A late-night fishing trip at Yellow Waters has delivered the catch of a lifetime for Darwin resident Alastair Lau. Unbelievably this is the third red-tagged barra he's reeled in, but the first one where he can claim the cash.
Fishing with his partner Bronwyn Loud and their 8-month-old daughter in the early hours of Saturday 19 October Alastair reeled in his 86cm $10,000 red-tagged fish. Upon flipping it over he saw the hint of red underneath an algae covered tag, that he initially thought was reeds stuck to the fish.
With a four-day trip planned, the young family opted to stay out at Yellow Waters to continue fishing in the hope they'd reel in another prize-winning catch.
A fan of the competition since it began a decade ago, this is the third red-tagged barra Alastair says he has caught. Years ago, fishing on the East Alligator River, when releasing a barra he saw a red tag on the fish as it rolled over and swam away. Then, fishing in 2020 at the Finniss River, Alastair hooked a red-tagged barra and called it in, only to be told it was August and therefore out of season.
There are now 87 red-tagged $10,000 fish and 10 fish with a million-dollar tag for Season 10. Each season the competition sees red-tagged barramundi released in Darwin, Katherine, Arnhem Land, Kakadu and Tiwi Islands waterways.
As the official charity partner, Cancer Council NT receives $1000 for every $10,000 tagged fish caught, bringing the total contribution to the charity to $12,000 so far. A total of $122,000 has been paid out since the launch of Season 10, marking an outstanding start to the season.
Million Dollar Fish Season 10 runs until 31 March 2025. Delivered by Northern Territory Major Events Company and supported by Sportsbet the competition is open to people aged over 18, with free registration. Simply by registering you are entered into the monthly prize draw valued at $79,000. Register for free at www.milliondollarfish.com.au.
Quotes from Northern Territory Major Events Company Acting CEO Trevor Cox:
"The Million Dollar Fish competition is making a splash, with 12 fish already reeled in just weeks after it began.
"Fishing fans are encouraged to book their holidays to the Top End for the fishing trip of a lifetime, with the barra biting, now is the time to come up and be a part of the action."
Quotes attributable to winning fisho Alastair Lau:
"It's always been a bit of a thing to go out and have a bit of a go for the mighty Million Dollar Fish, and it's actually happened this this year, so super stoked about that.
"Third time's a charm, don't throw it back, and on time. Nothing goes off the brag mat or even starts to shift towards the side of the boat until it's been thoroughly combed over for a tag."
Quotes from SportsBet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors:
"Congratulations to Alastair, who has reeled in the twelfth $10,00 fish of Million Dollar Fish Season 10.
"We're less than a month into Season 10 and it's already been one for the memory books. We can't wait to see more lucky fishos win big in Australia's richest fishing competition."
Quotes attributable to Cancer Council NT CEO Tanya Izod:
"Twelve red-tagged barra caught! Cancer Council NT is so grateful to be the official charity partner and that we get to be part of this incredibly exciting start to season 10!
"Every fish caught means we can continue to support Territorians impacted by cancer and so we hope to see this fantastic winning streak continue."
