Bag a Barra — 22 May 2026

It's time now to head to the Top End and Bagabara 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, he's loving this 1st of the order, 1st in the order of things here. Our man, Watty, up there in the Top End. Watty, g'day, son.

I'm going well, mate. Yeah, it feels good to be retaining the top spot. Hopefully, we'll keep it going for a couple more weeks yet. Well, mate, you could be there for a while.

I mean, mate, it's quite popular demand, you know, we're getting a few requests about it. Keep body up the front top of the order. What's doing up there in your part of the world, mate. And I can imagine that are you seeing anyone up there, you seeing any tourists turn up?

They're telling me there's no one about. What's happening? Yeah, no, it actually is starting to pick up a bit, mate. I've just been running around town the last couple of days and calling in to tackle shops and that sort of thing and people are starting to turn up now. It's perhaps um, perhaps a month later than normal, but um, you know, things have stabilised a bit and um, yeah.

and people are starting to turn up. The caravan parks are filling up, albeit, um, a bit slower than normal, but it's um, sort of onwards and upwards, and, and, you know, everything's really cranking up in Darwin, um, whether anyone's here or not. The biggest problem at the moment is deciding what you're going to do every weekend. We've got the Nunamarideo's on this weekend as well as Litchfield show and um some all these camping and outdoors expos and stuff that happened this time of year.

So it's a busy, busy time, mate. Yeah, if you cast your memory back, I think last year it was a late, it was a late start as well. I remember talking to Frank when he was at the pub, McKinlay there, the Walkabout Creek pub. He was saying it was quiet and then it was a late start, then it boomed.

So hopefully that'll be the case. Nunamar radio, Gs had to be good there. Jeez, that a bit. Yeah, that's a pretty good time, mate.

Yeah, they, they used to hold it monthly, but now only a couple of times a year, so it's perhaps even a bigger event, and of course, it's only um 15 minute, um, well, 15 minute walk from my place. 5 minute drive, so it's, um, it's really good for us, uh, not having to travel all the way into the city to do some of these events, and yeah, the Nuni Rodeo, they put on a good show there, and of course, the after party goes pretty well with a live band and that sort of stuff as well. So should be a good one. What about the walk back?

I mean, from side to side would be more than 15 minutes, wouldn't it? Yeah, well that's right. 2.5 hours? Yeah, yeah. If you're doing it, mate, we always make sure we've got a driver, so the job's right there, but it is nice just to be able to pop home rather than drive home from the city like we do for all these other things.

Yeah, no, absolutely. That's a great spot there. We had a couple of beers there and a feed there, didn't we? Yeah, having a good spot.

Great spot. little camp caravan park out the back. and a great little spot, mate. What else is doing there, mate? How are the fish biting?

Yeah, fishing's going pretty well, actually, the last few days. I've just finished a trip there yesterday. So, um, yeah, it, it, I think when I spoke to you, the, um, last week it was pretty slow and we did have a bit of a water temperature drama there, but um, the big tides and some nice um, warm days and warm overnight, um, brought them back on the bike for the last few days of the last um, couple of trips. So, that was really nice, and yeah, a few more days in town here now just getting ready for what'll be the last of the runoff trips, sort of at the end of the month, and then we're right into the dry season stuff, mate, into the harbours and the billabongs and that sort of thing as, as the water temper, as the water levels, um, dropping the big rivers and um, sort of bring runoff to an end.

Yeah, well, mate, look, we're looking. we're actually coming into the northern territory, I think in July, and my plan is to come up there and spend some quality time with you, so I'm typically pretty busy there. What about around Dundee and all that, mate, because have you been out there? Because I know you've been in Kakadu a bit lately. Have you been out to our favourite beach?

Well, no, I haven't been out there yet, but they, I mean, it's always pretty busy out there, even if it's just the local fishing cruise um in and out, but yeah, I mean, this is the time of year that that Dundee caravan park or the holiday park um absolutely chock a block for the next few months. So if anyone is on the way up now and left it a bit late um to make their bookings, it's actually probably a pretty smart thing to do to make sure you ring well ahead because um when the flood comes, it comes and um yeah, there's um I mean, there's some pretty fantastic caravan parks to stay and and Dundee's right up there with the best of them. Yeah, you have to, mate, we can't confirm a date yet, but you'll be using a bit of your influence there, obviously, to get us in. Yeah, I don't know how much influence I've got down there, mate. She gets pretty chock a block, but we'll have to workshop that a bit and see what we can come up with.

