Tag: fishing

Australia’s richest fishing competition keeps reeling ’em in

Posted on by Erin

Lucky fisho Timothy O’Hagan has found himself $10,000 richer after landing a tagged fish as part of Australia’s richest fishing competition.

Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish, underwritten by SportsBet, has seen 17 fish caught and $180,000 paid out to lucky fishos. These smashed all records with more fish caught and more money won than any other season.

Timothy is the first fisho to catch a red-tagged fish this year. He bagged his 70cm catch at Fisherman’s Wharf on 7 February, not far from Sadgroves Creek where it was released. A proud father of two, the Karama resident looks forward to using the money to pay off his boat, and spoil his family.

“I’ve registered for every Million Dollar Fish season, and often go down to Fisherman’s Wharf for a quick cast when the kids are asleep,” Timothy said. “It wasn’t until I got home and checked with my wife that the tag was for Season 8 that I really got excited. I had to be careful not to wake the kids up, but inside I was like, ‘yes’!”

Every time a $10,000 fish is caught, the winning fisho gets to donate an extra $1,000 to a Million Dollar Fish charity of their choice. Timothy chose the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Three Territory charities have shared $18,000 so far.

There’s still plenty of time to go before the end of Season 8 of Australia’s richest fishing competition on 31 March 2023, and 83 $10,000 fish waiting to be caught, plus nine fish carrying a tag worth a million bucks. In addition, this month is Fisho Feb, with a range of additional incentives to register and get out on the water.

Register now and find out what’s happening with Fisho Feb by following Million Dollar Fish on Facebook or @million_dollar_fish on Instagram

Celebrate Australia’s richest fishing comp and win big

Posted on by Erin

An unknown angler has taken over the Million Dollar Fish social media channels. He is promising plenty of fishy fun throughout the month of February to celebrate Season 8 of Australia’s richest fishing competition.

The mystery angler will be spruiking a number of promotions over the next four weeks. This offers those registered for Million Dollar Fish added incentives to get out fishing the Northern Territory’s pristine waterways. To find out exactly what’s on offer, you’ll need to follow Million Dollar Fish on Facebook or @million_dollar_fish on Instagram.

Million Dollar Fish Season 8, which began on 1 October 2022, saw 100 barra carrying tags worth $10,000 released in the Top End’s five main fishing regions – Darwin, Katherine, Arnhem Land, Tiwi Islands and Kakadu. We’ve also released nine barra carrying tags worth $1 million.

Season 8 has been the richest yet, with a record-breaking $170,000 shared between 16 anglers so far. The season ends on 31 March 2023, when the remaining red-tagged $10,000 fish cease to be eligible for catching. There’s still 84 still waiting to be caught. But the nine fish carrying tags worth a million bucks can be claimed year-round.

Unique fishing competition is unique to the Territory

Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) delivers Million Dollar Fish on behalf of the Northern Territory Government. NTMEC Chief Executive Officer, Suzana Bishop, said the iconic competition is exclusive to the Territory.

“The Territory is a truly unique place and this is a unique competition,” she said. “The fishing up here is legendary, and everyone wants to catch an iconic barra. Now there are more reasons than ever to try your luck. Combine fishing with some of our Territory tourism experiences and you’ve got yourself the trip of a lifetime.”

SportsBet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors said Million Dollar Fish continues to deliver.

“SportsBet is proud to support Million Dollar Fish, which offers anglers so many chances to win cash prizes, and other goodies,” he said. “Each season there is something new on offer, and we can’t wait to see what the mystery fisho has in store.”

For every $10,000 fish caught, an extra $1000 is donated to a Million Dollar Fish charity of the winning fisho’s choice. So far, Cancer Council NT has received $9,000, the Starlight Foundation has received $6,000 and Shoreline has received $2,000.

You must register for Million Dollar Fish to claim any prize money from a tagged fish. Registrations close on 31 March 2023.

Size Matters this Christmas in Territory fishing competition

Posted on by Erin

Australia’s richest fishing competition has raised the stakes for registered anglers of Million Dollar Fish Season 8, with a brand new ‘Size Matters’ campaign rolled out for December.

Thousands of extra dollars are up for grabs as part of the exciting new campaign. The fisho who catches the longest $10,000 tagged barra in December is set to catch a massive cash bonus. Whoever is lucky enough to claim the crown will receive $1,000 per centimetre of their catch, as measured on the official Million Dollar Fish brag mat. So if the biggest $10,000 tagged fish caught in December is 55cm, the lucky fisho wins $55,000. The campaign excludes the nine fish carrying tags worth $1 million.

The ‘Size Matters’ campaign begins today and ends on 31 December 2022. We’ll announce the winner in January 2023.

Australia’s richest fishing competition goes from strength to strength

SportsBet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors said Australia’s richest fishing competition keeps going from strength to strength.

