>> Okay, Rudy, you can back up a bit.

>> [ Breathes deeply ] >> You good?

>> Yeah.

>> Alright, looking forward.

>> Okay, Rudy.

Just for the record, I don't know if you want to share with them your first name, your last name, but justo we... >> Can't I tell you just, like... My name is Rudy Watt.

I'm a first sergeant in the United States Army.

Being a soldier is what defines me.

I have served in the United States Army for 21 years.

That is my way of giving back to this country for accepting me as one of their immigrants.

I'm originally from Kingston, Jamaica.

I guess I was a more fun-loving, "Go out and have a good time" type of person.

And now I just basically... I'm what they call a shut-in Unless I'm dragged out of there, I just... hang out in the house.

I haven't slept in my bed since 2005.

Now I sleep on the couch, to where I can see the front door.

You know, that's just one of my... things that I -- that I -- I do.

Let me explain how I was diagnosed with PTSD.

I got medevacked out of Iraq.

My appendix busted two days before we flew out to come back home.

And the next day, my driver was killed, actually.

But that's a long story.

I'd rather not.

The doctor, he says, "I knew you before you went overseas.

And I see you, now that you're back."

And he says, "You're a different person, so I want you to go down to the mental health and talk to a doctor down there."

That's how I was diagnosed with PTSD.

The symptoms of PTSD is what the military actually wants you to be.

You're a better soldier -- a better fighter -- if you are angry.

PTSD, on a whole, has many triggers.

Uh, it's one of them.

What happens, usually, is somebody cuts you off, and, you know, you're giving them the one-finger salute, and... Turn on your headlights, you dumbass.

...yelling at them, usually, with, you know, some choice four-letter words... Aw, come on, you dumb... I guess you can't fix stupid.

And they usually wind up yelling back at you.

Yeah, for me, transitioning back into civilian life is real hard.

Usually, they wind up eating a 9mm bullet.

They commit suicide.

They just... give up on a whole.

Well, I heard about this program through the recreational therapy at the V.A.

It gets me off of the couch, gets me out of the house.

What happens with a lot of PTSD patients is they hide their true feelings.

It's there as a defense mechanism for them.

Anxiety is one of the big things of PTSD.

A perfect example of anxiety is you walk into a store.

You just start getting this real jittery feeling.

I'm real good at putting on a front.

>> How are you doing today, sir?

Can I answer any questions for you?

>> Yeah, hey.

How's it going, man?

I was just looking at some of these rods.

>> Okay.

>> Show me what you got for, like, a spinner.

It's more of putting a mask over your real feelings.

>> This would probably be your best... Fish a lot?

>> Actually, we're going up in the Everglades tomorrow.

>> Alright, my friend.

Take care.

Enjoy your trip.

Good luck fishing.

>> The rush around here in the city and everything else, your mood is usually very solemn, and, you know, there's a lot of triggers, so you try to get away from your triggers.

Usually, a lot of us just stay inside all the time.

To be real honest with you, at the end of the day, you're just tired.

>> My name is Neal Stark.

I'm not a therapist.

I'm not a vet.

But I've spent 30-plus years behind a chair listening to people and their issues and problems... Good morning.

...working in upper echelon clientele... You know, fashion... Am I your typical hairdresser from South Florida?

No.

Definitely not.

Hey, you could have saved us a lot of money... [ Chuckles ] It's a feeling of, I guess, knowing people.

Would you like some water, Shallie?

All the years of talking to people, communicating with people, and knowing people's feelings.

One of my strong points is building people up, as well as having them look their best.

So, when I'm not hairdressing, everything I do is around the water.

I'm not just a fisherman.

I'm a tournament angler.

Take vets out fishing and use fishing as a form of therapy is my way of serving.

I definitely live in the two completely different sides of Florida.

At the end of the day, I head west, and it's way more downscale.

The simplicity is there.

I'm completely at home here.

I'm completely surrounded by nature.

My backyard faces a 100-acre preserve.

And it's on a pond, and it has all the elements that I love.

See em, Rangey?

It's so important to me to be a role model, to be a leader, to help guide the kids, the family.

