Million Dollar Fish Season 10 has officially wrapped up, with 17 lucky anglers reeling in a total of $210,000 in red-tagged barramundi across the Top End.
While Season 10 has ended, fishos shouldn't pack up their gear just yet. Ten barramundi carrying the $1 million tag will remain active during the off-season, from 1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025. To claim the million-dollar prize, anglers must have been registered for Season 10. Once a million-dollar fish is caught, the remaining nine will become inactive.
Australia's richest fishing competition kicked off in spectacular fashion, with nine $10,000 red-tagged barramundi caught in just the first week, matching the entire tally of Season 9 in a matter of days. By the end of the first month, that number had skyrocketed to 14, marking the most successful start in the competition's history.
Local fishing legend George Voukolos cemented his place in Million Dollar Fish history by reeling in his third $10,000 barramundi in nine seasons. His latest catch brought his total winnings to an impressive $30,000. George has now hooked six red-tagged barramundi since 2016-three landing him big cash and three just outside the prize window. He shared that his secret weapon is the Daly River, where all his winning fish have been caught. The famous river system proved to be the ultimate fishing hotspot, with five red-tagged barramundi landed there this season.
The competition heated up again in the new year when Palmerston fisherman Kin (Akim) Lay reeled in the first tagged fish of 2025-a 72cm red-tagged barramundi at Bridge Billabong, Mary River, on 15 February. As the only fish caught during the Size Matters campaign, which awarded $40,000 to the angler who landed the biggest $10,000 fish in February, Akim pocketed a massive $50,000 payday.
Million Dollar Fish, proudly supported by Sportsbet, also delivered a $25,000 donation to charity partner Cancer Council NT in Season 10. The charity received $1,000 for every $10,000 tagged fish caught, plus an additional $4,000 for the 72cm Size Matters barramundi.
Season 10 set a record with more than 62,000 registrations-the highest since the competition began. Interest increased among interstate and international anglers, with 57% of entries coming from outside the NT. Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania saw the biggest jumps in registrations, as fishos from across the country set their sights on the next million-dollar barramundi.
Season 9 economic data highlighted the positive impact of Million Dollar Fish on the Territory, which generated a total expenditure stimulus of $91.8 million, including $49.6 million in new money for the NT. This marked a $21 million increase from Season 8.
With over $2 million in prize money awarded since Million Dollar Fish began in 2015, Season 10 set another record with its monthly prize draws, offering a total prize pool valued at $79,000. The grand prize was a Stacer 429 Outlaw SC boat, valued at $35,000.
