Bag a Barra — 12 November 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. Now I saw through the week that a fishing charter boat up there, jagged a fish that was tagged, and the $1000000 fishing competition that's up there in the Top End each year is a great promotion, as I said earlier.

I don't think it was Watty's boat, because what he's on the phone, because if it was what, he'd still be in the pub. What do you g'day? It's probably a fair call, duck. Yeah, that's right.

You heard right. The 1st tag barr ever caught on a fishing charter. So it's good to finally get one. That's unreal.

So most of the people who have been catching have just been locals and obviously people who are up there fishing on their own, uh, when I say on their own, not with any sort of a guide. So this is the 1st time that it's ever been caught by somebody on a charter. That's incredible. Yeah, yeah, that's right.

All of them up until now have been, um, have been locals apart from one guy, a couple of years ago, and he'd been here for 3 months anyway, so he's almost local, um, but yeah, it's good to, good to finally get one. I was caught down at Dundee Beach in Finnish River on Dundee Beach Fishing Charters. Good luck to the boys down there. They actually, they were filming a TV show, um, the few days beforehand too, so they're all over the media.

Oh, mate, incredible. So someone's on that charterboat says Jag, one of the tag fish, one himself, what, 10,000? Yeah, he won the 10 grand. Yeah, the 1000000 still out there somewhere.

Oh, mate, imagine that. Look, just on it. I mean, I may have asked this before, but how many fish have actually been tagged? Uh, they tagged around a 100 this year and that's about what it is every each year.

So, yeah, I mean, it's an, it's actually amazing to me that any of them get re-caught. And I think certainly in their 1st season. I think there was 15 or 16 got recorded in the 1st season and it just blew them out of the water. They actually forecast sort of according to their statistics that there might be half a dozen or so. But it just goes to show how many people go fishing so often up here.

Yeah. Oh, well, mate, absolutely, it's the fishing capital of Australia. I mean, the Top End. I mean, that's that's where it's all happening.

But yeah, that's incredible. They tag about a 100 fish. How many have been caught so far in this season? Uh, this one would be the 4th this season, yeah.

It's a bit slower to start than normal. Normally there's a bit of a flurry in the 1st few weeks and there was a couple caught early and then it's going to be quiet, but with the rain moving around, the fish should probably have started to probably move around a bit more from the areas that they have been actually tagged in. So that probably does spread them out a bit more. Yeah, mate.

Well that's the thing. And look, and how long does the the $1000000 fish comp run for? When does that end? It goes right through until the end of March.

So, um, it's a good opportunity, I suppose, for anyone who's coming up to do some fish and charters or um, some runoff fishing themselves from that sort of mid or late February through the end of March. You've got a chance. Uh, although, um, yeah, they, they do seem to sort of spread right out and, uh, and sort of disappear once that, once it does get, um, sort of going on past years. Yeah, and and have any of these 4 fish been caught in spots that you frequent?

Yeah, quite a lot of them, actually. all of them. I just thought I'd rub that in. You were probably fishing at Dundee Beach the day before, and then all of a sudden, the next day, some bloke has out and Jags one.

One of the one that got off your hook. But I saw I saw some video through the week of a fantastic light show, when I say light show, lightning storm, over Kakadu through the week. It's certainly, um, it's, it's, she's building up made up there, isn't it? Yeah, absolutely.

Rain's getting more and more regular. We're sort of having falls. you know, a couple of times a week of over 20 mils now. So, that's um, that's sort of the real deal now, which is really good.

Everything's beautiful and green again. It's almost time to sort of mow the lawn every week again up here, which, um, you know, is, uh, is, it's a bit of a chore when you're on 5 acres. I looking out of mine ear now and it's going to be a pretty big job. I'll, I need to, uh, need to put the 30 litre rescue on the Mar instead of the 5 litre rescue on.

I was going to say, mate, you do anything to build a thirst, that's for sure. And mate, what's been happening around the traps, mate? They've been plenty of fish caught in the last week. Yeah, yeah, it has been good.

