Nineteen-year-old Keegan Payne’s ordinary day of fishing turned into a life-changing moment when he reeled in the winning catch in the Northern Territory’s annual Million Dollar Fish competition. It was actually his younger sister who noticed a small tag on the barramundi, leading to their unexpected jackpot.
Living in Kimberley with his family, Keegan plans to treat them to an overseas holiday and secure the rest in the bank. Describing the moment,
“We were chucking out yabby pots … and we caught a cherabin (freshwater prawn) in the pot and we chucked it on for a bit of live bait,” he said. “We waited a couple of minutes and the line started pulling.”
Keegan shared how the barramundi bit within minutes of casting his line, setting off a thrilling race back to the boat ramp to keep the fish alive. The competition, which began in 2015, has never before seen a million-dollar winner, making Keegan’s catch all the more remarkable.
