Bag a Barra — 13 August 2021

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

And of course, Glenn, what, our man, Watty, is the guru up there in the Top End? He's our man on the ground and on the water up there and he's on his way back right now. I did mention right at the top of the show. We'd see if we could catch him.

We've caught him. He's been out, he's on his way back home. Watty? How was it, son?

Hi, good morning, duck. Yeah, well, um, it actually started out really well, and then, uh, the wind picked up against the big tide, and, uh, and we got our butts kicked all the way home, actually. sold everywhere, but you know, we had a good couple of hours 1st thing in the morning, which is why we were there. So, um, you know, the boys went away happy and we'll go and do another day in a fortnight's time, so that would be good.

Where were you? Where were you, mate? So today we fished out at, um, I launched at Leaders Creek, uh, which is only sort of a 40 minute drive from Darwin City on, um, a really flash new, um, sealed road these days and headed out to the Vernon Island, uh, which is a group of uh, 3 islands, uh, it's in between the mainland and and uh, Tiwi Islands, I suppose. and we're chasing some big Trevalli around uh, and Queenfish around there um, for the boys on, on fly. So, yeah, we found some fish early and have had a good time.

Oh, mate, you certainly got the lifestyle up there. How good is it? But you say that when you're out on a boat fishing. The wind is your enemy, isn't it?

I mean, when that wind picks up, it just becomes unpleasant. Yeah, it can be, particularly it can just make it difficult to fish as well, um, for the fly guys. Of course, they got a lot of line in the air at times and you can have trouble actually fishing efficiently. Um, but particularly certain areas and the Vernons is one of them where on big, on days where you've got big tides like today and the wind um, is going against the, I guess the tidal flow, you get the big pressure waves that'll stand up and it can actually become really quite dangerous out there.

It was borderline dangerous today, so that's why we pulled the pin and came back to the boat ramp. So yeah, you just got to be really mindful of that and keep an eye on the weather and how it changes. Yeah, absolutely, especially when you're out on a boat, mate. How is that new boat of yours going, mate?

Gee, she looks the good. Yeah, well, that's right. I mean, the beauty of my new boat is that it's very long and it can bridge a couple of waves at a time and you know it's not going to sink even if it catches a wave. So, um, yeah, like there's no problems there.

The boat's going really well and we, you know, we felt safe at all times, but you wouldn't want to being out there in a smaller boat. I can tell you that. Yeah, I could just imagine, mate, for someone who spent a bit of time on the water, once the wind picks up, and if it's, you know, like you say, big tides or even in, you know, lakes where some lakes can be a little bit more shallow than you think they are, you can get a fair chop, and even on a lake, whereas you can get into trouble. I know Tugra Lakes, plenty of people Tugra Lakes on the central coast in New South Wales.

Plenty of people got themselves into a bit of bother there, as well as Lake Macquarie. And if you're in a shallow part, the wind can cause some pretty big little, you know, chop and swell. So, you got to take it easy, mate. How are the barrers going, mate?

You're obviously full noise up there at the moment, mate. plenty of people jagging them. Uh, yeah, they are. Um, we just had a couple of uh, weeks of really nice, warm sort of flat weather, um, which we sort of would, um, almost tipping as the start of the buildup, which everyone was very happy about, well, Fisher's, particularly.

Um, is the water temps increased the bit and the winds were down. So, yeah, we had a really good set of barra fishing tides there a fortnight or so ago, but you would have noticed um the weather down there. You get a big high pressure system or push up through the Bighton through Adelaide and that's sort of what you guys have had last week and that affects us in a negative way where we'll get these cold windy days. Um, which have then dropped the water temperature and switch the bar off a bit.

So, yeah, it's um, it changes and and I, hopefully this will be the last of the sort of cold blows for us and we'll start moving into build-up conditions from now and get that flat sea back again and some warming water. Yeah, happy days, mate. Is the $10000 fish back on again soon? When's that go kickoff again?

Yeah, talking about it the other day. It'll be, it'll start again, uh, end of September, um, if it's, uh, run the same program, which I think it will. And yeah, hopefully that'll get a get a few up, but I mean, of course, the trouble at the moment is that no one can really travel. So, we've just had a lot of work cancelled and um, it actually has opened up some opportunities for people who decide they want to get away from somewhere they can get into the territory uh from, um, to, um, sort of book some last minute charters, um, Because, yeah, we've had a lot of cancellations, of course. So, um, yeah, it's, it's definitely worth still making the phone call if you are heading up this way.

Absolutely. And you talk about those cancellations, and that's obviously people coming from the southern states who have booked a fishing trip where there's, in particular, New South Wales and Victoria and Brisbane there for a little while. It's very difficult. It has a flow on effect all around the country and obviously to you as well, mate, and which is not good, but I'm tipping, you'll certainly keep yourself busy with all the other little things you get up to and your activities and your online courses and stuff.

mate. The fact that you've left early from your fishing today. I suppose a couple of the pubs that you would have had to drive past on the way home would be happy about that because I know what it's like whether you stop for that one over the timber here and another one over the timber there. Yeah, well, that's right. I mean, we know the rules.

You can't drive past them, so... Didn't you tell me once it's actually in a fence to drive past the Daly Waters? Yeah, I think so. The local cop will keep an eye on you there.

Yeah, you're not allowed to drive past the pub up there, mate. Oh, mate. Look, I wish you well, mate. You're in a good part of the world and certainly living the life up there, what you do.

And mate, I can tell you now, mate, life in the northern territory at the moment. It's a hell of a lot better than it is down here where we are, I can assure you. Yeah, we do appreciate how lucky we are up here, mate. It's just a shame that the tourism ministry is suffering a bit this year, but we're not the only ones and we understand that. So, yeah, um, you know, everyone down there, keep your chins up and um, hopefully we'll be back to normal as sooner rather than later.

That's it, mate, and I'll be able to get up there and have a couple more cold ones with you, mate. Yeah that's right. Have you have you cleared that area just on the other side of the fence outside for me for what I'm team up there? Barred from the actual property.

Run an extension lead out to the street. Yeah, you're a good man. Well, I mean, you mate, friends like you, mate, anyway. All right, Watty, we won't hold you, mate, I know you got to go and clean fish and wash the boat and flush the motor and do all that stuff, and of course, stock the fridge.

So I know you got a big day ahead of you, mate. So, uh, and it'll be a lot bigger once you start emptying that fridge. I know that's a big job that you love. So we'll let you get into that, mate.

We'll talk to you next week if we can get older. Yeah, good on you, doc. Thanks very much, mate. There he is, of course, that's our man, Glenn Watt, Watty.

He is the guru there at Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Check out that website, barefootfishing safaris.com.au, or go to the Facebook page at barefootfishing safari. He is the best in the business when it comes to fishing in the Top End and we're very happy to have him as part of our show. Been on now for, geez, he's been part of the show now for over a year.

It'll be bloody 18 months or something. Anyway, he's a great, he's a great addition to what we do here, and we'd love to tell you to get up there and go fishing in the Top End. There's nothing like jagging that Barramundi or whatever it is, but everyone loves to do it. And if you want to do it, you want to do it successfully and do it with a good bloke. We need to go along with my mate, Watty, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.