Pat (POL):
What a great event. Each Nutcase Classic has been great and it seems they just keep getting better! That's because of all you Nutcases that join in! What a crew!
NCC IV, the 1st Anniversary event of the Original Nutcase Classic, started out as a great example of the Events name. It was foggy! It was Cold! We could see about 25 yards and there was ICE on the gunnels and docks, even the boat carpet had frost on it! As the Nutcases started funneling into the Orwood resort Restaurant there was great anticipation and excitement. I had the honor of checking everyone in. Some folks I knew and some I met for the first time. It's always fun to imagine what a person looks like and then see how right or wrong you were. The breakfast was great and we waited patiently in case folks had trouble getting there in the fog. Finally we ended up with 58 folks ready to hit the water. We got everyone drawn out, and off we went into the murk. We may have been a little late getting out, but no one seemed to mind much.
Everyone used due caution in the fog and when 10:30 rolled around for the first weighin, only 8 folks had managed to find and fool a bass. An one had found a nice 8 pound Striper! Way to go Tom G. We were fishing with a 2 fish limit and last years defending champion Jim, served notice that he was not about to give up his crown easily as he weighed in a great 4.02 pound fish. Close behind him in second, was who else, Cooch with 2 fish for 3.85. Bob Santora gave us a hint that he could catch some with 2 fish for 2.55 for 3rd. As soon as the fish were weighed, and partners switched the gang headed back out into the now beautiful sunny day hoping to find some fish. When 2 o'clock rolled around to end the second session, the fish had been a little more cooperative and 12 folks showed up to the scales with fish. Also there were a lot fewer heavy coats. The leader Jim stepped up with one fish for 1.38 to five him a total of 5.40. And the wait began to see if it would hold. Not long after Cooch came in with 1 fish for 2.32 to take the lead with 6.17. Then the Nutcases buzzed as Bob Santora was walking to the scales with 2 fish in the bag and one looked to be a lunker. The big fish went on the scale and weighmasters Peter and Bill made the call: 3.95, just barely short of Jim's first round big fish. But Bob had another one and dropped it in the basket and the scales read 5.53 for the heaviest bag of the day. Combined with his first session weight, Bob lept into the lead with 8.08. Several more 2 fish limits from stickbait, Gene, Steve & Butch, Angel and Pat came to the scales, but no one had enough to unseat the top 3.
So Bob Santora took his place as the New Top Nut, with Cooch and Jim close behind. The final standings are posted below. And even though Bob managed to weighin the most fish (he was the only one to weigh two limits), he is certainly not the only winner. Everyone who came out there won big time. What a great bunch of folks! We also had some other award winners; The Big Nut award went to Jim for his 4.02 Lunker, the Odd Nut award went to Tom Guercio for his 8.27 pound striper. We did not have a Butthead award winner this year but we replaced it with a Late Nut Award for Doug, who misunderstood the weigh in time and came in about 20 minutes late. There was also a special option pot. The Beat Cooch's biggest fish pot run by Micster, and Jim was in that option and took away the prize.
And some thanks that I forgot to mention yesterday, Dana once again great job on the awards. The top Eight folks got prizes with Top 5, Bignut and Latenut, getting great T-Shirts. Thanks also to Dana for running the web page and sign ups and probably a bunch of other stuff. Special thanks again to sTony for being Webmaster of this great page. Thanks to Phlip for bringing his grill out to do all that good cooking. Bill and Peter, great job on the scales. I have never seen anyone so low key and quick with the weights as Peter is! Thanks to Orwood resort. Breakfast was great and we sure appreciate the use of your docks and parking lot. Thanks to the Cuccia Clan for their hospitality pre-NCC IV. Thanks to Bonehead for Organizing the food. Thanks to all that brought all that great stuff out there. Thanks to my partners Tracker and Karla for a fun day on the water. And thanks especially to all that came out! I am sure that there is someone that I have left out and I do thank everyone that contributed in any way.