Parker Guy Named To Bassmasters High School All American Fishing Team

Parker Guy, a rising senior at Irwin County High School, was recently named one of 12 young anglers who made the 2019 Bassmaster High School All American Fishing Team. There were 400 nominations from 35 states submitted, and Parker was the only Georgia angler represented. Parker’s accolade came with a four-day trip to Texas where he was paired with an Elite Series pro, and they competed in a one-day tournament against the other 11 youth anglers.

Parker Guy (right) got to fish with Elite Series Pro Shane Lineberger while in Texas.

“I had a blast being paired with Elite Series Pro Shane Lineberger in Texas,” said Parker. “We mostly fished with buzzbaits, frogs and ChatterBaits. The tournament was set up so that each angler would weigh in only one fish. Shane caught a 6-lb., 6-oz. bass at the very beginning of the day. He caught her on a ChatterBait-type bait that he makes himself. Later in the morning, I was able to reel in a 5-lb., 2-oz. bass using a popping frog. We caught a ton of fish over the course of the day, but those two fish were our biggest keepers. We weighed in 11-lbs., 8-ozs. at the end of the day and ended up in second place for the tournament and lost by only one pound!

“The experience with Shane was awesome. It was exciting to observe how professionals handle themselves on the water. The main learning experience I took away from my time with Shane was the understanding of how crucial it is to be confident in what you are fishing. He taught me that if you don’t think you are going to catch something doing what you are doing, then you have to make a change.”

Parker and his tournament partner Peyton Dunn (right) won the 2018 Angler of the Year title amongst 114 teams on the Wiregrass Student Angler Trail.

Parker was named to the Bassmasters High School All American Fishing Team by a panel of judges who looked at tournament resumes, academic credentials, community service activities, conservation and recommendations from school officials and coaches.

Parking lives in Ocilla and fishes on the Irwin Bass Anglers with his tournament partner, Peyton Dunn. This team won the Angler of the Year title amongst 114 teams on the Wiregrass Student Angler Trail. That accomplishment has qualified them for the Bass Master High School National Championship tournament on Kentucky Lake in August. Parker and Peyton are also regulars on the Georgia Bass Nation trail, where they placed fourth in this year’s Angler of the Year chase.

“This has been an exciting season of competitive fishing for me,” said Parker. “Being named to the Bassmaster High School All American team is such a huge honor. I fish because I love it, but being recognized like that definitely feels great.”

Parker’s end goal is to one day fish the Elite Series, and he’s got a path in mind to get him to that point.

“On the heels of starting my senior year in high school, I have already begun the process of working toward my career goal in nursing,” said Parker. “I am preparing for the state Certified Nurse Assistant exam, which I will take this summer. Nursing is the perfect career choice for me as it meets my desire to help people and also has the flexibility of scheduling, which will allow me to continue to pursue my goals in the sport of competitive bass fishing.

Parker and Peyton after a win on Lake Eufaula in January at a Georgia Bass Nation High School tournament.

“Following high school, I look forward to continuing to competitively fish at the collegiate level while earning my degree in nursing. Eventually, I will embark on the process of fishing the Bass Open tournaments and work toward my ultimate goal of making the Elite Series.”

GON is looking forward to hopping in the boat and doing a feature article with Parker at some point on his favorite Georgia lake.

“Without a doubt, my favorite Georgia lake to fish is Lake Eufaula,” said Parker. “I honestly do not think there is a bad time to fish there. Eufaula has everything—rip-rap, ledges, hydrilla, lily pads, docks and shoreline grasses. With all those options, the techniques to choose from are limitless. If I had to pick a favorite time to fish Eufaula, it would probably be January or February.  I have always had success on ledges with a crankbait or a Carolina rig at that time of year. In fact, that approach helped me and Peyton win the Georgia Bass Nation High School trail tournament on Eufaula back in January.”

You can keep up with Parker on his Instagram.