“We’re backing local and interstate fishos alike to fish the Territory for the chance to bag the longest Season 8 barra of the month, and cash in big time with $1,000 paid out per centimetre,” he said. “Size really does matter this Christmas.”

“To win any cash or prizes as part of Million Dollar Fish, registering is paramount. It’s quick, and it’s easy. By registering, you might find yourself a million dollars richer!”

Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish, underwritten by SportsBet, has smashed records just two months in. Fishos caught a whopping 16 prize-tagged barramundi across the Top End. A total of $170,000 in prize money has also been dished out to local and interstate fishos since 1 October 2022.

This season’s prize purse is the largest ever, with nine fish worth a million dollars now released in five fishing regions – Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Katherine, Kakadu and Arnhem Land.

There’s plenty of time to hit the water and catch a red-tagged barramundi. Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish runs until 31 March 2023.

To register for Season 8 for free, visit www.milliondollarfish.com.au.

Fishing regulations to keep in mind this festive season!

Posted on by Erin

Anyone who tells you that size doesn’t matter is not living in the real world. What fisho doesn’t want to go home after a hard day on the water and hear the words, “wow, that’s a big one!” It’s worth keeping in mind though, that catch sizes, fishing regulations and knowing your limits are all super important.

Fishing regulations are imperative when it comes to snagging a barra in the waterways of the Territory’s Top End.

To beat the odds of a flop at “Lake Disappointment”, you need to know the legal size for a barramundi. It is 55cm from nose to the tip of the tail. Anything smaller than this is a big no, no and must be released back into the water. This rule is the same right across Australia.

Northern Territory guides and conservation conscious anglers also have an unwritten law about those big boy barras. Anything from 90cm upwards should be quickly photographed and released. That’s because when a barra reaches 90cm in length it changes sex and becomes a female breeder.

Know your limits

Like anything in life, you gotta know your limits.  In the Territory, the bag limit for barra is five, with special controls of three barra per angler in Kakadu National Park, and the Mary and Daly River fish management zones.

While rules are in place to keep recreational catches at sustainable levels and reduce the potential for localised overfishing, that doesn’t mean you can’t enhance your enjoyment at dinner time by dishing up a sizeable tale on your catch of the day.

If you’re ever in doubt over fishing rules, restriction zones and the best way to release a fish, and don’t want to come up short, head to the Northern Territory Recreational Fishing Controls guide at www.fisheries.nt.gov.au or download the NT Fishing Mate app for a simpler option.

Good luck out there! And make sure you’re registered before you hit the water.

Size really does matter when picking the perfect lure

Posted on by Erin

When it comes to catching barramundi and deciding what lure to use, size really does matter.

Barramundi are a jumping, fighting and lure-smashing Australian icon. No other fish quite evokes the same sense of action and adventure.

So it’s important to know from the outset on the size of lure you’d like to use.

When it comes to chasing big barramundi, it’s hard to go past using big lures. If you have ever caught a whopper, you will know just how big that bucket mouth is and why they have an appetite to suit.

For this reason, larger barra will prefer to feed on larger sized baitfish often over the 20cm mark or a 15-17cm soft plastic. Remember, an inferior lure might not be able to hold up against the might of a metery.

Good things come in small packages

If you’re targeting smaller fish, you may want to drop down to a 7-10cm soft plastic. Good things can come in small packages so it’s worth keeping in mind that a big barra will always eat a smaller lure but a little barra may shy away from a larger lure.

A slow approach is also desired. No quickies, here. Barramundi, even when they are at their hungriest, love a slow-rolled lure. This can be worked at super slow speeds with maximum action. Being able to fish your lure slowly also adds to added visibility under the water.

Don’t be scared to switch up your lures from time to time, either. Variety is definitely the spice of life and fishing.

Experiment, too, with several sorts and colours (you can’t go wrong with a pack of paddle tail soft plastics and a pack of Gold Bomber hard plastics) until you find the one that works best for you.

Happy fishing! And make sure you’re registered before you hit the water.

Our top tacklebox tips this festive season!

Posted on by Erin

While organising your tackle is a personal thing, you don’t want to be out on a boat or fishing by the water’s edge only to realise your bits aren’t up to scratch and you don’t have the right gear in your tacklebox to land the big one. Make sure your tacklebox is up-to-date with our top tips.

Check out these top five tacklebox tips and you could be in with a chance of winning a red-tagged barra … or at least be popular at dinner time.

Tidy your tackle:

When it comes to storing your tackle, separating out the reels, lures and line is key. There’s a range of storage systems to chose from. Just take your pick from bait boxes, bags, dry packs, lure wraps, leader holders and soft plastic wraps.

Rack up your rods:

Rods can easily get lost or broken without proper storage. Get them upright and organised with a rod rack, all ready to grab for a trip.

