Territory fisho doubles the dough with a $20k barra
Another lucky fisho has scored himself $20,000 after hooking fish number 18 of Million Dollar Fish Season 8, underwritten by SportsBet.
Territory resident Kai Hale, 18, reeled in a barramundi worth $10,000 at the weekend. However, under the Double the Dough initiative, he has instead pocketed $20,000. Kai hooked the 105cm barra at Manton Dam in the early hours of Saturday morning after a long chase and plenty of casting.
After grabbing a photo of the fish, Kai was close to returning it to the water, before something caught his eye -a tag covered in algae. Scratching back the algae he was over the moon to realise it was a Season 8 tag. Kai said he hoped to put his winnings towards purchasing a new car and entering a fishing competition.
This season's prize purse is the biggest yet, with nine barra worth a million bucks each now released in Top End waterways. Plus, there are still 82 barra worth $10,000 (or $20,000 if you catch them on any weekend in March, thanks to the Double the Dough initiative) waiting to be caught.
For every $10,000 fish caught, an extra $1,000 is donated to one of the official Million Dollar Fish charities. As part of Double the Dough, the donation has been doubled to $2,000. Kai has chosen to donate the money to Cancer Council NT.
Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish runs until 31 March 2023. To claim any prize money from a tagged fish (including the nine fish worth a million bucks, which remain eligible to be caught year-round), you must be registered for Season 8. This also automatically enters you into the monthly Lucky Prize Pool, which includes thousands of dollars' worth of prizes up for grabs including holiday and flights packages and fishing and camping merchandise and equipment. Register now for free at [http://www.milliondollarfish.com.au].
Quotes from NT Major Events Company CEO Suzana Bishop:
"With only a few weeks left of the Million Dollar Fish competition there has never been a better time to hit the water and wet a line for the chance to reel in one of the many prize-tagged barramundi swimming around Top End waterways.
"Million Dollar Fish continues to be a massive catch for the Territory. Independent research shows Season 7 of Million Dollar Fish bagged a record-breaking $47.3 million total expenditure stimulus for the Territory, with 32.5 percent of that ($15.4 million) new money. This is incredible news and shows the value the competition brings to our economy."
Quotes from SportsBet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors:
"As the major sponsor of Million Dollar Fish, SportsBet is thrilled to be awarding Kai with a $20,000 cheque.
"Million Dollar Fish is the greatest fishing competition in Australia, and we're hoping someone will reel in the big one as part of Season 8."
Quotes from winning fisho Kai Hale:
"I just couldn't believe it. I was happy enough it was a metery, let alone had a red tag in it.
"I thought maybe it was from an old season, but when we saw 2023 we were pretty happy.
"We would have had, I don't know, 200 casts at that same fish before it ate, over about 45 minutes. We just followed it for ages."
