NT angler second person in history to reel in million-dollar fish
After seeing a red-tagged barramundi leap out of the water, Matthew Maurice said there was "absolute panic" as he tried to reel it in. The Darwinite's fishing skills in that moment have won him $1 million.
Matthew Maurice, a 26-year-old angler from Darwin, has become the second person in history to win the top prize in the NT's Million Dollar Fish contest. The competition, which has been running for 12 years, awarded Maurice the winning barramundi, a 80-centimetre fish with a red tag, during a fishing trip on Corroboree Billabong.
This is the second time the top prize has been won in the competition's history, with the first winner being a teenager from Katherine River in 2024. The contest, run by sports gambling company Sportsbet, aims to attract tourists and fishers to the Top End during the quieter wet season months. Maurice's win is set to bring him a prize of $1 million, with the remaining 96 fish, each valued at $10,000, still to be caught in the competition, which concludes in March 2027.
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