Thank you, dear Lord, for this food we're about to receive.

Thanyou for giving us our health and the ability to do things, and thanks for helping us to provide.

God bless our home.

God bless all the men and women who help defend this country and their families.

I take our vets and our military out for, what I like to think, a very special day fishing.

Since the beginning of Fishing with America's Finest, I've taken over 200 vets on fishing trips.

What I have in common with our veterans... I think humanity.

Come on, Jakey.

Help me get ready.

>> Alright.

>> I have a lot of sensitivity towards people, and I'm able to share that toughness, but yet softness and weakness, with them.

Let's do 10 waters.

>> Got some sandwiches for you and the guys.

>> I appreciate it.

Tomorrow, we're going to be heading out with Rudy.

He's a veteran that's been home for a while, and he's having re-entry issues.

And he's suffering from PTSD.

My goal is to rehabilitate him and heal him.

Alright.

>> Well, I'm going fishing with Captain Neal today.

Hopefully, the rain won't spoil it for us.

Come here.

Come here, girl.

Get over here, Shelby, girl.

Yes.

That's my actual family that I have, is those two dogs.

They mean everything to me.

Nothin'?

Alright.

Stay, okay?

Stay at home.

Jockamo?

You got to start being more social.

Huh, Jock?

[ Smooches ] A little bit excited.

I want to get out there.

[ Car door closes ] Stay.

You get so wound up, so there's also time for you to relax and reflect and calm down.

>> I'm out here in the beautiful Everglades.

I'm waiting for Rudy.

We're going to head out today.

It's raining a little bit right now.

>> I thought this fishing day wouldn't happen, coming into the park because of the rain and everything else.

Then I look over and see Captain Neal standing there in his shirt and his hat on -- I said, "Oh, well, I guess this ain't going to stop us."

[ Chuckles ] >> Meeting Rudy the first time, I could tell there was a lot of anxiety.

Rudy.

>> Captain Neal, how are you?

>> Good, buddy.

>> Nice to see you.

>> Same here.

I look forward to fishing with you, sir.

>> Thank you.

>> Maybe even a little bit of tension.

It's not just in Rudy.

I see that often with the vets that come.

...catch some fish and chill out and make friends.

>> Really?

>> Yeah.

>> Alright.

Yeah.

>> It's good to actually meet you now.

>> Absolutely.

Can I help Rudy?

Um, I'm going to help Rudy.

I'm going to change Rudy.

I'm going to help Rudy peel off all that weight and I'm going to get Rudy back being more social.

I'm going to get Rudy back being more confident with himself.

Come on.

Hop in.

I'm going to pull up a little bit, Rudy, 'cause there's a puddle right there.

The first thing I do when we get on the boat is I say that, "Here's the rules -- there are none."

I make him understand that we're no longer strangers.

We're now connected.

So you've never been in a bass boat?

>> Um, no, I haven't.

>> You're in for a surprise, man.

Tell you, man.

They ride like Cadillacs, man.

en we first get in, bud, just, if you could, man, just dust your feet off, man.

I'm getting dirt all over my carpet.

I just vacuumed it.

Sit down, brother.

Make yourself comfortable.

On this side, here, partner.

That evens out the load.

That way, we can get up to about 80.

It's a high-performance fishing boat.

It's got live wells.

>> I found out another thing about Captain Neal, that he was real proud of his boat, and, you know, was going, "Oh, man, this is a great boat," and everything else.

>> This is the depth, and it's literally drawing the bottom for us.

So, this is a GPS map.

>> The only difference between men and boys is the price of the toys.

>> This is what we call "air conditioning" right here, bud.

So, do you see that?

This is cruising 50 miles an hour.

They're ridiculously fast.

>> A big part of what I do is to make it fun and exciting, lots of laughs, lots of good times.

The Everglades is not only beautiful, but it's a very spiritual place.

It's when the nature kicks in -- the birds, the water -- and all those things come into play.

It's very soothing, the energy that you put into your casting and your motions, which, you know, he started giving me some pointers and stuff.

This is my favorite presentation, as far as... throwing these.

I love to show them how to rig their baits.

I'm going to go to the bend, right there...come out.

