A Top End teenager has landed Australia’s most lucrative catch, winning the Northern Territory’s Million Dollar Fish contest.
For the first time in the competition’s nine-year history, the NT Government has announced that a territorial angler has caught the prized tagged barramundi.
Keegan Payne, a 19-year-old from the country town of Katherine, today becomes the NT’s new millionaire after catching the million-dollar fish in the Katherine River.
The NT Government issued a statement saying Payne was on a fishing trip with family members early Sunday morning when he benefited from the bar reward.
He called the competition hotline to alert the world of his victory at 1 a.m. that morning.
“This is crazy for us. We are a big family, there are eight of us, this is more money than we could ever ask for,” Payne said in the statement.
“It means a lot. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.
“I’m happy, vey happy.
“I can buy what I want and maybe help mom and dad with the mortgage loans.”
The announcement comes on the final day of the annual competition for 2024.
Earlier this year, the NT Government announced it would guarantee a winner for the competition this season, but did not reveal exactly how that would happen.
The competition, paid for by sports betting company SportsBet, was created with the aim of attracting tourists and anglers to the NT Top End during the quieter months of the rainy season.
In addition to the fish valued at one million dollars, eight tagged barramundi valued at $10,000 each have also been caught this season.