Ten years ago, Robert “Bob” Centofanti was visiting the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences fishing ponds. At the time, Centofanti was a patient in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Centofanti, 67, who served in the Navy from 1977 to 1981 while stationed at the Naval Station Mayport, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
During the trip to the ponds, he heard that UF/IFAS was looking for a volunteer, so he joined the team. Now he goes fishing in the ponds about every day of the week, carrying on a passion he first discovered at age 6.
Centofanti said going out fishing creates a relaxing environment that lets him take a break from his medication.
“It’s heaven out here,” he said.
A decade later, he still volunteers at the ponds and was one of a handful of veterans who attended Saturday's Veterans Day BBQ hosted by the UF/IFAS Fishing for Success program.
During the event, veterans and families fished catch-and-release across six of the 10 stock ponds, bringing people together in a calming environment.
This activity not only brings people together, but also helps veterans battle mental setbacks from conflict, such as PTSD. According to a Harvard Medical School study, fishing lowers stress levels and the symptoms of PTSD experienced by veterans.
“I love to fish,” Centofanti said. “That’s the only thing that I really keep going.”
The program offered fishing equipment and bait for those who needed it, and it had a few instructors for first-time anglers.
Katherine “Katie” Hagan, 27, is the program coordinator for Fishing for Success, a program that tries to get children interested in science through fishing.
“Fishing is a really good way of just getting outside and being with nature,” Hagan said. “It can be a social thing. It can be a solitary thing. It can be for whatever you need it to be.”
The program offered fishing equipment and bait for those who needed it, and it had a few instructors for first-time anglers.
During the event, Centofanti spent time fishing in the pond and fixing issues with rods, poles or reels, earning him the title of “Rod Doctor.” He kept a red bucket next to him for attendees to drop off any equipment that needed fixing.
Hagan said Saturday's event was one of the many instances where the program hosts veterans groups. It was one of the program's busier family fishing days, with just under 300 attendees.
At 11:30 a.m., Hagan announced that the designated fishing time was over and the BBQ was ready. The attendees enjoyed the rest of the 60-degree Fahrenheit weather eating hot dogs and hamburgers.
“It means a lot to some of our veterans to have this community,” she said.
Warren Henderson, 77, was another veteran who attended the event with his daughter, Erica. He served in the 25th Infantry Division of the Army during the Vietnam War.
He got into fishing from his parents, as his uncle was a fisherman, and he has enjoyed the hobby for more than 70 years. Growing up, his parents would cut up bamboo poles and cure them to make fishing poles.
“It’s just a lot of pleasure in just being in the open, outdoors,” he said while reeling in a bream with his cane pole. “I like to eat fish too.”
He added that fishing relaxes him, especially knowing you can make something to eat from what you catch.
While not a veteran himself, Brian Moody, 54, said he was raised in a family of veterans. His father served in the Air Force during the Korean War, while his two brothers served in the Navy.
Moody is a teacher and the faculty adviser for the middle school fishing club at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School.
While his veteran family members have not explicitly said their service experiences tie into their joy of fishing, Moody said it accurately describes part of why they love to fish. He added that the tranquility of fishing applies even to those who did not serve.
“Just being able to come and find that peace … from the PTSD of every day is a good thing,” he said.