2026 Daiwa Bream Series | Baitjunkie Hawkebsury River Boater Winner's Interview with Kris Hickson

Kris Hickson is back on top of the podium! In this interview, Kris breaks down how he claimed victory in the Baitjunkie sponsored round of the 2026 Daiwa BREAM Series on the Hawkesbury River — overcoming tough, spread-out fish and grinding out two consistent bags to secure the win. Fishing from his unique South African-built FC Tomcat powered by Mercury, Kris ran a classic Hawkesbury “run and gun” strategy, mixing washes, racks, poles and rocky structure to put together a winning 9.545kg total. His final-day 5.31kg bag proved enough to finish well clear of the field and lock in qualification for the Grand Final at Forster. Kris talks through: The areas and structure he targeted How pre-fish shaped his tournament plan Why the Cranka Crab was the standout lure The Daiwa tackle setup that got the job done Adjusting to tricky post-spawn Hawkesbury bream Running big water in rough conditions Why the Hawkesbury is still one of Australia’s best tournament fisheries There’s also plenty of insight into lure selection, line choices, and the finesse techniques needed to tempt pressured fish in a tough bite. Congratulations to Kris Hickson on an impressive win and thanks to Baitjunkie for supporting the event! #ABT #DaiwaBREAMSeries #Baitjunkie #HawkesburyRiver #BreamFishing #TournamentFishing #DaiwaAustralia #MercuryMarine #CrankaCrab #BreamTournament #FishingAustralia