Excitement for those who won prizes at Sunday's Awards Ceremony; relief for those who can now get some sleep after 35 days of Derby competition. William Pate (shore bluefish Grand Leader) and Geoff Codding (boat false albacore Grand Leader) were the anglers whose lucky keys fit the lock, winning them the Grand Prize Boston Whaler Montauk (Pate), and the Grand Prize Clay Nissan Titan (Codding). Congratulations to both William and Geoff, deserving and gracious winners.
The final night of the Derby did feature some drama, as 4 of the 24 spots on the All-Tackle leaderboard changed, including Joe Canha taking over the lead with a 11.42 pound boat bonito. Deja vu: Joe did this in 1997 as well. (His fish eclipsed Geoff Codding's, who otherwise would have had 2 keys to the lock. As it turned out, only one key was necessary for Geoff to win the Grand Prize.) Additionally, Steve Buckley grabbed 1st place in the Grand Slam Boat Division, and Chris Morris defended his Junior Top Rod crown successfully, earning his 11th pin on Saturday night. It was quite an ending.
Thanks to the sponsors, dedicated Weigh Station staff, and the 3000+ participants, the 61st Derby was a great success. The Derby Committee is appreciative of this support, and already looks forward to the 62nd edition.
Posted by dhcrawford at October 16, 2006 08:46 AM