Bag a Barra — 19 February 2021

It's time to head to the Top End and Bagabara. With Glenn Watty Watts, thanks to Shimano. Remember to buy local and fish local. visit shimanofish.com.au. Well, I can't believe it. Eight Bunch, are you there?

I am. Mate, you believe we found this black? every week. every week. I'm right, yes, call me.

Yes. I'll have to, all those milk cartons that I put out with his picture on it. I'll have to take those down. I'll have to call out the missing persons report.

Yeah, take all the posters off the telegraph post. I did so much to try and track this guy down. It was MIA, but he's back. Watty?

Yeah, I am back. I had a little walkabout last couple of weeks. I reckon so. That's a tip, but I don't mind you going on walk a bit, but take the phone with you, okay?

That's the, that's the purpose of walk about that. Yeah, I understand. Now, listen, what's happening up there? What's doing with the fishing and just great news too?

We've Shimano are going to be part of the program again this year, including your segment. Wadi, but what is happening in the world of Barefoot Fishing Safaris, son? Yeah, that is great news. Shumano, great company, and I work very closely with them too, as you know, so that's good.

Yeah, mate, we've been, we've been out and about and went for, did go for a fish on the weekend just gone, so that was, that was great to get the boat out and test out all its little bits and pieces I've been working on and the rain continues to fall and the fish are certainly biting. So it's looking like cranking up into a, you know, a really good season here when we kick off next week. Mate, unbelievable. Now, are they still catching Barramundi in the in the Calverts along the side of the road or not?

Oh yeah, definitely. In fact, that sort of stuff will get better and better until the water all disappears as the bait builds up official beer out there and particularly those Kakadu pole that's out around the south alligator and East Alligator, tend to fish really well right through this time of year. Yeah, I'm not sure if you saw it, but I saw a photo of a couple of temporary citizens fishing in knee deep watering Kakadu. That wouldn't be the smartest thing to do, would it? Yeah, I did see that and it was most likely Majula Creek, which is on the way out to East Alligator.

definitely not a good idea. No way, Jose. I wouldn't be doing it for a quid, snow. No, big lizards up there with big teeth.

And these 2 imbeciles, standing in the water, almost waist deep, really, fishing. You couldn't be that Go to a fish shop, boys. You couldn't be that hungry for a bit of fish. Uh, seriously, that to risk your life like that.

I mean, I guess I reckon that could no way could have been locals. They must have been a couple of people that were just up there holidaying and just didn't think about it. Surely wouldn't be locals. Well, I mean, it can go the other way too, can't it?

You can get complacent in the area that you're really familiar with too. You know, oh, we haven't seen a crocodile down here for 5 years and next thing you know, you walk over, slip over on a, on a bit of, um, slime on the road and get washed down below and there he's waiting for you anyway. Yeah, mate, it's definitely not a bright thing to do. You just need to be crop wise up there, mate.

Now, listen, you say you kick off next week. Well, so what's happening? When will the rain, as you say, it's still raining. When will that start to drop off?

Uh, it'll keep raining on and off through March, January, February, our wettest month. So, you know, we've clocked up over. We'd be, you know, right now, we'd be over 1700 mil for the year, uh, or for the season. So, it's a lot of water, um, but yeah, it will start the slow as we get into March, um, and, and certainly by Easter, um, you know, the rains generally stopped and we really are into that, that sort of true runoff period where, um, the water that's sort of been up on the floodplains is starting to recede and, and all the bait and, and barra that have been up there.

Um, they, they get forced back into the uh, main systems and and that's when all really, really um, you know, you get that true runoff fishing from next week onwards though, you know, like we're, we're, we're still, we've still got the, the system is, is really happening and the, and the fish have already started to bite really well in certain areas. So, I'm very excited. I went for a quick look down the Daly last weekend and yeah, we found a lot of fish down there. We didn't actually land a hell of a lot.

Personally, a few, um, uncouth words come out of Louise's mouth while she was dropping them left, right, and centre, uh, email on the kids, but, um, yeah, there's plenty of fish down there and it's going to be exciting to get into it next week. Oh, mate, can't wait. Well, follow all of that, of course, and keep up to date with what's happening. I know you've got almost a year booked out, which is fantastic for you. And let's hope that the travel season to the Top End this year is a lot better than last year with borders, you know, restrictions east and things like that because last year it was a bit of a dog's breakfast that was really difficult for the op tourist operators like yourself and everyone else up there.

But this year we should be in for a better year, yeah? Yeah, I think so. You know, even little mishaps like we've had recently with the Melbourne stuff. You know, they seem to get on top of it within a week and open the borders up again.

So, um, you know, the knee jerk and panicking sort of stuff, I, I don't expect it to really affect us too much to see your fingers cross, the politicians just keep their head screwed on and make the right decisions for everyone. It's a massive statement. All right. Well, we'll... All right, well, I'll leave you...

I'll leave it. leave it to you to do whatever you're doing. on tipping party all day. We will be going past a bottle, though, so we won't hold you up and we'll talk to you next week if we can find you. Good on you, mate.

Yeah, I'll be, I will be out on the river actually, probably next week, so we'll see how we go. Might have to do it on that phone. Yeah, we'll track you down. Don't worry, mate.

We did well to track you down this time. All right, mate, take it easy and take care up there, mate, and we'll talk to you next week. Good on you, mate. There he is.

That is our man, Glenn. Whatdy, what? Who is the owner operator of Barefoot Fishing Safaris? If you're going to head to the Top End this year and you want to catch that, Elusive Barra.

get out there and just enjoy the waterways in there, you know, enjoy it. The natural environment up there. It's just amazing. I still can't get over that.

I'd go back to that corroborate billabong with the body tomorrow. I'd be on time actually this next time because I was, I think, 10 minutes late last time and he still gives it to me about it. But if you want to get up there and you want to go fishing with the best in the business, you need to go with Watty, Barefoot Fishing Safaris, check him out on Facebook as well as the website, and he's got plenty of happening all of the time, and he is our go to when it comes to Top End fishing up there.