How’d You Meet Your Angler – Katelyn and Logan Parks
There’s something refreshing about young couples who already seem to understand the balance between chasing big dreams and building a life together. In the world of competitive bass fishing, long drives, early mornings, missed weekends, pressure-packed tournaments, and life constantly lived out of a truck and boat, that balance isn’t always easy to find.
But Katelyn and Logan Parks make it look natural. Here’s their story in Katelyn’s words:
HPFC: Can you share the story of how you and your husband first crossed paths?
Katelyn: Logan and I met in December of 2019. I was a sophomore at the University of Alabama and he was a junior at Auburn University. Being from Roanoke, Alabama, I decided to stop and visit my first cousin (Kalem) in Auburn after finishing finals in Tuscaloosa. Me and a couple of sorority sisters (Chi Omegas) made the 3 hour drive to Kalem’s best friend’s apartment. Kalem’s best friend was his pledge brother (Chase Mundhenke), who happened to be on the Auburn Bass Fishing Team. Chase was on the executive committee with the newly elected president, Mr. Logan Parks. Logan, being Auburn born and raised, wasn’t traveling home after finals and stayed on campus to hang out with Kalem and Chase. I later found out that Chase told Logan that “Kalem’s hot cousin and her sorority sisters would be around.” That might have been some incentive to stick around.
HPFC: What were your initial impressions of your husband when you first met him?
Katelyn: So anyways, we walk into the apartment and I immediately lock eyes with Logan and notice he has the sweetest, genuine smile. I had previously gravitated toward the not-so-happy-go-lucky athletes. Logan’s kindness immediately grabbed my attention. He was polite and engaged in conversation with my girlfriends and me. We were standing over the kitchen island and I performed a little trick that I recently learned in hopes of stealing Logan’s attention. I drew a butterfly on a piece of paper and pointed at the wing. Then asked Logan, “What is that?” He said, “A wing.” Then, I rolled up the paper and stuck each end on his thumbs, then told him to say what he pointed to, ten times fast. He proceeds. “Wing, Wing, Wing, Wing….” Then, I grabbed the paper and picked it up to my ear like a phone and said “Hello.” He giggled and said, “All you had to do was ask for my number.” Cheesy, I know… But, it worked. The rest of the night, my friends and I danced through town and when I was back home in Roanoke, Ala. for Christmas break, I just kept thinking about Logan. We were friends on social media at this point, but I was trying to play it cool and told Chase and Kalem that I wasn’t interested in Logan. However, one day Logan posted an Instagram story selling a reel, and I asked if a left handed person could use it. Then, we got to chatting and he invited me on a date later during Christmas break. That date took place at the Smith Mountain Firetower overlooking Lake Martin, where Logan would later pop the question.
HPFC: Did you know anything about fishing when you first met?
Katelyn: I had no idea that you could fish professionally. I knew that Alabama (where I was getting my undergrad) had a bass fishing team, but that was about it. I grew up catching catfish and pond bass. My grandparents lived on Lake Wedowee, so I spent a lot of time on the water, just not a great deal of time fishing. I was a student recruiter for Alabama Football under the Saban regime, so I was pretty laser focused on college football. (Definitely not anything to do with Auburn… I was afraid my parents would disown me, truly. Haha!)
HPFC: What if anything, did you know about professional bass fishing before you met?
Katelyn: I only knew the name Bill Dance.
HPFC: Was there a specific moment or event that made you realize your feelings were more than just friendship?
