Month: March 2023

Is this the final winning barra of Territory fishing comp’s Season 8?

Posted on by Erin

Season 8 of Territory fishing comp, Million Dollar Fish, has been the biggest ever and, with just hours to go to the end of the season, ecstatic Borroloola resident Asman Rory landed a $10,000 barra.

Asman went night fishing on Wednesday to catch a meal for his family at his favourite secret spot near the McArthur River Crossing. He ended up hooking the 90cm winning fish, which is the 20th fish of Season 8.

With a fading torch battery, Asman didn’t realise he had bagged a $10,000 barra until hours later when he ran into some friends who started inspecting his catch. He didn’t believe it was a winning tag until he scratched back the algae and saw it was red.

With adrenaline pumping, Asman called his partner to share the good news, before racing home to celebrate in person. He hopes to use the money to buy a car for his family.

“I went to this favourite spot and I always catch barra in it, but this time it was different. I felt something different,” Asman said.

“So I called out to the land like I always do, to the ancestors. When I first got down there I started flicking around, and I caught a small one. So I asked the ancestors for one more, you know, only one more I asked for, and that was the $10,000 barra. It means the world to me and my family that this has happened.

“Our fishing is the best. You know, just protect our waterways, our environment, and pick our rubbish up. Keep our pristine environment clean and rubbish-free for future generations.”

Asman chose Shoreline, an education program that provides career pathways for young Indigenous Australians, to receive his $1000 charity donation.

Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish gives out largest amount of cash

Season 8 has seen the largest amount of money given out in the history of Million Dollar Fish. In total, 20 winning fishos have shared $230,000.

Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) delivers the Territory’s popular fishing competition, underwritten by SportsBet.

There’s also still time to become a millionaire, with all nine fish carrying tags worth a million bucks eligible to be caught year-round. To claim any cash, you MUST be registered for Million Dollar Fish Season 8. All $10,000 fish cease to be active at 11.59pm tonight. Registrations also close.

Register now for free.

 

 

 

Local lands $20k barra in Territory fishing spot

Posted on by Erin

Humpty Doo local Wayne Leather reeled in a tagged barra in a Territory fishing spot just in the nick of time.

He was fishing at a secret spot in Adelaide River on Sunday, with only four days left of Million Dollar Fish. While reeling a fish in he was surprised to see a beaming red tag hanging off his 68cm catch. But other fish were still biting, so Wayne kept reeling in two more barra while his son tried to read the writing on the red tag. When they realised Wayne had pulled in a Season 8 barra, the duo quickly packed up and raced home.

“As soon as it went straight into the net it was facing upright and we both screamed out at the same time, ‘red tag!’ I said, ‘no way, this can’t be happening’,” Wayne said.

“We quickly got it in the boat before a croc came out and took the fish.

“We’re quite lucky actually. It’s hard to believe it happened because we didn’t go there to catch a tagged barra. We hadn’t given up, but at the end of the season, you think the doors are pretty well closed.”

Fisho registers for every Million Dollar Fish Season

Wayne is the third lucky fisho to take home $20,000 after hooking his barra during the final weekend of Double the Dough, where a $10,000 fish is worth $20,000. He chose the Darwin Star Ball through the Starlight Children’s Foundation to receive the $2000 charity donation.

Wayne has signed up for Million Dollar Fish, underwritten by SportsBet, every season since the competition began in 2015. He carefully inspects every barra he catches to see if it’s sporting a red tag. He has his favourite Territory fishing spot, but keeps it a secret.

SportsBet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors was over the moon at handing another lucky fisho a cheque.

“As the major sponsor of Million Dollar Fish, SportsBet is thrilled to be awarding another lucky fisho a cheque for $20,000,” he said.

“Remember, there’s still nine barra worth a million bucks swimming around in Top End waters. They are eligible to be caught all year round if you register for Season 8 by 31 March 2023.”

There’s still 81 barramundi waiting to be caught as part of the competition. This includes nine fish carrying a tag worth a million bucks, which remain active all year round. Remember, you must register before the end of Season 8 to be eligible.

Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish ends on 31 March 2023. To claim any prize money from a tagged fish you must register by this Friday. This includes catching a fish worth a million bucks after Season 8 ends. Register now for free at www.milliondollarfish.com.au.

Fisho doubles the dough with a $20k barra

Posted on by Erin

Another lucky fisho has scored himself $20,000 after hooking fish number 18 of Million Dollar Fish Season 8.

Kai Hale, 18, reeled in a barramundi worth $10,000 at the weekend. However, under the Double the Dough initiative, he has instead pocketed $20,000. Kai hooked the 105cm barra at Manton Dam, less than an hour’s drive from Darwin CBD, in the early hours of Saturday morning after a long chase and plenty of casting.

After grabbing a photo of the fish, Kai was close to returning it to the water, before something caught his eye –a tag covered in algae. Scratching back the algae he was over the moon to realise it was a Season 8 tag. Kai said he hoped to put his winnings towards purchasing a new car and entering a fishing competition.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I was happy enough it was a metery, let alone had a red tag in it,” Kai said.

“I thought maybe it was from an old season, but when we saw 2023 we were pretty happy.

“We would have had, I don’t know, 200 casts at that same fish before it ate, over about 45 minutes. We just followed it for ages.”

Season 8’s prize purse biggest ever

This season’s prize purse is the biggest yet, with nine barra worth a million bucks each now released in Top End waterways. You can still catch 82 barra worth $10,000, or $20,000 if you catch them on any weekend in March.

Every time a fisho catches a $10,000 barra, they can donate an extra $1,000 to the Million Dollar Fish charity of their choice. Kai chose Cancer Council NT. The donation was doubled to $2,000 as part of Double the Dough.

Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish, underwritten by SportsBet, runs until 31 March 2023. You must register for Season 8 to claim any prize money from a tagged fish. This includes the nine fish worth a million bucks, which remain eligible to be caught year-round. You’ll also be automatically entered into the monthly Lucky Prize Pool, which includes thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes up for grabs including holiday and flights packages and fishing and camping merchandise and equipment.

Double the Dough returns as Million Dollar Fish heads into final weeks

Posted on by Erin

Fishos have more reasons than ever to drop a line and hook themselves a coveted red-tagged Million Dollar Fish barramundi, with the famous Double the Dough initiative to return every weekend until the competition ends on March 31, 2023.

To celebrate the final countdown of Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish, the first registered person to land a $10,000 barra each weekend in March, between 12am Saturday – 11:59pm Sunday, will instead pocket a cool $20,000.

There are still 83 Season 8 barramundi swimming across the Top End waiting to be caught as part of Australia’s richest fishing competition, underwritten by SportsBet. In addition, there are nine fish carrying a tag worth a million bucks. The $1 million dollar barra are not part of the Double the Dough campaign, but they do remain eligible to be caught year-round. To claim any cash though, you MUST register for Season 8 by March 31, otherwise you can’t claim the big bucks.

To date 17 Season 8 fish have been caught, and $180,000 paid out to lucky anglers.

Season 8 ends on 31 March 2023. As well as making you eligible to claim cash if you catch a tagged barra, registering also automatically enters you into the Lucky Prize Pool, which includes thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes up for grabs including holiday and flights packages, and fishing and camping gear. Register here.