The bar continued to bite pretty well. I went out and had a few flicks there throughout this weekend. Um, actually amazing uh, to see, we, for the, for the 1st time in a long time, had a couple of particular lures really getting the ballots. So that's something that you might want to be um checking if you're, if you're out and about fishing yourselves at the moment, is just to keep changing that lure, if you're not getting a bite, because, yeah, we, we, uh, once we figured out, we sort of got, got um, 3, 3 barrel pretty quickly and then another, Another 3 at a different location um, on another particular lure too.

So, yeah, it pays to keep changing them around, if you're confident that the fisher around and then, and they're not sort of eating what you're presenting them. You got to be happy with that. I mean, you certainly are the expert when it comes to catching him up there, mate. That is for sure.

You're a good man, Watty. We'll leave you to go hunting for that $10,000 fish and even the $1000000 one and we'll talk to you next week, eh? Yeah, fingers crossed. I won't, you know, I'll be out of range on me big private yacht by then.

Well, we can't find you, I know. I take me chances. and I know that we won't find you. I mean, if you tag one for 50 bucks, I mean you'll celebrate for a week, wouldn't you?

Oh, yeah, everyone's just for 50. Well, anytime you catch a bar, it's worth celebrating. You know that. Oh, well, I do.

I do know that firsthand. I mean, I'm still celebrating here. I mean, like, but anyway, but we'll try and get back up there with your work. Actually, we'll be up there a little bit next year, mate.

I've spoken to you. told you a bit privately what we're up to and we're getting involved in a massive project, which will be a huge thing, which we've got to work in around all our other stuff. We want to film a TV show and do our radio programs, but we're just about to get involved in another huge project, which we can't wait to bring the news of that, and that will bring us to the Top End, and it's not what you think. It is not a media thing.

It's not a radio show. It's not TV, it's not filming, it's something completely different and something that everybody, everyone can get involved in and Darwin is going to be a part of that, so we can't wait to let people know what that is and they 2 can be a part of it. So we look forward to bringing you that news, which will mean, Watty, you'll have to probably shout me a couple of beers while I'm up there. Take me out fishing.

Yeah, well, we can arrange that, mate. That'd be no problem. It'll be good to um, to get the crew up and sort of um, be a bit, bit less restricted. Hopefully, you know, next year, fingers crossed.

Absolutely. Well, as a vaccination rolls out, mate, and more and more people getting done. But we should get back to some sort of normality soon, which is fantastic. It's been a long couple of years.

And uh, but I think we're on the uh, we're on the road out now, which would be great. You're a good man, Watty, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au. That the website, the Facebook page is the same as name as well. Beefwood fishing safari.

Check it out. And you'll catch my mate, Watty, on there. Plenty of videos. You're still doing those? The educational stuff, plenty of Edwards passing on there and everything.

good stuff. Yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah, I was actually doing some filming for another course that I'm building at the moment. Yes, they were sitting in the boat under the shade of the tree and I was trying to film some stuff about fishing rods and me, I got these big cob turkeys and they walk around following you around and every time I said something, they'd gobble at me.

they're calling me a turkey for trying to have a go. Oh, mate, you live the life, I tell you. Anyway, the good thing I like what you do is that it's your customers, it's all like being part of a club, which is fantastic. And that's the sort of impression it gives me anyway, that anyone who, you know, goes on your website or checks out your Facebook page and people who, you know, obviously gave fishing with you, your customers. You've turned it into a, into a club, you know, if you like, for the lack of a better word and everyone feels a part of it.

It's a great concept, mate. Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Everyone should check it out. Watty, we'll talk to you next week, eh?

Good on you, mate, all the best. Try to stay out of the pubs, okay? I know it's getting hot up there. Don't be silly.

Okay, there he is. That's Glenn Watt. I'm sure he's probably, he said he was at home. I reckon he's sitting in a beer garden somewhere.

I've been up there with him and he doesn't like driving past too many puds without stopping off. So, you check him out. Barefoot Fishing Safaris, go to the website, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au. Check out the Facebook page, as I say, of the same name, and check it all out.

If you are heading to the Top End and plenty of people planning those Top End holidays for next year because they've been a bit light on the last 2 seasons. So I'm tipping that next season is going to be an absolute bumper up there in the Top End. And you want to go fishing for that bar of money you need to book now. Get onto what he, go fishing with the best in the business. He certainly is our go to when it comes to all the information of what's biting and what's being caught up there in the northern territory.

He's got his finger on the pulse, as they say. Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au.