Darwin man lands $1m barramundi on fishing trip with visiting brother

A quiet evening of fishing with his brother has brought Darwin resident Matthew Maurice a $1m prize after he caught an 80cm barramundi carrying a competition tag. The 26-year-old is only the second person to claim the top award in the Northern Territory’s Million Dollar Fish competition over its 12-year history.

Maurice headed out in a boat on Thursday evening after finishing football training. His brother was visiting from overseas, and the pair wanted to spend time together on the water. Speaking to Channel 7’s Sunrise on Monday, Maurice said they had travelled less than a kilometre from the boat ramp and were not concerned about whether they caught anything.

The outing took an unexpected turn when Maurice hooked a barramundi and saw it leap from the water. Switching on his head torch, he spotted its silver body and a bright red tag. The tag indicated that the fish carried a cash prize, although he did not yet know how much the catch would be worth.

The competition, which began on 1 October, involved the release of 100 fish carrying prizes of $10,000 each, along with a single fish worth $1m. Maurice learned that he had landed the biggest prize only after handing in his catch. Northern Territory chief minister Lia Finocchiaro reportedly broke the news, telling him: “I’m about to give you the best news of your life.”

After receiving confirmation, Maurice called his mother and brother to tell them about the win. At a press conference, he expressed disbelief that a fishing trip had brought him such a large sum. He said he was happy simply to catch fish and described any barramundi as a good catch, particularly one carrying the million-dollar prize.

Maurice said he hoped to handle the money sensibly, with buying a house and paying off anything he needed to among his possible plans. He also intended to spend a little on himself. Still coming to terms with the result, he said: “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

The only previous winner of the competition’s top prize was Keegan Payne, a local man from Katherine who caught a $1m fish three years ago. The program is sponsored by Tourism & Events Northern Territory and is intended to promote the region’s fishing experiences.

The competition remains open until 31 March 2027. Across the Top End, 96 tagged barramundi carrying individual prizes of $10,000 have yet to be claimed, leaving further cash prizes available despite Maurice’s million-dollar catch.