Lure ‘em in:

Have a few (maybe a dozen) lures in your box, like some soft plastics, wobbler-type metals and a couple of hard-bodied minnows in small to medium sizes. Bouncing a frog lure across water lilies and using surface popper lures at night are worth a try.

Take a hard line:

Buy god quality braid and leader. One recommendation is 30 pound braid and 60 pound leader on trolling rods. Another is 50 pound braid and 60 pound leader on bait fishing rods. Also, exposure to light weakens even the best line over time. So keep it shaded.

Pack essentials:

A pair of long-nose pliers to retrieve lures or hooks form fish, a sharp knife for cleaning and filleting your catch and a measuring device so you can check if your fish is legal. Here, size really does matter.

Good luck out there! And make sure you’re registered before you hit the water.

Angler reaps reward from Territory fishing hotspot

Posted on by Erin

The Territory’s Daly River has turned into a Million Dollar Fish drawcard, with another Season 8 $10,000 fish caught there. Lucky fisho Nathan Corpus is the most recent angler to bag a $10,000 red-tagged barra at the Territory fishing hotspot. Two other fishos caught their red-tagged barr at Daly River earlier in the season.

Nathan’s 58cm catch at Daly River on 27 November brings the total number of tagged fish caught in the first two months of this season to 16. This is the same number of fish caught during the whole six months of last season.

More than living up to its reputation as Australia’s richest fishing competition, Million Dollar Fish, underwritten by SportsBet, has now seen fishos walk away with $170,000. One lucky fisho won double the dough, while three Territory charities have shared in $17,000.

Fisho nearly missed season’s must-have accessory – a red tag

A talented fisho out on the river with mates, Nathan saw one of them drop a metrey before a much smaller fish took his own lure. He was so busy trying to flick his catch off so he could chase something bigger that he hardly noticed it was sporting this season’s must-have accessory – a red tag.

“My mate Russell (Hanton) and I were fishing somewhere we wouldn’t normally fish – it was full of snags,” Nathan said. “I cast and hit the bank, got it off, then got a tap and started winding like mad. It wasn’t a big fish, so I was busy trying to get it off my line so I could focus on something bigger. I almost missed the red tag because it was covered in green gunk.

“Russell read the tag and said, ‘I think you’ve got a $10k fish!’. When we caught up with our mates in another boat they asked if we’d caught any dollars – which means a metrey. I said, ‘Yeah, I caught 10,000 dollars!’ I still can’t believe it.”

The winning fisho donates an extra $1,000 to a Million Dollar Fish charity of their choice, every time a $10,000 fish is caught. Nathan chose Shoreline, an organisation that provides career pathways for young indigenous people.

There’s 84 $10,000 fish still waiting to be caught, plus nine fish carrying a tag worth a million bucks. Season 8 runs until 31 March 2023. You must register for Season 8 to claim any prize money from a tagged fish. This also automatically enters you into the Lucky Prize Pool. This includes thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes up for grabs including holiday and flights packages and fishing and camping merchandise and equipment.

Last cast of the day sees local fisho cash in with $10k barra

Posted on by Isabella Hood

A Top End fishing trip with a mate from down south has seen Territorian Colin Carthew win $10,000. He cashed in after reeling in a red-tagged barra on the last cast of the day.

The two fishos wet a line near Talc Head at Woods Inlet on Friday, 25 November. Colin snagged the lucrative 62cm catch as part of Million Dollar Fish Season 8. This was before swiftly making their way back to the Darwin Ski Club boat ramp to beat the tide.

The Darwin-based angler said it was s challenging fishing trip, but well and truly paid off in the end. “The tides weren’t very good but we decided to head out and try our luck. I couldn’t believe it when we got the fish on the last cast – we weren’t sure if it was worth $10,000 or a million,” he said.

“When we got back to the boat ramp at the museum there was no tide, so we had to unhitch the trailer and bounce the tinny over the rocks back onto the trailer, damaging the jockey wheel in the process. It took over an hour, but it was worth it for a red-tagged barra.”

A keen fisho, Colin said he’ll put the money towards purchasing new video camera equipment.

Season 8 prize money biggest in competition’s history

Widely known as Australia’s richest fishing competition, Million Dollar Fish has already seen 15 anglers reel in prize-tagged barramundi as part of Season 8. Competition underwriter SportsBet has paid out a total of $160,000.

The amount of prize money up for grabs as part of Season 8 is the biggest in the history of the competition, with a whopping nine barramundi worth a million dollars now released in five fishing regions – Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Katherine, Kakadu and Arnhem Land. This includes the Season 8 Million Dollar Fish, in addition to those from every other season, which are still eligible to be caught.

Eighty-five Season 8 $10,000 barra are still swimming around Top End waterways. Each time a $10,000 fish is caught, an extra $1,000 is donated to one of the official Million Dollar Fish charities, as nominated by the lucky angler. Colin gave his $1,000 to Cancer Council NT.

Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) Head of Events and Operations Coryn Huddy said now is an ideal time to visit the Territory. It’s also an opportunity to explore the Top End’s world-class fishing regions for the opportunity to bag a red-tagged barramundi.

“The concept is simple,” he said. “Jump online, register for free and then wet a line for the chance to become a millionaire. Plus, you’ll also go into the monthly Lucky Prize Pool to win epic prizes and experiences from Million Dollar Fish partners,” he said.

Million Dollar Fish Season 8 opened on 1 October 2022 and runs through until 31 March 2023. To be eligible for any prize money, anglers must have registered for Season 8.

For more info and to register, visit www.milliondollarfish.com.au.

WA road trip made 10,000 times better with red-tag barra bonus!

Posted on by Isabella Hood

Lucky fisho Leon Danicic found himself $10,000 better off with a red-tag barra bonus on a WA road trip.

Leon was enjoying a road trip from the Northern Territory to Western Australia with a mate. He was land-based fishing near the Vic River boat ramp when he hooked the 59cm catch. Born and bred in the Territory, Leon has fished for many years across the Top End. He said it was “unbelievable” he’d finally caught himself a red-tagged fish.

“I honestly thought I was hallucinating. I was already stoked about catching a barra, but my excitement had just gone to another level,” he said.

The Darwin-based fisho said he’ll put his winnings towards fuel, food and drinks while on a two-month road trip along the Western Australia coast with his mate Duncan O’Riley.

Last chance to bag a red-tag barra in Season 8

Million Dollar Fish has already seen 14 anglers reel in prize-tagged barramundi as part of Season 8. Competition underwriter SportsBet has paid out a total of $150,000.

The prize purse included in Season 8 is the largest ever, with nine fish worth a million dollars now released in five fishing regions – Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Katherine, Kakadu and Arnhem Land.

This includes the Season 8 Million Dollar Fish, as well as those from every other season, which are still eligible to be caught.

Registered anglers also have the chance to bag one of the remaining 86 $10,000 barra, with 14 caught so far. 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. Leon chose Cancer Council NT.

Million Dollar Fish Season 8 opened on 1 October 2022 and runs through until 31 March 2023. To be eligible for any prize money, anglers must have registered for Season 8. The monthly prize pool includes thousands of dollars’ worth of incredible prizes such as holidays, flights, and fishing and camping equipment. For more info and to register, visit www.milliondollarfish.com.au.

Another day, another red-tagged Million Dollar Fish in the bag!

Posted on by Isabella Hood

Australia’s richest fishing competition is in for a record-breaking season, with another $10,000 fish caught as part of Million Dollar Fish Season 8 over the weekend.

A total of 11 red-tagged barramundi have been recaptured across the Top End with fishos sharing in a whopping $120,000 of prize money from competition underwriter SportsBet.

Territorian Yo Thu Yar is the latest fisho to find himself $10,000 richer. He reeled in his 55cm prize-tagged barramundi land-based fishing at Daly River Crossing. Mr Yar’s fish is the third red-tagged barramundi to have been caught at the Daly River Crossing this season. The keen angler said he plans to share most of his prize money with his grandmother.

Mr Yar said he’s been fishing for years and has caught lots of barra.

“I’ve fished at Daly River Crossing plenty of times and could not believe it when I pulled the fish out and saw the red tag.

“I’ve registered for every season of Million Dollar Fish, so it was great to finally catch one.

Fishos to nominate charity of choice

Each time a $10,000 fish is caught, an additional $1,000 is given to an official Million Dollar Fish charity of the fisho’s choice. Mr Yar chose Shoreline, an organisation that provides education and employment opportunities to Indigenous students.

Shoreline Managing Director Jason Ryan said he was delighted that Shoreline was nominated as the charity of choice for the $1,000 donation.

“The donation will go directly towards creating opportunities for young Indigenous students to develop their skills and obtain marine certifications to become fishing guides,” he said.

There is still plenty of time to register for Million Dollar Fish and hook a red-tagged barramundi. Season 8 runs until 31 March 2023. Registered anglers can win up to $1 million in prize money, with 89 $10,000 barra still swimming around Top End waterways. In addition there are nine fish worth a million bucks. This includes the Season 8 Million Dollar Fish, plus the other big ones from previous seasons, which are still eligible to be caught. Each season, red-tagged barramundi are released in five main fishing regions across the Top End including Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Kakadu, Arnhem Land and Katherine.

Registrations is free, and allows anyone over the age of 18 to claim prize money from a red-tagged fish. Registered participants also go into the monthly Lucky Prize Pool to win fantastic prizes. These include holiday packages, fishing equipment, gift vouchers, camping gear and much more. For more info, visit www.milliondollarfish.com.au.