Zain Lopez reels in $10,000 barra on first day of Million Dollar Fish

A born-and-bred Darwin dad has caught the first tagged barra of the Million Dollar Fish season, just hours into the first day of the competition. See where he caught it.

The first tagged barramundi of the new Million Dollar Fish season has been reeled in, just three hours into the competition.

Zain Lopez caught the 62cm fish off the rocks at Stokes Hill Wharf about 3am Sunday morning.

“Basically I got a boof from a barra and then pulled it up and didn’t realise until I was pulling the prawn out of it’s mouth,” he said.

“Words can’t describe the feeling of wetting a line then pulling up the $10,000 tag on the end of it.”

Along with taking home $10,000 in cash, winning fishos get an another $1000 to donate to one of the competition’s four partner charities.

Zain Lopez has caught the first tagged barra of the Million Dollar Fish 2023-24 season, reeling in a prize of $10,000. Picture: Annabel Bowles

The Darwin born-and-bred dad said he would give the extra prize to the Starlight Foundation.

“Having a little daughter of my own makes me want to donate that $1000 to that charity,” the 24-year-old said.

While the overnight snag came as “unbelievable” news, Mr Lopez said it would not stop him from trying to hook one of the million-dollar barras.

“Every now and then I like to get up before the sun’s up, just so it’s nice and cool and the fish always tend to bite for me when the sun’s coming up,” he said.

“I would like to say I’ve caught a fair few in my life but there’s always plenty more out there to be caught.”

The prize winning fish, measuring 62cm, was caught off the rocks at Stokes Hill Wharf. Picture: Annabel Bowles

More than 17,000 people have already registered for Million Dollar Fish Season 9, which started on Sunday.

There are potentially 11 fish waiting to make lucky fishos into millionaires, as well as 99 fish worth $10,000 swimming in Top End waters.

Event organisers have promised the top prize must be given away this year, with back-up plans in place if someone does not snag a tagged million-dollar fish naturally.

Major Events Minister Paul Kirby said he hoped the early success would be a sign of “really good things to come”.

“I think that would be the quickest (win) that we have ever had,” he said.

“There’s been quite a few winners that have caught fish off rocks now.”

To register for Million Dollar Fish season nine head to milliondollarfish.com.au