With under two months left in Season 10 of Million Dollar Fish, the clock is ticking to catch one of 10 x $1million or 83 x $10,000 tagged barramundi still swimming in Top End waterways.

For added incentive, February brings even bigger rewards with Million Dollar Fish’s ‘Size Matters’ competition twist. This month, the angler who lands the largest $10,000 red-tagged barramundi will receive a substantial cash bonus. In addition to the standard $10,000 prize, the winner will pocket an extra $40,000 – taking their total winnings to an incredible $50,000.

To inspire anglers to try their luck, Million Dollar Fish has revealed its Top 10 wild and wonderful moments from the past decade, along with a list of the 10 biggest-ever prize-winning catches and their locations.

From UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski and cricket legends Merv Hughes and Matthew Hayden casting a line, to the inaugural $1 million winner, the biggest tagged barra, and the first female winner, these moments capture the thrill of the chase that has paid out more than $2 million to lucky fishos.

 as the first-ever angler to reel in a $10k red-tagged barra. The 56cm catch was one of 76 tagged fish released forSeason 1 and was snagged while fishing in Darwin Harbour.

The landmark catch almost didn’t happen. Liam’s line tangled with his 10-year-old son’s, who had hooked a catfish at the same time. Thankfully, they freed the lines just in time to reel in the prized barra.

Kelli Carroll was the first woman to snag a $10k fish, reeling in a 55cm red-tagged barra near the Palmerston boat ramp, just outside Darwin. She was also the first angler to hook a winning fish in Season 2, just days after the competition began.

Fishing just five minutes from home on a Monday afternoon, Kelli called her $10,000 catch a ‘fluke’, admitting she almost missed the tag initially. “I tried to flick it off the line, thinking it was too small, and didn’t see the red tag under the mud and dirt at first,” she said.

In a later interview, Kelli shared her top tips for Million Dollar Fish hopefuls: don’t flick your fish off the lure too quickly and always check multiple times for a tag. She encouraged more women to join the competition, proving fishing isn’t just fun – it can be seriously rewarding.

Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden launched Million Dollar Fish’s first four seasons, unveiling exciting format changes in Season 4 to boost the odds of reeling in a winning catch.

Calling Million Dollar Fish “the world’s best fishing tournament in the ultimate fishing destination,” Matthew shared how fishing had brought balance and relaxation throughout his life, especially under the pressure he faced as a professional athlete.

In a headline-grabbing announcement, Matthew also revealed a major twist in Season 4: the number of $1 million fish would increase from one to five for the first time in the competition’s history. This included three red-tagged barra reactivated from earlier seasons and two brand-new $1 million dollar fish released for Season 4.

In Season 7, Anthony Patsalou reeled in the first-ever $10k red-tagged barra to be caught at Darwin’s iconic Stokes Hill Wharf. Anthony decided to wet a line after dinner when he caught the lucrative 67cm barra on December 21, just before Christmas.

This red-tagged barra was not the only winning fish Anthony had caught, after bagging a $10k fish at Adelaide River during Season 4.

Christmas came early for other hopeful fishos in Season 7 when 12 additional $10,000 fish were released across the Darwin region. It was the first time more fish had been released once a season had started.

The biggest catch in Million Dollar Fish history came in Season 8, when 18-year-old Kai Hale landed a massive 105cm red-tagged barra worth $20k at Manton Dam. Initially unaware of his big win, Kai was about to release the fish when he spotted something unusual – a red tag hidden under algae.

Kai’s barra, originally worth $10k, doubled in value thanks to the competition’s ‘Double the Dough’ initiative. Two other fishos, Nicole Soltesz and Wayne Leather, also reeled in red-tagged barra that weekend, winning $20,000 each instead of $10,000.

Kai is the son of Million Dollar Fish’s first -ever $10k winner, Liam Hale, proving fishing luck can run in the family.

Season 8 was a record-breaker, with 20 winning fish caught and 19 lucky anglers taking home a total of $230,000 in prize money.

Aussie cricket legend Merv Hughes not only competed in Season 9 of Million Dollar Fish; he released the second red-tagged $10k barra to be caught that season.

The legendary fast bowler released the 73cm barra at Cullen Bay to kick off Season 9.

Originally tagged for Season 7 but never caught, the fish got a fresh chance to make headlines after being retagged and released for Season 9.

The elusive barra’s journey ended 5km away in Woods Inlet, where Andrew Russell from Wagait Beach reeled in the prized catch.

UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski took a swing at Million Dollar Fish during Season 9.

The Volk spent a day fishing in the Top End, hoping to match his fighting fortunes on the water. While he reeled in an impressive haul – including jewfish, mackerel, tuna, golden snapper, and barramundi – he missed out on a red-tagged barra.

A keen cook, Volkanovski later teamed up with Darwin’s beloved MasterChef star Uncle Robbie to whip up a delicious fish curry.

Nineteen-year-old Keegan Payne made national headlines in 2024 as the first-ever $1 million fish winner during Season 9’s extended run.

A self-described “mad-keen” angler, Keegan snagged the life-changing catch while fishing on the Katherine River in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

His sister spotted the fish’s winning tag, and Keegan’s 1am call to the hotline came just hours before Season 9’s end – making his million-dollar catch even luckier.

Million Dollar Fish Season 10 kicked off with a bang, with anglers catching nine red-tagged $10k barra in the competition’s first week — surpassing the previous record of five from Season 6 and matching the total number of fish caught in the whole of Season 9.

The winning fish were caught throughout the Top End, from Daly River and East Alligator River to Corroboree Billabong and McArthur River Crossing, Borroloola.

Among the lucky anglers was Yo Thu Yar, a former winner, who caught a massive 90cm barra at Daly River Crossing – the exact spot where he snagged his $10,000 fish in Season 8.

NT fisherman George Voukolos cemented his place in Million Dollar Fish history, snagging his third $10k barra in Season 10. With total winnings now at $30,000, George is one of the competition’s ultimate champions.

Since 2016, George has caught six red-tagged barra, three of which earned him cash prizes, while the rest were out-of-season catches.

The Daly River, just 140kms south of Darwin, has been George’s lucky spot. His winning streak began in Season 2 with a 64cm, $10,000 barra and continued in Season 3 with a 70cm payday catch. Now, ten seasons in, he’s reeled in yet another legendary win.

A total of $2,175,000 has been won by lucky fishos since Million Dollar Fish began in 2015.

2. 9/10. 86cm red-tagged barra. Caught by Alastair Lau at Yellow Water on 18 October 2024 in Season 10.

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 18 and over, with free registration. Simply by registering, anglers enter the monthly

prize draw valued over $79,000.

Each season, Million Dollar Fish releases around 100 red-tagged fish into the waterways of Darwin, Katherine, Arnhem Land, Kakadu, and Tiwi Islands. For Season 10, an impressive 10 fish carrying a tag worth a million dollars are swimming across the Top End’s pristine waterways.

Since the start of Season 10, 16 barramundi with $10,000 red tags have been caught. This leaves 83 barra with $10k red tags, along with 10 fish sporting a million-dollar tag.

Once one of the million-dollar fish is caught (which are not eligible for the Size Matters campaign), all remaining million-dollar tags will revert to $10,000.

As Million Dollar Fish’s official charity partner, Cancer Council NT receives $1,000 for every $10,000 tagged fish caught, which has resulted in total donations of $16,000 so far in 2024. Altogether, $176,000 has been paid out to lucky fishos and Cancer Council NT since Season 10 began on 1 October 2024.