Yeah, well, I know you leave. whenever you are there, you're under the influence. Well, I'm lucky, mate. When I, when I set up my camp there, um, in September, it's actually the start of the down season, so it does get a bit quieter in the, in the park then, and that's perhaps something that people can be mindful of too, is that, um, you know, once the end of August comes,

There is a bit more availability, and you know, the conditions for fishing and also just camping are still pretty Mickey Mouse right through until at least the end of September. So, um, yeah, that, that can also be a good thing if you didn't get up here early this year. You could perhaps come a bit later and just shuffle it back by a month. So yeah, that's the way to go as well.

It's a good spot, isn't it? Just that whole little area there, that Dundee Beach and the town set up. It's it's sort of tucked away, but it's a great little spot, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, that's right.

And a bit different to perhaps like Kakadu in that way you're decent way inland and it can get pretty hot at that time of year. you've always got that sea breeze and stuff at Dundee and crab claw island and that sort of thing. So, um, yeah, it, it perhaps um, a bit easier to handle as they build up starts later on in the year. Yeah, absolutely, mate.

And I saw on it last week we spoke to you, you're out of Kale's Crossing. And I saw some video footage through the week. of some imbecile crossing it in a car, got washed off the, off the course. I mean, seriously, did you see that?

Yeah, I did see a photo of it. It looked like a nice old Buddy Holden statesman made a Calais or a steak. Oh no, I saw one of a youth. I saw one of a Ute.

Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, you've got to be a bit careful at the moment because there's still a fair bit of water going over the crossing and if you go to go across on the low tide, which sort of perhaps makes sense to people if they don't know, that's when the current is running its absolute hardest from the upstream over the crossing. So, you're actually better to sort of time it for perhaps an hour before high tide when the, when the water downstream is pushing up and slowing up that water going over the crossing and then it sort of becomes still and actually it will flow back the other way on big tides.

So that can be just as easy. It's not going to really change the depth too much at that time of the tide, but at least, you know, you're not going to get washed off to, um, you know, one of the, well, I mean, everyone's seen the videos. It's for the highest density of saltwater crocs anywhere in the world right there. Yeah, mate, I just couldn't believe this bloke.

And I've got to say to you that it was good luck other than good management because he'd gone off the causeway, the front of the car had nosed into the water under, but somehow it had grabbed some sort of traction, obviously on rocks or something and he got out. But mate, fair dinkum. I mean, mate, who's going to be going in there to get you out if that happens. I mean...

Well, that's the problem, yeah. It's a huge problem, only, but only person only think it's going to get you out of there will be a crocodile, I would say. But there was someone, the video I saw, there was like running commentary, whoever filmed it was, you know, running a little bit of commentary along with it, but I just couldn't believe some of the brains or lack of brains of some of these people. Yeah, you're not wrong, mate. And it is true because there's absolutely nothing anyone else can do.

We had a situation in the river last week as well where some fellows had sort of um tried to push off over a rock bar and got it wrong and and the um boat was sort of wedged on the rocks. and we went up around and did our fishing. I mean, you can't really do much, but, and that boat really, it was very close to tipping over and filling up in the, in the middle of the South Alligator River, and we're only 50 metres away, but there's absolutely no way we could get to them if something did happen. So you've just got to be right now when the river levels are dropping in the big rivers and you've got to remember as well after such a huge wet season that there's new obstructions in the form of big old trees and snags and even rock bars and things and definitely mud banks will change after a big season like this.

