But two weeks passed by before Basil Te Aho and his father Kimgi  had any idea. 

The pair claimed the Million Dollar Fish prize on Tuesday because they hadn’t seen the tag on the prize winning fish in the dark of night.

“We went out on October 8 and just threw a few barra in the freezer - guts, scales and all – we were exhausted after the night of fishing,” Mr Te Aho said.

“We didn’t know until yesterday that it was a Million Dollar Fish. I was going to cook it on the smoker and I saw the tag and I thought I’d call the number.”

More reading: Tagging gone wrong, $5,000 barra may not ever be claimed

The red-tagged barra is the second Million Dollar Fish caught in the fourth season of the competition, and both fish have been caught at Yellow Water Billabong.

Brett Skinner, General Manager of Cooinda Lodge, which is located next to Yellow Water Billabong, said that the lead-up to the wet was often the best time for catching barra.

"Yellow Water Billabong is always a prolific water hole for barramundi, but as the waters dry up in advance of the rains, the barra become even more concentrated.

"This is the third barra caught at Yellow Water Billabong with a $10,000 tag over the past two seasons and judging by how good the fishing has been recently, it's a good bet that the Million Dollar Fish is close by."

Mr Te Aho said he would give some of the prize money from the 81cm barramundi to his family and book a holiday to go fishing for Kahawai (known as Australian Salmon in Australia) with his family in Wairoa on the North Island of New Zealand.

“I like going home in January, when the Kahawai come in and I go with my relations and clean up,” Mr Te Aho said. 

Mr Te Aho has lived in the Territory since the 1970s and regularly visits the Yellow Water Billabong from September to November, before water levels rise with seasonal tropical rainfall.

“When the water is down a bit the fish congregate and it’s pretty easy to catch them, you just have to go early morning or at night when the tourist boats are off the water,” he said.

Department of Tourism and Culture deputy CEO, Andrew Hopper encouraged fishos to check their catch closely for red and purple Million Dollar Fish tags.

“We’re very happy to confirm that Basil has won $10,000 and caught the second fish of the season,” Mr Hopper said.

“This is a lesson for everyone to check their fish carefully, because one red tag could change your life and net you $1 million.”

Season four of the Million Dollar Fish competition commenced on October 1, with more chances than ever to catch a $1 million fish.

This year, the number of $1 million fish has been increased to five, which is expected to reel in fishing fanatics to the Territory and give a boost to tourism and local tourism operators.

To be in for a chance to win register at www.milliondollarfish.com.au. 

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