Bag a Barra — 4 August 2023

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.

And, of course, he is the man behind, Barefoot Fishing Safaris, and, of course, angling adventures up there in the Top End, and I'm led to believe we've got our man, Watty, on a boat in Darwin Harbour. Watty. Hello. Good day, Doc.

How are you? Going all right, mate. Are they biting? Oh, well, they're actually not biting as good as we'd like them to right now and as good as they have done the last couple of days, but we have got fish swimming around the boat at the moment.

The boys are making a few interesting noises up the front there. Swimming around the bay. How big are they? Oh, that was a pretty big clean fish, just one past us, and we've got some bar in the drain in front of us, which is what we're trying to catch, but they're not quite playing the game just yet.

Yeah, fair enough, mate. So this is a, you've got some, these boats that you've got there now, customers of yours. So they're up there now on a fishing trip or is it just a day trip? What's the story?

Yeah, that's right. Some Mexicans up for a 4 day trip. Today's our last day. We did a day at Dundee, burst up and got into the mackerel and plagic fish, which was really fun.

We had really nice weather that day and then we've just done. This is about our 3rd day of Barra, barrow fishing in the, in the harbours and um sort of site casting along the edges. So, it's been pretty good. Did you take them out to my favourite spot?

No, no, we actually went the other way. It probably would have fished pretty well out there, the old Crabby Billabong though this week. I reckon fish have been very active. Well, I mean, and that's where you let yourself down, buddy, because you could have taken them out there and said, well, this is one of our flagship locations here.

Has anyone been late, like of a morning, or has anyone over on time? I mean, I know what happens when they're late. No, no, good country boys, these ones, mate. They know when to turn up on time.

Do they? Okay. So when you do these 4 day trips, where do they stay? You organise the accommodation and all that or do they do that?

Yeah, we stayed out Dundee for 3 nights. So at Dundee Lodge there. We've got some really nice accommodation out there these days, 2 bedroom cabins, and we get our fish cooked at the pub restaurant there of an evening, and yeah, there's got all the facilities there, got ice and fuel for servo and all that sort of stuff, so it's really a convenient place to do guided trips out of. Yeah, it sounds fantastic.

So this is the last day of a of a 4 day trip and have you have your bag plenty of fish over the last 4 days or? Yeah, we have. We caught enough fish for all our dinner on the 1st day, which was good. got some coral trout and bluebone, some snapper mackerel and all these other good eating fish. So we had them and then, yeah, we've been sort of releasing most of our barrier.

I think we kept a couple of barra, but yeah, they've been getting some good numbers and good size and just really good visual fun too, um, sort of poking along the edges and spotting them and trying to get that lure on them, always a bit of fun. You'll see there's a couple of posts going up on the Facebook page there of um couple of barrow that we got yesterday more than nothing. Okay. So these these customers.

I mean, you're looking after them. I mean, are they having a good time or? Well, we'll see what the reviews come back, but yeah. Well, let's get one of the reviews now. I mean, you've got someone there.

Let's get a review. I think we're going to review one of your customers. Let's do review. Let's just get one on and we'll just do a little a review of your services up there because I haven't been up for a couple of years and I mean, it was...

You know, mate? Who have I got? He's looking after the rod for me. Chris here.

How are you, Doc? I'm going all right, mate. We just want to do a review of what your experience has been like with Barefoot Fishing Safaris. I mean, I mean, how's it going?

What are you looking after you? Just depends. Is this pre-recorded or are you going to put it on? You're wrong. I could give you 2 reviews.

No, give us the clean review. It's a family show, mate. It's been, yeah, day 4 or 4 here, mate. I couldn't really fault Watty, actually.

We've had a great time. The 1st day on the out on the blue water was an absolute treat. We pulled up and 20 fish in 20 minutes, mate. So there's a, where are you from?

Where do you live? I'm out of Sydney. And then... Yeah, to Sydney. Yeah, 3 of us out of Sydney and then there's another one from the central coast.

He's the boss. Oh, you boss. Finn, he's the boss. So what do you just work for him? Yeah, yeah, yeah, he keeps us all in check.

What's the business called? Oh, no, no, it was just a family trip, mate. Oh, it's a family trip. But he's just the boss.

Well, you're not far from me if you're in Sydney. Yeah, that's right. But no, it's been a great trip. What he's really looked after us.

Good accommodation. No, hang on. Here he is. What he's on to one now. Is he?

He's using my rod. That's why he caught it. I could hear you prompting you in the background of what to say as well. I mean, it's not a rot.

I mean, fair, he can. So you blokes... He just learned a 50 centimetre barrel while we're talking to you. Well, there you go. You got to be happy with that, haven't you?

So you, you've like, so this is, this is, this is the game. So you blokes are up there from Sydney and the central coast. So are you up there just for this fishing trip or he's on a bigger trip? No, no, just up here for 4 days, then we'll shoot home and go back to work to come back next year, I guess.

Yeah, oh, well, good stuff, mate. I'm tipping the weather be a bit warmer there than Sydney, mate. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, no, it's we've been very lucky with the weather.

But yeah, the guiding's been great as well. And the hosting, of course. Yeah, that 10 out of 10. Just put him back on, will you? I don't need the track answers.

Good luck, boys. Good. Have a good time. There you go.

There you go. Honest review and I caught a fish in the meantime. What a true view. You answered the questions yourself.

I could hear you in the background. I'll just tell you how good the accommodation was, you're doing, the weather's beautiful. Oh, mate, I'm on top of my good host. Yeah, well, I mean, it's all part of the deal around here.

Oh, yeah. He was from down Wineck of the woods anyway. Yeah, that's right. Yep.

They'll be going back down in the cold weather there tonight. Yeah, well, it's actually been all right here the last week through the day and anyway. All right. Well, listen, Watty, we're going to let you go, but well done.

How good is that? You caught the barrier. you brought her in. Yeah, I just thought I'm sneaking across the front.

I didn't say anything, little car. So I've had that was my 2nd cast for the trip. We've got a fish, so I would, I reckon. Good stuff.

We'll look after those blokes. She had my beer, eh? They sound like they've had a great 4 days with you. Oh, I think it's their sound, actually.

More like it. All right, well, whatever, but, you know, I know. That sounds like they've had a pretty good 4 days and that's what happens. We've just got it there firsthand of someone out there employing your services to fact I'm fishing and that sounds like they've had a great time.

20 fish in 20 minutes. Yeah, it was pretty busy out there that 1st day for sure. Yeah, she sounds alright, mate. Make sure they're biting when I come up next year, okay?

Yeah, right, I mean. I'll be on time. All right, good on you, Watty. Have fun out there.

I know you're out in the boat, mate. Let you get back to it. Righto, mate. back to work. There he is.

That's our man, Glenn Watty Watt. Barefoot Fishing Safaris and here you go. We've just got one of his customers on the line and they caught a fish while we're talking to them. So how good's that?

And right there on in Darwin Harbour. And how good would it be to be up there right now? I reckon those boats would have had a great 4 days. Anyway, Barefoot Fishing Safaris or angling adventures that to that to you need to get onto.