When Logan Parks launched the NSANE College and High School Bass Tournament, he envisioned more than a typical bass-fishing event. He wanted to build a platform that could change the trajectory of young anglers' lives, just as high-level mentors had changed his. Today, with 35 colleges represented and 400 anglers competing, Parks' vision has grown into one of the most innovative and impactful tournaments in competitive bass fishing.

With $485,000 in prizes, the NSANE tournament is divided into three rounds designed to test anglers' versatility and decision-making under pressure. The first round lasts two hours and follows an every-fish-counts format. At the end of the round, half of the field moves into the Survival Group, while the bottom half battles through the Sudden Death Group. Round two continues with the every-fish-counts format and also lasts two hours. From the Survival Group, the top 30% advance to the Championship Group. From the Sudden Death Group, only the top 10% survive to join them. Round three lasts three and a half hours and switches to a traditional best-five format. During this round, the weights reset and the live leaderboards go dark. This structure forces anglers to adapt and prove their skills across multiple competitive styles.

Parks also designed the practice system with student responsibilities in mind.

"I try to set it up as friendly to classes as possible because not a lot of schools can be excused," he said. "Practice is totally optional, but the tourism department wants people to stay at Auburn. The earlier you practice, the higher you are in the draft order."

That draft determines which high-school angler each college angler pairs with, adding a strategic element before the tournament even begins.

The roots of the event trace back to Parks' own high-school experience in Auburn, where he benefited from learning directly from college anglers.

"I realized I was really fortunate to be taught by those guys. It shortened my learning curve significantly," Parks explained. "There are so many high-school anglers who never get that opportunity. Some kids might quit fishing completely because they never get taught or never have a good tournament finish."

That's the core mission of the NSANE tournament: no angler quits due to lack of opportunity.

Beyond mentorship and experience, Parks says the format gives college coaches a rare, accurate way to evaluate high-school talent.

"In high school, two anglers fish with a boat captain. That captain could be a guide or even a pro. It makes it hard to judge individual skill," he said. "But our format gives coaches the chance to evaluate a single angler's talent and recruit them accordingly."

His inspiration also comes from the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open, the event that changed his own life in 2021 when he and Tucker Smith took home a million dollars.

"It gave me the ability to chase my dream," Parks said. "I wanted to create something that could have the same impact for other young anglers."

Parks has a long list of accomplishments: Bassmaster College Angler of the Year, winner of the 2021 Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open, an Elite Series qualifier, and a two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier. Most recently, Parks played a role in Team USA bringing home the World Black Bass Championship gold medal. Being invited by Kevin VanDam himself to represent Team USA is something Parks still finds surreal.

"Ten years ago I never would've dreamed of it," he said. "To fly to South Africa and compete against 14 other countries and bring home the gold—it was one of the proudest moments of my career."

Parks is candid about the financial challenges young anglers face.

"A platform is great, but it doesn't pay the bills," he said. "When I fished in college, we won Angler of the Year and an event, and we made about $8,000 in total. I spent more than that just traveling."

Then came the Opens: $25,000 in entry fees and another major amount of money in expenses before he even had a chance to compete.

"That's why meaningful payouts matter," Parks said. "Winning the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open changed my life. I want this tournament to have that kind of impact on someone else."

For Parks, the reward isn't just the competition—it's seeing careers begin.

"It's honestly more rewarding for me to help these other anglers succeed," he said. "Maybe that's my purpose more than anything."

He points to success stories born from the NSANE tournament: Banks Shaw, winner of last year's event and now Angler of the Year in the Invitationals and a Bass Pro Tour qualifier; Tucker Smith, who fished Parks' first tournament and recently won $500,000 in the Ultimate Angler tournament on Lake Guntersville; Dylan Nutt, an NSANE competitor and now a Bassmaster Classic qualifier; and Tripp Berlinsky, who fished last year and recently won the College Bracket, giving him a berth to the Bassmaster Classic.

"So many stories come from it," Parks said. "And we follow and promote every one."

Wabash Valley College angler Sam Ausbrooks describes the fishery the anglers must figure out.

"Lake Martin is a 44,000-acre man-made reservoir connected to the Tallapoosa River. It has a great population of spotted bass and a threadfin- and herring-forage base."

This fishery creates a puzzle—one the anglers must solve under constraints. With 200 college anglers and 200 high-school anglers, strategies vary. A few common themes emerged among WVC anglers: cover water, locate numbers, and prepare for the format switch.

"Find as many fish as I can. With the format change I'm not too concerned about size, just numbers," WVC angler Brock Blaizer said.

Caden Pearson added, "Find as many bass in an area as possible, and a shallow pattern for bigger fish."

Sam Ausbrooks said, "Find a pattern for every period of the day. Early, focus on numbers. Later, find a big-fish bite for the five-fish limit."

Ausbrooks believes the tournament's distinct structure teaches young anglers more than most events can.

"The biggest difference is experience," he said. "College anglers are used to practicing independently for days. High-school anglers often rely on a boat captain. This format pairs them together and bridges that gap."

With a major payout, a unique competition format, and a founder who has walked the journey from high-school angler to world champion, the NSANE tournament stands apart.

For Parks, it's simple:

"We don't want any angler to quit because of lack of opportunity. If this event helps one kid chase their dream or gives them the confidence to keep going, then it's all worth it."

Written by: Emmarie Bires, WVC Radio/TV and Digital Media Student