Fishing With America’s Finest provides a no-cost day of recreational fishing therapy for veterans and their families. Each trip offers veterans the opportunity to get back on the water in a relaxed, supportive environment focused on connection, calm, and enjoyment.

FWAF provides everything needed for the experience, including professional bass boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, or guided shore fishing, along with rods, reels, tackle, and lunch. Trips take place throughout the Florida Everglades, local parks, and stocked facilities, and all fishing is catch-and-release.

Many veterans who participate in our piscatorial therapy program live with physical or emotional wounds related to their military service. Some become withdrawn, experience chronic stress, difficulty sleeping, or social isolation. Time on the water offers a rare opportunity to step away from those pressures and reconnect—with nature, with others, and with themselves.

Research shows that time outdoors can reduce cortisol levels, lower stress and anxiety, improve mood and focus, and support overall mental well-being. In The Journal of Family Practice, Dr. Scott E. Moser describes fishing as “a tremendous anxiolytic,” combining low-impact physical activity with mental relaxation and social connection.

Fishing is simple, unpredictable, and grounding. Whether catching a small fish or a personal best, the experience encourages presence and patience.

At FWAF, we focus on creating a stress-free day where veterans can relax, share time with others who understand their experiences, and rediscover the quiet benefits of being on the water.