Fifth $10K barra landed

A husband and wife from Palmerston have become the fifth $10,000 winners in the NT Government’s Million Dollar Fish competition.

Tim Trevena was fishing with his wife Judy yesterday morning when he reeled in a 61 centimetre prize-tagged barramundi in Darwin Harbour.

"Congratulations to Tim and Judy on becoming our fifth $10,000 winners and catching yet another tagged barra in the Million Dollar Fish competition," said Tourism NT CEO, Tony Mayell.

"Tim’s catch goes to show the fish are clearly still biting and the locals are currently showing our interstate participants how it’s done.

"I encourage everyone to get out on the water and tell your family and friends interstate and overseas to get up here to the Northern Territory, wet a line and become a winner.

"There’s still time to register on Million Dollar Fish and spend your summer up here in the Top End chasing the remaining 71 $10,000 barras and of course the big one – the $1 Million fish."

Mr Trevena registered for the Million Dollar Fish competition online in August before the competition started but never expected to bag one of the tagged barra.

Today’s prized-catch was almost not to be with Judy, believing the barra was too small, urging her husband to let the fish go.

"I hooked the barra and saw it was a good size and asked Judy to get the net but she said it’s too small don’t worry about it and I said Judy get the damn net! It wasn’t until we got it in the boat and flipped it over that we saw the red tag," said Mr Trevena.

"When I saw it was one of the competition fish I fell over in the boat."

Relieved her husband ignored her advice, Judy was equally as shocked.

"I didn’t believe it until I saw the tag. It’s still sinking in we’re not sure how we’ll spend the money," she said.

In an eerie coincidence, Mr Trevena had a dream he would catch a threadfin salmon and one of the tagged barra the night before – and both came true yesterday.

As for the winning fish, the long-time Palmerston couple said it was destined for the fry pan tonight, along with a little garlic butter.

"I’m sure it will taste nice," said Mr Trevena.

"Well done to our latest winning Fisho. That’s $50,000 in cash we’ve paid out before the halfway mark of this competition," CrownBet CEO Matt Tripp said.

"Heading into Christmas, catching a prize Barra will be on every Fisho’s wish-list and I expect a few more Fisho’s Christmas stockings will get filled with CrownBet’s cash."

The Million Dollar Fish initiative is part of the NT Government’s plan to boost visitor numbers to the Top End and build a $2.2 billion visitor economy by 2020. To date more than 38,000 people have registered.

The competition runs from October 1, 2015 – 29 February 2016. Participants must register online at Million Dollar Fish.