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A $1 million fish is swimming around the Northern Territory right now. No, seriously.
Season 12 of Million Dollar Fish kicked off on October 1, sending anglers into the Top End in search of one very lucrative barramundi.
The rules are simple: reel in the single red-tagged barra and you'll walk away with $1 million. Another 100 red-tagged fish are worth $10,000 apiece.
You don’t have to be a professional angler to get involved. All you have to do is register, grab your fishing gear and head to the Top End. You can fish on your own, book a charter, join a guided trip or make a few days of it at a fishing lodge.
The competition runs until March 31, 2027, giving fishers six months to cast a line in the Top End’s rivers, estuaries and waterways. There’s another incentive this season, too. Catch one of the $10,000 fish on an eligible Tourism Top End charter between December and March, and the prize doubles to $20,000.
The prize money is already well into the millions. Since the competition launched in 2015, anglers have caught more than $2.4 million, including the first million-dollar barra, landed by Territory local Keegan Payne in 2024.
On Friday, October 1, just 45 minutes into fishing at Hardies Lagoon, Darren Kenny landed Season 12’s first $10,000 barra – a 62cm catch with a red tag. It’s Darren’s second winning catch at the same spot and the Kenny family’s third; Darren’s Dad happened to catch the first fish of season 11 last year. Congrats to the Kennys!
Keen to reel in some cash? Well, here's your sign to plan a fishing trip to the Top End. Worst case, you spend a few days chasing barra in the Northern Territory. Best case, you pull one out of the water worth more than most Sydney apartments. You can find out more here.