Bag a Barra — 18 April 2025

It's time now to head to the Top End and Bag a Barra, with Glenn Watty Watt, thanks to Barefoot Fishing Safaris and uniden. For the best in UHF communications, explore the extract series at uniden.com.au. Oh, the man, he's out on the boat right now, yeah, man, in the Top End. Watty, g'day. Happy Easter, son.

Oh, happy Easter, Duck, yeah? Well, that's right. We're out on the boat again, we're at the opposite end of the river this week, though, right up near the floodplains of the top of the South Alligator River. It's beautiful sunny day and the Barrabighton, so it's all good.

Do they do Easter eggs? Barris? Easter eggs? Ah, well, sometimes you'd think they'd eat anything, and other times you think they don't need a single end on their move.

No, they tell me. Yeah, they tell me what a 13 year old passenger on there ruling them in like a professional. Fishing guru. Amelia, yeah. She's sitting right beside me.

She's got a bit shy now. She's a bit cocky before, but she wanted to come on the radio, did she? How many has she caught? How many have you caught, mate?

Uh, 4 or five? 4 or five. Who's counting? not Amelia.

more than everyone else on the boat. everyone seems to have got one or two. She really has been, she's got the dead-eyed dick casting going and a good little retrieve happening in a special little hotspot, so she's been going really well. There's 4 or 5 more than what I'd catch a fuzzy.

There's no doubt about that, mate. Well, we do know that. So you're out on the boat right now, which is fantastic. Again, it's good that the last few weeks we've actually jagged you while you've been out on the actual rivers, out there on the boat fishing.

What else, mate? So they're biting and things on the turn weather-wise? I mean, it seems to be going forever, this water. Is it dropping off a bit now or is it still happening?

Yeah, it's a good point to make. It is on the turn, I think. The, uh, bit of rain that they forecast for us last week. It was a bit of a non-event, which I was happy enough with. You know, those storms we were talking about last week.

They didn't do a hell of a lot. And in fact, a flood level at the top of the river has dropped about half a metre in a week's time. So, that's what's bringing these fish on the bide up here. Everything's been forced back in the main river and um, you know, brings them on the bike. So, it's been really good for us the last couple of days and it should just keep getting better and better right through until the end of May, hopefully here now.

So as the water recedes and all those levels drop, the fish have to swim with it to go where the water is. So it just forces them back into the rivers and into your fishing spots, yeah? In position ourselves in some good little spots for tide changes and a few other little sneaky tactics and and we try and make the most of those periods there when the barrett decide they're hungry. Yep, good stuff, mate. All right.

Well, well done. And it's great that we can get you on the boat and all these things are happening as we speak. And look, it won't be long before you're inundated with a stack of tourists and more people up there trying to catch that elusive barrer and just enjoy the territory as a whole anyway. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, I mean, these guys have got a pretty big holiday planned themselves, and one thing that they've done, which I haven't done myself, but um, is uh, scenic cool over the rivers and gorge country up here in Kakadoo, so it was absolutely spectacular.

It's not something we, that a hell of a lot of people do at this time of year, but, of course, you're going to get some wet season rates and, and perhaps less crowds if you, if you do travel at this time of year. So, it's a good, good way to get the best of both worlds. As Carl's crossing at the moment? Oh, yeah, plenty of water over kales at the moment.

We can't get there from Jabberoo at the moment. There's a couple of creeks that are flooded. Um, but hopefully in a couple of weeks, as this water drops, that'll become an option again, and in the top of the, uh, the East Alligator, and all those crocs will be bunched up back at Kale's Crossing as well, and, you know, that's obviously a big major attraction out here as well. Yeah, I mean, all those videos doing the rounds of the imbeciles standing knee deep in the water fishing there.

Yeah, that's right. Oh, there was one getting around last week of someone trying to drive a land cruiser across Majila Creek at a metre and a half and when the car started floating and fun around by the floodwater, I think they decided to come back, so. They were very lucky, very very lucky. I'm not too happy though.

Oh, mate, I honestly, that just amazes me that. I don't know what to say about that. I mean, seriously, why would you do it? Yeah, not at not at one. 5.

You know, we don't even start considering it until it's under.8 for myself, and that's when I'm towing a heavy boat, so I've got a lot of weight on the wheels to keep it down and that sort of thing, but, you know, over in anything under, over sort of.6, you're really starting to push the friendship with most vehicles. Oh, that's just, look, seriously. Yeah. Why would you do it?

And then obviously you get stuck. You're sitting on the roof of your car and someone's got to come and get you. Oh, yeah, you other people in danger. Oh, mate, seriously.

It's all good fun at the time, but I've got to say to you, I wouldn't do it. I mean, I'd be too scared anyway. I mean, like, you just this, you know, this way that drops a safe level across, I know there's water crossing up that you must take. But geez, I mean, don't put your life at risk in others by driving into things like one.

and then your car's spinning around in the water. I mean, fed, ink? It's full of what you need. mate, anyway.

All right, well, you enjoy, eh, Amelia gets a few more fish. Just tap to say, look, you know, the duck's one of the gurus that's been up here and caught a couple, so, you know, if he's an easy indication to go by, she should get a 100. Well, she's having a spell in the shade at the moment, letting everyone else catch up a little bit. So at least he's playing fair.

Good stuff. All right. You enjoy that, mate. Look after your customers and we'll talk to you next week.

Right, hey, mate. Good on you. Happy Easter. Yeah, you too.

There he is. That's our man, Watty, in the Top End, up there, fishing up there as we speak, and geez, he's got the life, hasn't he? And it's, as he says, it's the whole thing up, there's a system. It's amazing how it works, and as the rain drops off, the water drops off.

The fish go with the water and straight into these little spots, and oh, what he's reading the tide, he knows where to go, and that's why he's got a boat full of people every week because he's the best in the business up there, Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Be sure to check him out in the Top End, Barefoot Fishing Safaris. If you want to go bigger, check out angling adventures as well. But if you're just looking for that Top End, barramundi fishing, experience, Barefoot Fishing Safaris, go, check him out, and he's our man up there in the Top End, and he knows how to catch them, that is for sure.