Since its inception in January 2014, the Montgomery ISD fishing program has seen much success under the leadership of Toni Luedke and John Hooker. This success includes not only scholarships for its prospective students, but state championships and a strong team bond.
About the program
Hooker said he originally didn't have much interest in serving as the advisor for the Montgomery ISD fishing team. While he was working at MISD, he said that his students would always ask him if he’d be interested in helping start the team. He eventually relented after a student named Blake Teesdale convinced him.
The team received the paperwork and information from the national organization in December 2013, and in January 2014, the MISD fishing team was officially founded.
“The first year we were already behind the eight ball on the deal because the season had started in the fall, so the first year, we weren't really able to accomplish much, except for that we formed a team,” Hooker said. “We had 14 members and we did community service like cleaning ramps and what have you, but we did not compete in any tournaments.”
The first official season was a success in Hooker's eyes; the team had managed to qualify for the Houston High School Fishing Conference championship title and win. In 2015, MISD joined the Texas High School Bass Association, where they would win the Houston division title. The following year the team would complete a trifecta, winning the Houston division, regionals and state title for MISD.
The success would continue over the course of the next decade, making them one of the “most decorated programs in the Texas High School Bass Association history,” Hooker said. Currently, the 2026 MISD fishing team has around 85 members, but due to the team's popularity, Hooker expects that number to rise once the school year begins.
Why it matters
As it currently stands, Hooker is no longer officially a teacher with the MISD, but still supports the team as an advisor. He himself says that he would not be able to run the MISD team without the support of Toni Luedke.
“I have said this 100 times and so I'll say it 101. There would not be a team without her,” Hooker said. “She just is a huge asset to the team. She does a lot of things behind the scenes that people don't know, and I can't give her any more praise.” Luedke herself admits she’s not a big fisher herself, but her reasoning for continuing to support the team is because of the community they have cultivated and the financial opportunities the team can bring.
“Even though it's just a minimal amount of tournaments per year for them to fish, these kids look forward to it, and the neat thing is it's about the kids who don't have anything else,” Luedke said. “They don't participate in the sports and the things like that, so they really thrive on the fishing world, and they love that they have this outlet at school. So that's what keeps me going.”
Hooker said that the scholarships the students win while a part of the MISD fishing team have gone a long way in supporting their lives long after high school.
For the team that wins the event for the Texas High School Bass School Association, they are given $2,000 in scholarship money to support their higher education at any level. When MISD originally managed to win the state title, they also earned $10,000 in scholarship money as well.
Final takeaways
Despite no longer officially being a teacher under MISD, Hooker stays on the program to support the children because he knows how valuable it can be for their lives. He and Luedke have had multiple students tell them that if it wasn't for this program, they more than likely would not have made it through high school. Hooker said that ultimately this team will be a part of his legacy in Montgomery.
“My wife hit it on the head the other day. She said, you've done a lot of great things teaching and obviously you've done some good things with your business [Blue Jack]. “I think what you're going to be best known for is the MISD fishing team; that's your legacy, if you will,” Hooker said.
