Bag a Barra — 27 November 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. Well, Wally, I've got to tell you, it's been a bit tropical down here, mate.

And last weekend, I can tell you that we had stinking hot weather, then storms, and it came out again, and it was humid, and then more storms. I mean, what are you sending it this way, are you? Well, it must be a bit of leftovers if you're getting it down there, mate, because we're getting it up here still too. So, that's good to hear, obviously, a bit of summer thunderstorm action for you there, eh?

Yeah, we love it, mate. We love it. Now breaking news on the new boat. Yeah, the new boat's on the water.

Very excited about that. Everything's going to plan too, which is very nice. It looks good. Have you have you have you released any photos on your socials yet?

No, no, I haven't actually. I'll probably do that this afternoon. I'll get some photos of it on the water and everyone can have a look at it for the 1st time. Yeah, it looks really good, mate.

Now, look, you're doing a bit of late fishing because normally now you're, yeah, you're sort of back off a bit, mate. How are they biting up there? Yeah, um, fishing's going pretty well. actually.

We're filming an episode for Mark Berg's fishing addiction too, so it's not a bad way to start. The uh, the career of the new boat and hopefully our luck will continuing um, they'll get a good show out of it. Yeah, that's all right, isn't it? So, uh, and mate, all the boat, look, I think branding's everything, and the, the, the job you've done on wrapping that boat is just sensational, this game, it'll certainly stick out.

There'll be plenty of people checking that out as it's driving along on the back, on, on the trailer behind the uh, behind the car. That's for sure. Mate, how they going up there? How's that $1000000 fish going, mate?

Are they still that's still on? Yeah, it is. and there's still another one. There was another one caught the other day, actually, um, off uh Nightcliff Jetty, which is sort of inner city Darwin there, and uh, caught on a handline bought from the servo half an hour previous, with a bit of squid for the bait, eh, if you believe that?

Yeah. Unbelievable. So how much it did? So they bought a handline at the survey.

Grab, probably grab some frozen squid out of the bait freezer at the survey and they've called it, how much they win? Yeah, 10 grander. Yeah, that, I think. lady was saying she's going to pay a few bills and save up some Christmas money.

that's a good deal. Yeah, good that. I mean, that is, I mean, there is place like you. All the gear, all the big investment, and someone's just lobbed into a server, bought a handline, grabbed a bit of bait and gram, a 10 green fish.

Yeah that's right. I mean, that's the beauty of the, I guess, of fishing in general, but of the competition. itself, you know, like it, anyone can catch them. And yeah, that just goes to show.

That is unreal. Does a Baramundi normally go for squid? Uh, they would definitely eat live squid, um, in the wild. Uh, and there, there is, you know, there's often reports of Barrow.

I've seen a barrow get caught on a on a pilchard before off a jetty, a big barrow too over a metre. Yeah, they will, they will every now and then take a dead bait on a line. It's not the sort of primary method of targeting. That's for sure. They probably tend to be by catch for, um, you know, you're fishing for that, more of that sort of bottom species.

But, yeah, I mean, they're they're foraging around too. So I suppose if they come across something, they look like they'll eat it. That's unbelievable. That is incredible.

I mean, she wouldn't have believed the luck, would she? I mean, she's bought a hand line. Had a service station, for God's sake. The interview they did with her on the fishing radio show up here was very, very funny.

There was lots of yelling and Yahoo and screaming going on. That's for sure. Rosie Wood. Oh, mate, I would be too.

I mean, it just, like you say, it just goes to show, eh? I mean, it's, the fish doesn't know what sort of, how much money you've spent on your gear, does it? It's just swimming around looking for something to eat. No, that's right.

I always used to say when I had a 12 foot tinny, you know, like this don't know how expensive your boat is. So you're in the right place at the right time. You're in as good a chance as anyone else. Where did you catch it?

Whereabouts? So that was at the off the nightcliff jetty, which is a popular spot for people just to throw a hook and a line over, and mostly fishing for bottom fish. It's in the northern suburbs of Darwin. Very popular walking track, um, along beside of it.

So yeah, it's not as if it's a really remote area either. So, fish is, um, uh, could quite often catch bar around that area, but not, not often on a handline with a bit of squid. Yeah, mate, that is unbelievable anyway. Mate, you sent me some videos the other night.

I see your places turning into a tropical rainforest there where you live with a bit of rain around and some storm activity up there and all those little waterholes that you've had dug there to give yourself all those little drinking poszies filling up with water. Yeah, that's right. They've, um, they've filled and flowed a few times in the last couple of weeks actually. Again, last night we had a storm for about an hour, which we had 30 odd mill of rain and that's flowed everything again.

So filled up the dam and filled up the little swimming holes. I can step straight from the, um, the bench grinder, me workshop, 5 paces to the swimming hole. So there you go. Oh, how good is that?

Mate, just a quickie before we let you go. Are you still seeing many tourists up there? Because I know that they're pushing to get tourists into the territory, although it's warming up now and it's not the traditional, you know, travel season for that part of the world, but are you seeing plenty of tourists around still or not? Uh, the numbers are definitely, um, they do start to drop at this time of year, but yeah, there is all those good travel deals on at the moment and of course, a $1000000 fish as well.

But, um, yeah, I guess the other thing that's driving a bit of bit of it to hang on is um, people are just really keen to get out and have a travel. So, yeah, there's still plenty of interstaters around, um, which is good, you know, keeps the, keeps the economy going and local tourism industry going a bit more. Yeah, I notice your political competitor up there. Gunners has been pushing for people to get up there.

Not that he knows that you are one of his up and coming competitors, but still, I have seen he's been pushing it and he's pretty passionate about it. He's so good on him for that. All right, mate. Well, good luck with the boat. And everyone can jump on the Barefoot Fishing Safaris, Facebook page and check that out.

when you do release some video and photos, they're going to be impressed because it does look fantastic. I've been lucky enough to see some photos of it that you've sent me and obviously that can go to your website as well. barefootfishing safaris.com.au. Keep up to date with what you're up to up there.

You're in a good part of the world, son. I only wish I was here with you, although, like I say. We've had some pretty hot weather where I'm from. I mean, obviously we broadcast all over the country, but out here northwest of Sydney in the regional areas, up here on the Hawkesbury.

It's been pretty darn hot, mate, with temperatures up over 40, and obviously like last weekend, some of those storms have just rolled in throughout the day and stuff. I sort of feel like I'm with you anyway. Yeah, that's um, it's an interesting weather pattern here. Obviously, a bit of rain this time of year is really good for down the south there, keep things a little bit greener for a little bit longer and hopefully prolong that fire season a little bit for you, I suppose.

Yeah, that's good news. absolutely, mate. All right. you have fun up there.

Have one for me and I'll talk to you next week. Good on you, mate. See you later. There he is.

I mean, if you want to go fishing in the Top End.