Lucky fisho Leon Danicic has found himself $10,000 better off after wetting a line at the Vic River while enjoying a road trip from the Northern Territory to Western Australia.
Leon was land-based fishing near the Vic River boat ramp when he reeled in his 59cm barra. Born and bred in the Territory, Leon has fished for many years across the Top End and said it was "unbelievable" he'd finally caught himself a red-tagged fish.
The Darwin-based fisho said he'll put his winnings towards fuel, food and drinks while on a two-month road trip along the Western Australia coast with his mate Duncan O'Riley.
Widely known as Australia's richest fishing competition, Million Dollar Fish has already seen 14 anglers reel in prize-tagged barramundi as part of Season 8. A total of $150,000 has been paid out by competition underwriter SportsBet.
The prize purse included in Season 8 is the largest ever, with nine fish worth a million dollars now released in five fishing regions - Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Katherine, Kakadu and Arnhem Land. This includes the Season 8 Million Dollar Fish, as well as those from every other season, which are still eligible to be caught.
In addition, registered anglers have the chance to bag one of the remaining 86 $10,000 barra, with 14 caught so far. Each time a $10,000 fish is caught, an extra $1,000 is donated to one of the official Million Dollar Fish charities, as nominated by the lucky angler. Leon decided to give his $1,000 to Cancer Council NT.
Million Dollar Fish Season 8 opened on 1 October 2022 and runs through until 31 March 2023. To be eligible for any prize money, anglers must have registered for Season 8. By doing so, participants go into the monthly Lucky Prize Pool, which includes thousands of dollars' worth of incredible prizes such as holidays, flights, and fishing and camping equipment. For more info and to register, visit www.milliondollarfish.com.au here.
Quotes from NT Major Events Company Head of Events and Operations Coryn Huddy:
"We're off to a ripper start for Season 8 with heaps of barra reeled in. It feels as if the big catch is getting closer and closer. Now really is the time to get out on the Territory's pristine waterways and try your luck at catching a million bucks. It's also great for our economy that so many fishos are out there trying to bag the next tagged barra, as they spend on fishing gear, fuel, charters and more."
Quotes from SportsBet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors:
"We're absolutely thrilled with how Season 8 of Million Dollar Fish is going so far.
"Barra fishing is prime in the Top End at the moment, meaning there's never been a better time to book a trip to the Territory and throw in a line to catch the Million Dollar Fish!"
Quotes from winning fisho Leon Danicic:
"My mate Duncan and I are both keen fishos and heard there was good fishing at Vic River. We hadn't been there before and, because there wasn't much water there when we arrived, we actually had second thoughts.
"We ended up going for a fish on opposite sides of the boat ramp, and on the fourth flick I caught this fish. I was absolutely stoked as I love catching barra.
"I finally got it up on the bank and it wasn't until I flipped it over that I saw the red tag. I honestly thought I was hallucinating. I was already stoked about catching a barra, but my excitement had just gone to another level.
"As Duncan was fishing a fair distance from me, I yelled out his name to share the great news, but he never called back. He's keen on observing snakes, so I instantly thought he'd been bitten and was in trouble.
"Not wanting to leave the fish on the bank in case a bird snatched it, I carried it back up to the boat ramp to try and find Duncan.
"I eventually tracked him down about 700m away and held up the fish. When I shouted 'It's got a tag in it!' his mouth hit the floor!
"The money will come in handy for the rest of our road trip covering fuel, food and drinks. The whole thing is unbelievable."