Katelyn: Logan and I found romance before friendship. Doing long distance meant that we had to quickly decide if this was worth a shot. The moment that I knew Logan was the one for me (oddly enough) was March 2020 at the Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham. I later found out that he invited me as the last chance to make things work because I was so undecided and wishy-washy with my feelings toward him. So, I drove on championship Sunday from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and met up with Logan’s parents. They are Alabama graduates and later told me they knew I was the one on this day when I jumped in the back of their car and threw on an Auburn jersey without hesitation. Logan was fishing the College Classic that day and his partner caught one fish. Logan confidently got on stage and led the crowd in a big “W** Eagle.” In that moment, I knew that he truly was an optimist with a competitive spirit - something that I did not want to let go of. This Classic marked the end of normal life. The pandemic took off. My spring break trip to Mexico was canceled. Logan’s classes at Auburn were canceled the next week. We pivoted and went to the beach with my cousin who first introduced us. On March 17th, 2020 -- St. Patrick’s Day (lucky me) -- we officially started dating. Then, the world really shut down. I moved home from Tuscaloosa and finished the semester online. Logan’s tournaments were halted. I spent so much time in Auburn with Logan and we quickly got to really know each other. I watched him lead a team via Zoom and continue to prioritize his dreams of professional bass fishing while a majority of the world was struggling with the unprecedented times. We spent a lot of time fishing green lights at Lake Martin. Logan comforted me as I grieved the loss of my Nanny, PawPaw and Grandmommy. He quickly showed signs of maturity and being a provider that I would one day want to start a family with. Despite all the different projects he is working on and involved in, he has put me first (behind God) every single day since that 2020 Classic. When he crosses that stage now as a competitor, I smile a little longer and think about how far we’ve come.
HPFC: How long have you been married?
Katelyn: We got married on December 7, 2024. Our wedding was in Auburn. Our ceremony was in the Methodist church that Logan was raised in, with my childhood pastor officiating the ceremony. We celebrated with about 300 of our closest friends and family, a majority of which we call “fishing family.” I believe Steve and Julia Kennedy were the last ones to leave the dance floor. We exited the night with Alabama and Auburn Shakers and rode off on Logan’s Nitro. My engagement ring belonged to Logan’s Nana, the late Helen Katherine Parks Taylor. She passed in June of 2023, just 7 months after we were engaged to be married. Our wedding also featured a groom’s cake - a replica of Logan’s Nitro. Eleven of Logan’s groomsmen were Auburn Bass Team alumni and his Opens travel partner/fellow Elite rookie John Garrett was also a groomsman. Cate Cuccinello (now Elite champion Paul Marks’ girlfriend) caught my bouquet. Elite champion Tucker Smith’s younger sisters, Ellie and Tanner, kept the dance floor alive. My senior superlative at Chi Omega was: “Most likely to drive off in a fishing boat for her wedding exit.”
HPFC: When you met was he already fishing professionally or did he have another job and what was his profession?
Katelyn: When we met, Logan was President of the AU Bass Fishing Team, a junior majoring in Supply Chain Management and Information Systems.
HPFC: How did the two of you come to terms with him going out and living his dream?
Katelyn: The big turning point for us was when Logan and Tucker Smith won the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open, the “Million Dollar” tournament (November of 2021). That is what afforded him the opportunity to go all in and fish the opens and really give the professional path a try. It took Logan only two seasons to make the Elites (what a blessing). Logan graduated in December of 2021, just a month after winning half a million dollars, a Toyota Tundra and a Nitro X21XL…. (Pinch me, STILL.) Then, I graduated in August of 2022. We got engaged in November of 2022 - exactly one year after the big win at Table Rock. Then, we had a two-year engagement while Logan fished the Opens. He qualified for the Elites in October of 2023, so during his Rookie season (2024), we were planning a (really big) wedding. Logan is a “go big or go home” kind of guy in everything he does.
HPFC: What doubts might you have had with him going on tour and how did you overcome them?
Katelyn: We have a lot of critters. I love animals. My biggest worry was being able to juggle the responsibilities of being a homeowner/full-time employee and cat/dog/chicken/bunny mom with Logan spending so much time on the road. However, I work for an incredible company here in Auburn that allows me remote work opportunities and my parents moved from Roanoke to Valley, Ala. to be closer. Logan’s parents are five minutes down the road. It truly takes a village and I have the best one, between my work family and immediate family nearby. Logan is such a hard worker and we are both so goal-oriented, that I never had a doubt about him being able to juggle the responsibilities of a professional angler. He is business minded and works so hard to create lasting relationships with sponsors. This was evident from his time at Auburn as president of the bass team.
