Top End fisherman lands $1 million catch in Sportsbet competition

A Northern Territory teenager is celebrating a life-changing catch after reeling in Sportsbet’s $1 million barramundi.

Keegan Payne, 19, was on a fishing trip with one of his sisters and a friend in the early hours of Sunday morning at Katherine River when he landed the iconic Top End fish.

He claimed the prize from Sportsbet as part of the Northern Territory’s Season 9 of Million Dollar Fish.

“This is crazy for us, we’re a big family, there’s eight of us. This is more money than we could ever ask for. This is just great,” he said.

“It means so much. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I’m happy, really happy. I can buy what I want, maybe help Dad and Mum out with the home loans.”

The prized barramundi was released into Top End waters as part of Australia’s richest fishing competition.

Each season, more than one hundred red-tagged fish are released in Darwin, Katherine, Arnhem Land, Tiwi Islands, and Kakadu waterways. Some are worth a million dollars, while the rest are worth $10,000.

NT Major Events Company chief executive Suzana Bishop said the event presented a golden opportunity for locals and visitors to spend time in the great outdoors of the Territory.

“The Million Dollar barra has become one of our greatest ambassadors and we are so happy and excited for Keegan and his family,” Ms Bishop said.

“The Territory is the best place for fishos and it’s fitting that a local has reeled in the biggest catch going around – the Million Dollar Fish.

More than 60,000 people from around the world registered to take part in the competition, which ended on Tuesday.