The Northern Territory led the away among Australian states for its management and promotion of recreational fishing.

Not did the NT pull gill nets out of large tracts of coastal waters earlier than most other states, to bolster its prized barramundi stocks, it also spawned one of the best fishing promotions in the world.

The promotion is called Million Dollar Fish (MDF), where dozens of tagged fish are released each year into various NT waterways for recapture, with the captors eligible for large cash prizes.

By November of Season 10 (2024/25) 15 of the $10,000 had been caught, out of around 100 fish released with the $10k tags.

There is a single $1,000,000 prize on offer each year.

The MDF tagged fish recapture rate has been excellent, so good in fact that some people are scratching their heads as to why other barramundi tagging programs have recorded a far lower tag return rate.

The season usually kicks off in October and ends February 28. However the rules change to make it more fun, and sometimes some tagged fish are eligible for prizes all year.

Anyone can fish the competition, all you must do is register at www.milliondollarfish.com.au.

The tagged barramundi are released across the Top End, but the best chance for a recapture is Darwin and Bynoe Harbours, Daly River, Mary River (including Corroboree and Hardies hotspots), the McArthur and Roper Rivers.