HPFC: How do you manage the frequent separation and limited time together due to his on the road schedule?
Katelyn: College was hard. I worked overtime hours in a restaurant, Logan fished MLF, Bassmaster, Collegiate Bass - everything under the sun, it seemed like. Post-COVID, I transferred to Auburn and finished my degree. Without that, I don’t know how we ever would have seen each other. Now, we operate off of a shared Apple calendar. Our rule is, if it is not in the calendar, it is not happening. We are both very organized in that manner and schedule everything, even date nights and getaways, months and months in advance. We do spend most of our time working together on our nonprofit, sponsor/media obligations, etc. - but working with your best friend has its perks. We will welcome our first child into the world this July (Lord-willing), so I know that a whole new set of responsibilities and challenges will come our way, but communication is key. We communicate constantly throughout the day because we are husband and wife, as well as business partners.
HPFC: How do you adjust when your husband returns home after being away for weeks at a time practicing or from competitions?
Katelyn: Number one, I get horrible sleep because he sets multiple alarms and doesn’t get up. Haha! I DoorDash less and remind myself to ask him what he wants for dinner/the grocery order. I try to include him as much as possible in the farm chores and household responsibilities, before he sneaks off to the boat garage…. I sacrifice my evening routine for popcorn and movie marathons. I truly get so excited when Logan is home that I quite literally follow him around the house and talk nonstop for a few days. Then, I’ll pack his bags for him when he finishes off the last of the Blue Bell.
HPFC: Are there any activities or special events that you and your husband enjoy doing when you are together after he has been gone all season?
Katelyn: We love offshore fishing, deer hunting and just spending time unplugged at the farm and the beach. We are in the season of life where many of our friends are getting married, so we spend most non-fishing Saturdays at weddings, showers and birthday parties.
Our offseason starts a little later than most. After the last Elite, we go fully into tournament planning mode - the Logan Parks Fishing Foundation NSANE High School College tournament. We host 300 anglers and their families in Auburn/Opelika for an incredible week jam packed with recruiting, networking and scholarship opportunities. More information can be found at loganparksfishingfoundation.com - keep up with us on Instagram at @loganparksfishingfoundation
HPFC: Do you have any pet peeves about your husband?
Katelyn: When he knocks on the wall to get Bocephus (my very protective Australian shepherd) amped up.
Bo was born on Christmas Day in 2016. He is my pride and joy. He tolerates his Dad. We also are parents to two tabby cats Auburn and Albert (Aubie and AL.) We have a sweet lion lop bunny named CoCo that is sassy and independent. We also have 4 hens: Miranda, Carrie, Dolly and Miley. We do not know the gender of our first human baby, but our nursery is vintage Winnie the Pooh and we will be excited to share the news of our little one’s arrival this summer.
HPFC: What do you think your husbands pet peeves are of you?
Katelyn: I don’t close lids. I zoom around the house like the tasmanian devil, so he often finds the lids to my contact case unscrewed. Hehehehe! I just say that I’m increasing productivity.
HPFC: What are your retirement plans?
Katelyn: A long way from now, but definitely a little beach hideaway with a center console so we can go fishing. I could even see us living at the family farm full-time, but we hope and pray to raise lots of children, likely in Auburn, before then. Mom will do everything in her power to make sure they grow up screaming Roll Tide.
HPFC: Something off the wall that no one knows about the two of you.
Katelyn: We share most of our lives on social media in hopes of being a light for Him. So this is a hard one…. But we’ve traveled to Africa twice! The first time, we spent winter holiday with the family of our friend Sam Harvey, a Zimbabwe native that fishing for AU bass. The second time, we traveled with Team USA Bass to South Africa and the guys brought home the gold.
