A few short years ago, while fishing a club tournament with the West Valley BassMasters of Tracy up at Clear Lake when I happened to cross paths with another angler, Michael Chen from the Santa Clara Bassbusters, who also happened to be there for a club tournament.  I suggested that we compare club weights and found that I walked into the dream child of Bassbusters president, Spiro Stamos.  I gave my contact information to Chen and within a few short days, I got a call from Spiro.

Spiro and I talked a bit about reinventing the old "Top Six' tournament, something I knew nothing about.  Before long, the meeting room at the Roundtable Pizza place in Pleasanton was full of anglers from all over the area and the Northern California Club Classic was born.  It remains the only tournament in Northern California that invites all clubs, regardless of Federation affiliation (or lack thereof) to compete in one event.  That first tournament, in October of 2005 brought 120 anglers representing 10 clubs to what would become the best party on Northern California's water. 

The winning club would be responsible for selecting the venue and hosting the event the following year.  But along with the responsibility would go a huge revolving traveling trophy (i.e. America's Cup, Stanley Cup or Ryder

Cup) and the pride and bragging rights that go along with being the NCCC Champion.  This inaugural event was won by The Delta Bass Club, leaving the job of 2007 host to Dan Daniels and his outstanding committee.  They did a great job as hosts, setting the bar ever higher. 

I happened to be president of the West Valley BassMasters of Tracy (WVBMoT) at the time of the second annual NCCC tournament, but was unable to fish it due to the wedding of a daughter of a good friend.  Well into the dinner portion of the wedding, I got a phone call from my club friends informing me that they had won and that I would be hosting NCCC-3. 

The event continued to evolve and grow.  In 2007, WVBMoT hosted 144 anglers from 12 clubs while maintaining a modest $120 per boat entry fee.  The fee paid for tournament expenses, commemorative T-shirts for anglers and volunteers, and an awards dinner afterwards.  Remaining monies are given out as prizes.  Masters of Ceremony, Andy "Cooch" Cuccia and Mike Reynolds bantered away on stage, entertaining the anglers as they watched the weigh-in and awaited results.  NCCC-3 found the Fresno Bass Club getting the lion's share of the $6412.66 payout after sweeping the win in all payout categories.  Their total team weight edged Manteca Bassin' Buddies by a mere .49 of a pound. 

It was learned that those 12 participating clubs represented over 800 anglers and only a percentage of total clubs in our half of the state.  It was also learned that there's a lot of passion out there, for our families, for our sport, for our environment, and for the future of our sport.

In January of '08, several officers from various Northern California clubs met to decide on the future and direction of our event.  It was learned that these anglers were passionate about the NCCC.  To many of them, it's much more than a tournament.  It's the pride of being recognized as being one of the top anglers in their respective clubs; it's the wood (the individual trophy anglers are awarded for placement at the event); it's the camaraderie and friendships that are created as a part of this; it's the party.  They all agreed on one thing:  They've already won.  

These are (to steal a phrase from Coach Ditka) the "Grabowksi's" of bass fishing in Northern California.  These are the working-class anglers, many with wives and children; they are concerned about environmental issues, learning, teaching, and passing along the passion.  I'm proud to be counted in their numbers.

Steve Hunger