So, um, you've got to take extra care for the next few weeks while we're still fish and run off in those big rivers and, and, you know, once June comes along, it's pretty well all over and um, and off we go into the harbours and things anyway, but, yeah, if, I mean, things go wrong really quickly in boats when they do go wrong, and so, and same in cars when you're trying to cross a flooded creek too. So, um, you know, you're far better off to take the, the safe option or wait a couple of hours for the tide to push before you try and make those crossings. Well, you're being absolute to do a flooded creek crossing in a car up there. Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Especially at the moment. Like, yeah, um, it's just, that's just crazy. So you got the big radio. you going?

Oh, mate, that's the problem. We'll probably end up at the Litchfield show. And then I guess it, well, it used to be the Fred's Past show, but they've moved it out a little bit further out of town now. It's just a big rural show, um so they can fit a bit more gear in.

So it depends how many dippy dogs and things of fairy floss we have and how worn out we are from the show. D dogs. Yeah, there are Dayos always the go for sure. Dippy dogs.

They could dag with dogs, you imbecile. Now, listen, now, Fred Pass, he must have been some sort of a legend because he's got the markets there on Saturdays, isn't he? Yeah, well that's right. That's where the show has been held for a long time.

But yeah, it's got bigger and bigger, so they've moved another 10 K's down the radio town. Okay, fair enough. So the Lichfield show, you can go there, check it all out, check out all the rural scene and get a dippy dog. Yeah, dipping dog, that's right.

That's what someone told me they were cool. I'm not an afficionado on... are good. Yeah, that's right.

I mean, I mean, you couldn't live on them, but every now and again, they were right. Well, I haven't had one for a couple of. I haven't had one for a couple of years. I'll tell you what gets me is when you might go to a show like it might be a caravan show when someone will be selling them and you don't have them.

You might have one a year and you go and get it and it's a dud. Oh, yeah, you don't mind that. You got to be joking. holding out for this.

Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's a big letdown. Yeah, you think, mate, you got to be joking. I've been holding out for this

saving myself and it's it's no good. It's crap. Yeah, that's right Anyway.

All right, mate. Well done. So fishing's happening. But, Fisher biting, which is good.

No rain now, it's gone. Yeah, well, I think we've had our last bit of rain just this week, dawn. It always does come inside with the Fred's past show, mate. So it's that last little burst of humid weather that's steamed up and then we, we have a couple of days of rain.

No real serious totals, but enough to go, oh, there it's raining again, but yeah, that'll be it until September now, I'd say. Yeah, good stuff, mate. All right, well done. And it's good to see that a few caravans are starting to head your way and hopefully that'll continue and it can be a bumper tourism season.

I know that plenty of people in that part of the world, Central Australia as well, south of you, as well as some of the regional places around Queensland are screaming for visitors and screaming for those caravaners. So hopefully people will be still on their way. I know where we are certainly going out that way in July. And hopefully bump into you as well, mate.

How good would that be? for you, obviously. Look forward to it. Yeah, yeah, for me. all right.

It'll be your shout then, so that will be good. What? The tidy, mate. ready for sharks, beat you, would you?

mate, listen, let me tell you, man, by the time I pay the fuel for the RAM to get up there, mate. I be eating the dates off the calendar. Yeah, that might be right too. That's how tough we will be going.

All right, mate. Well done. You enjoy, mate. We'll chat to you next week.

You done well up the front of the order again, buddy. Well done, mate. There we go. We'll keep hold on to it for another week.

All right, there he is. That's our man, Watty, Glenn, Watty, what? Barefoot Fishing Safaris. You can check him out online.

Check out his socials. and you can go fishing with him. How good's that? Just go to barefootfishing safaris.com.au.

If you want to take your for, you know, your fishing trip to another level. Well, he can sort you out there with angling adventures. So be sure to check him out. He is our man up there in the top bend.

you'll be at the radio this week for sure. Don't worry about that. He won't drive past. to drive past that to get to where he's going.

I mean, he'll be calling in there to be massive. Just look for Watty there. He be the bloke shouting the bar there at the Nunamar Tavern. Great pub.

Although he didn't shout too much when we were there last time with him, but maybe I'm prepared to put my hand up for him. If you spot if you spot him, just grab that beer. He's a good man. Barefoot Fishing Safaris is up there in the Top End.

Be sure to check it out if you want to go up there and bag yourself that big barrow.