, hope you grab something, mate. And we'll catch up next week and see how things are going up there in the Top End, eh?

Yep, that'll be great, mate. We're going out to throw the flights and barrow and some shallow water flats. So very challenging and engaging fishing. I can't wait.

Oh, good stuff, mate. We certainly do look forward to that. Don't forget to, it won't be long before you'll be able to travel to the fantastic northern territory. So jump onto Barefoot Fishing Safaris and do that with Watty.

If you want to catch them. He will take you. So if you're heading up north, I'm pretty sure it won't be long, you'll be able to go fishing with Watty.