A Moreton Bay fisherman has become the first Australian to catch a ten thousand dollar fish.

Ten fish have been tagged around the bay as part of a beer promotion, with major prizes up for grabs for those who catch them.

Annabelle Carter reports.

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TRANSCRIPT

When Donald Thorpe, a Hobart local, came to Queensland to visit his daughter he never thought he’d get quite this lucky.

The forklift driver threw his line in late one afternoon and within an hour caught a Carlton Mid tagged fish.

Donald Thorpe, Fisherman: “When I saw the tag on the fish I thought – Oh, hello, there’s the competition I registered in. So uh, just lucky, yeah.”

The promotion has been running since August, with more than one hundred tagged fish released around Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Mr Thorpe is the first Australian to catch one of them, winning ten thousand dollars for his efforts.

And although the promotion called for “catch and release” Mr Thorpe says his fish was good eating too.

Donald Thorpe, Fisherman: “And it was a nice meal on the night.”

There are no limits to how many times a fisherman can enter, Mr Thorpe admits he’ll throw his line in again this afternoon but he may have some competition.

Local fishermen in Manly knew exactly what they’d spend their prize money on.

Vox 1: “I’d probably buy myself a nice little boat.”

Vox 2: “Get a boat maybe.”

They say there are nine tagged fish left in Moreton Bay. The trick will be catching them.

Annabelle Carter QUT News.