Bag a Barra — 14 January 2022

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, our man, Glenn Watty, what is the guru behind Barefoot Fishing Safaris? Check out that website, if you want to go catch a Barramundi up in the Top End, Barefoot Fishing Safaris.com.au. He is on the line.

He's been fishing in Kakadu this week. How'd you go, Watty? G'day, duck. Yeah, we had a good look around down there at the South Alligator River and got indoors goo fish.

It was yeah, it's good. I haven't been, I haven't fished that area for a long time. That was good to get back there. Yeah, good stuff.

How's the weather up there now? I know she's a wet season's in full swing. How was Kakadu? Yeah, Kakanu is very wet.

It's wet right across the whole Top End there. You would have seen Pipeline go across there early this week and um, yeah, we've had a heap of rain, which is great. the rivers have come back up again and the south in particular just looks like it's going to fish really well this year. We went in the state of Jabberoo in one of the caverns in the caravan park there last week and yeah, the whole joint looks like it's, it's, it's really benefitting from, from this big wet season and plenty of rain.

Yeah, that'd be days. love that. Were there many, many people out fishing? I'm tipping there just all locals, aren't they?

It would be out fishing in Kakadu this time of year. Yeah, that's right. It is all locals. Well, anywhere across the territory, the whole, the whole, um, the whole joint fist really well last week and um, and there was a lot of, a lot of fish caught by locals and yeah, um, I mean, the South alligator in particular is a, is a really good one for, for the Jabberoo locals.

only 20 minutes to the boat ramp from the town of Jabberoo. So, um, they can sort of duck out just on a, on an afternoon after work and have a couple of hours fish, whereas to get there from Darwin at the, sort of a 2 and a bit hour run. So, yeah, it's a bit further, but it's still something that a lot of us are doing a day trip and yeah, I mean, there wasn't too many people on the south because the, the, the other popular rivers that are a bit close to Shady Camp and that sort of stuff was fishing really well as well. So, um, you know, it's good because it spreads, spreads to run out a bit and um, and everyone gets plenty of room. Yeah, you got to be happy with that.

What about the crocodiles, mate? You would have saw plenty of them about now of all this water about or they hibernate a bit or they just, it's just usual, you know, usual behaviour. What goes on there? Yeah, it does change a little bit.

You do see a few. So, in the south, you just see, you'll just see the odd one, those sort of medium-sized crocodiles that are poking around, looking for a bit of territory, but, um, the, this is the time of year when the salt is, uh, Uh nesting. So, um, the females in particular are generally up on the floodplains, um, sort of building and guarding their mess and that sort of stuff.

So we don't, we don't see as many crops at this time of year. So obviously, once the floodplains fill up, There's 1000s of acres of war just spread them all out on, you know, so they're not as concentrated, but um, it's the sort of time, it's the time of year when you can find them, they'll, they'll pop up in strange places, um, areas you don't sort of expect them or wouldn't, wouldn't think it's big enough water for a crocodile, but because they're moving around a lot. um, yeah, you got to be really careful, so, you know, if you walk along a, a, um, floodplains, floor fishing. coal was off the bank like we spoke about last week and that sort of stuff they do move in in and out of those areas a lot this time here.

Yeah, I could imagine. I guess what you say, like the, it's only locals up there, so I'm tipping there across all the, uh, the do's and the don'ts of hanging around creeks and rivers in Kakadu this time of year, that is for sure. Yeah, that's right. Most people are very responsible with that sort of stuff.

There is the other side of that coin there where complacency can fall into it as well. But yeah, we never really have too many dramas. Yep, no for sure, mate. Okay, just quickly, mate, before I let you go.

You obviously haven't jagged the $1000000 fish this week that's on up there in Darwin. You haven't caught that. Because you're still talking to me. You're sober.

Yeah, that's right. I'd uh, I don't know what I'd be doing if I, if I'd got a 1000000 bucks during the week, but... I mean, hang on. You're kidding at you?

I don't know what I'd be doing if I won the $1000000 fish. But there wouldn't be a bottle of, hold the grip, the beer. Seriously. exactly what you'd be doing.

Yeah, you're probably right. I know. You're not probably right, mate. I know I'm right.

All right, you're a good man. What do you enjoy, mate? and it's great that you got out and did some fishing for yourself? Especially in a place like Kakadoo, you're a very lucky bloke living in that part of the world. And mate, we're still actually based here on the beach here at the central coast, still living the dream, mate, as well, which isn't too bad.

And but we're only here for another few more days and then we're out. So it's a great time here to be out and about, mate. So you enjoy the downtime and some time for yourself and because you'll be pretty busy, come another couple of months' time, that is for sure. You're a good man, mate.

We'll talk to you next week, see what's doing up there, eh? Good on you, mate. Yeah, enjoy the rest of your beach holiday and don't scare off so many of those tourists when you take your shirt off the end beat there, will you? No, every time I go for a swim, I just tell people they need to keep an eye on Greenpeace, mate, it's all good.

I've got it under control. See you, Watty. There, mate. See you, mate.

There he is. Of course, that is Glenn. What he, what? He is the owner operator of Barefoot Fishing Safaris in the Top End.

So if you're heading up there this year and you want to go fishing with one of the best, if not the best, go with my mate, Glenn, what he, what?