Kris Hickson is back on top of the podium. The Daiwa-sponsored angler, Manning River Marine proprietor and self-titled "Captain Risky" claimed the Baitjunkie-sponsored round of the 2026 Daiwa Bream Series on the Hawkesbury River, ending what he openly admits has been a long stretch between tournament wins.
Speaking with ABT host Steve Morgan after weigh-in, Hickson admitted the win was overdue. "Ever since I come back from the trip, I haven't done a great deal of tournaments each year, and I've had to borrow boats for them," he said. "I think Mallacoota when I first got back from traveling was the last time I actually had a solid win, so it's good to get back on the top of the podium."
The platform under his feet for this win was as unusual as the result. Hickson is the only Australian running an FC Tomcat — a South African-built tri-hull bass boat just over twenty feet long and 2.3 metres wide, powered by a 250 Pro XS Mercury. "It's the only one over here," he told Morgan. "David Dudley, I think, was running one in the States as well. It's actually a tri-hull, just on just over 20 ft, but 2.3 wide nearly from back to front. Massive fishing platform."
Conditions on the Hawkesbury made the new rig an immediate test. "I actually wasn't sure how it would go in this sort of weather, like big swell, really choppy water, and it handled it as good as anything else I've got," Hickson said. "Going with the waves, to be honest, is probably the best thing I've ridden in."
Hickson opened the tournament with a 4.235 kg bag for third place, then brought 5.31 kg to the scales on day two for a 9.545 kg total — clear of Judd Kirkland in second by roughly 500 to 800 grams. He never trusted the weight in the well. "I actually had no idea, cuz it was a bit of a grind. We were spot hopping and moving around a lot," he said. "When I caught a fish it was just get it in the net, get it in the tank, and let's keep going because we need to catch more."
A late upgrade decided the day. "I think I caught — it was pretty much the last cast — got an upgrade. It must have been a 35, 36 fork as well," Hickson said. "I think to be honest, I think they're all about the same 36 fork-ish and one smaller one."
The standout lure for the weekend was the Cranka Crab, fished on a heavy 7'4" LFSXSST solid-tip rod, a Daiwa Caldia 2500, PE1 J-Braid Expedition and 10-lb fluorocarbon leader. "I probably caught most of the fish in my bags this week on the crab," he said. "Heavy crab upgraded with the bigger crab claws. I just like having that purchase if I'm throwing that crab on braid. That's a pretty stout rod to pull it out from the structure." The solid tip, he explained, suited the picky bite: "It was a really finesse-y, finicky bite this weekend, so the solid tip was good for those little plucks on the crab. They were confident to eat it and then it had enough backbone that I can drag them out of the washes or the rocks."
Hickson said the river was fishing wide-open after a dry build-up. "We've had no rain, the fish have spawned by the look of it. They're pretty skinny, but they are super spread out," he said. "Every creek, every gully, every bay has potential to have fish in it, so it was good to spread a 50-boat field out."
The win instantly qualifies Hickson for the Daiwa Bream Series Grand Final at Forster — water he ironically knows less about than most of the field, despite living twenty minutes away. "Forster's changed a lot over the last few years. It's sanded up a lot. A lot of weeds died out in the lake. They've changed the oyster racks around," he said. "On paper, should be a good topwater tournament and guys should catch them from the top of the lake to the top of the river to the bottom of the racks."
A grand-final boat-and-trailer prize package — a 5.3-metre alloy craft with a 150 Mercury and a full Garmin LiveScope setup — is also on the line for someone in summer. For Hickson, the Hawkesbury result is simply confirmation the Tomcat experiment is working. "It's a new boat. They're still doing mods to them," he said. "I think the potential's there to be a cracking boat."