It’s no secret the Northern Territory is home to the famous barramundi and some of the best fishing spots in Australia! If that isn’t enough to persuade you to book your flight to the NT – how about we lure you in with a million dollars!
Million Dollar Fish, delivered by Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) and underwritten by SportsBet, is Australia’s richest fishing competition. Since launching in 2015 with the aim of boosting tourism and visitation to the Territory, fishos from around Australia have been winning big by reeling in tagged barra. Three lucky anglers have caught not one but TWO tagged fish, bagging themselves $20k. The biggest barra caught was a 114cm monster in Season 6.
This year, for Season 7, 113 red-tagged fish were released into five notable fishing destinations in the Northern Territory – Arnhem Land, Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine and Tiwi Islands. This included the big one worth $1 million, plus 112 fish worth $10,000. Several have been caught, but there are still 101 barra out there, ready to be snagged!
With only this month left to register, the stakes are high and, for the first time ever, NTMEC has announced the exact region in which this season’s Million Dollar Fish was released – Darwin Harbour! Not only that, all $1 million tagged barra released in Seasons 1 – 6 are also still valid catches, so fishos have eight times the chance to reel in a Million Dollar Fish.
For even more reasons to book flights, NTMEC, competition regulator InfoFish Australia and previous $10k barra winners Anthony Patsalou, Andrew Bates and David Nolan have shared their insights and tips for catching the remaining tagged barra!
TIME OF DAY
Fishing guru Bill Sawynok from InfoFish Australia said the best time to hook a winner is either early morning or late afternoon, when the water is calm and there has been no rain. “There’s nothing these fish hate more than being disrupted by rough waters,” Sawynok says.
LOCATION
Location is key when hunting down the Million Dollar Fish. NTMEC insights show Daly River is where most tagged barra have been caught. But Sawynok says the majority of fish pretty much stay in the area in which they were released – Arnhem Land, Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine and Tiwi Islands. “There’s always a small percentage that move around the river system they were released in, but they don’t go too far,” he says.
BEST BAIT OR LURES
Andrew Bates, who snapped up a $10k barra in December 2021, said barra find it hard to refuse a live mullet or live prawn. Other winners have suggested soft plastics or hard-bodied lures work well too.
CHALLENGES
Anthony Patsalou acknowledges one of the biggest challenges when fishing for barra is ensuring you get everything right – the right tide, right moon phase, right time, right place. “They are hot and cold – one day they’re on, the next nowhere to be seen. You just need to observe when they are feeding, tide movement, water temperature,” Andrew Bates says.
NUMBER ONE TIP FROM PREVIOUS WINNERS
The best tip from previous winner David Nolan is to never, ever give up; remember you’re only one cast away from the cash! Meanwhile, Bates encourages interstaters to head to the Territory to try and catch a prize-tagged barra because it’s free to register for Million Dollar
Fish, and it’s free to go fishing – several anglers have caught tagged fish from the shore.
Remember! To claim any prize money, you MUST be registered for Season 7 of Million Dollar Fish. Registrations close 31 March 2022. Registration also enters you into the Lucky Prize Pool, which boasts prizes such as a Great Northern Breakaway Trip, Shimano Fishing Packs, Engel goodies and Anaconda vouchers.
For more information and to register for free, visit www.milliondollarfish.com.au.