This has this little bend that turns.

See how straight it keeps it?

That's very important, man.

That's the difference between just fishing and catching.

These little things, the details.

Bring her through your two fingers and pinch her.

There you go.

You're twisting that thing like -- you're molding that thing like it's clay.

[ Both laugh ] I like that.

Rudy's probably 6'5" and he's 270 pounds, and so there wasn't a whole lot of finesse there, and he was balling up the fluke.

I was teasing him.

You done molding that thing?

You done changed the shape of it to a different lure.

[ Both laugh ] >> He did.

He kind of schooled me on that one.

>> ...up, and skin hook.

>> It was funny, though.

>> I like to start off on a stretch or a part of the lake that's a little bit before what I call "the honey."

So, you know how to cast, right?

Get our vets casting and get them into the mechanics of the fishing.

There he is.

>> How come mine don't go, "Whi-pishhew"?

>> Oh, I missed him.

>> Like yours?

>> You got to twitch it.

You know what you're doing right there?

You're letting it out too late.

Very similar to shooting.

Where you point is where it's going to -- Uh-huh.

I can't finish telling you about that?

[ Both laugh ] Where you point it, it's going to go, right?

>> Then, you know, he started showing me how to really cast that.

He says, "Wherever you point that fishing pole is almost like your rifle.

Wherever you point it, that's where you're going to land," you know?

You just have to control the rate of line, just like you have to control the rate of fire.

>> You guys can relate to that.

"Oh, I can hit it now."

Get it twitching a little bit, Rudy.

Kind of erratically, you know what I mean?

Yeah, you want it to look like a live bait.

You don't want it to just swim straight.

You want to kind of twitch it, get it twitching.

What I do in my therapy is I have tremendous patience.

I never get upset.

>> Damn it.

>> It's alright, brother.

Let me see it, Rudy.

Not up -- straight back.

Guys are casting into the trees.

There's days where I spend more time unhooking trees than fish.

>> I see him right there.

>> That's what we call "in the junk."

>> Wow.

>> Where is that thing, man?

>> It went down.

>> I don't think that's coming out, Rudy.

In the jungle.

>> Oh, look.

There's a little brook that's coming out of here.

>> Oh.

That's not good.

>> I wound up catching trees and water lilies and grass, and, you know, everything else except the water.

He actually showed me how to pull it out of the weeds, as well.

>> Oh.

Too quick.

Typically, something will be on there, but when you're going along here and then it completely changes, where you'll get a little bush or a little tree... >> Little bush?

Little tree?

>> Yup.

They'll always be on that.

See, see -- There you go.

>> Ooh!

>> Ohh!

>> To the shore?

>> Yes, sir.

There he is.

Here you go, Rudy.

>> Oh, it's a little guy.

>> Really?

That's what they call me.

Listen.

I know it's a little one right now, but here's the thing.

Each one of these play a huge role -- put your thumb in his mouth.

Chkkkkk!

>> [ Laughs ] >> No, pinch him.

Number one.

>> I started getting the hang of it.

You're not being, you know, analyzed, critiqued, or pushed into any kind of conversation.

You're just there to have a good old time.

>> I have found, over the years, not to sell it as "Hey, we're going out, and this is going to be therapy," but it absolutely is a therapy.

What do you think of that philosophy?

>> Yeah.

I call it "opening the window," and what I mean by that is, generally, I'll start a conversation, and it could be about fishing.

It could just be general conversation.

>> ...after meeting, you know?

>> I'd say -- I would say her loss.

Not yours.

So, what I think, we're going to pull up here.

We're going to be in the honey, and that's where we're really going to start catching the big ones.

We're going to start working this open grass right here.

>> Right.

>> This grass here is called needlegrass.

Usually, they're pretty excited about that.

Keep knocking.

Throw to that next grass thing.

Beautiful cast, buddy.

That is sweet.

Beautiful.

Get it twitching a little.

Remember, to the side.

Here you go.

Here you go.

Here you go.

Real big fish.

Big fish.

Easy, Rudy.

Easy.

Easy!

Hold your rod tip-down.

Rod down.

Easy.

That's a big one.

I'm going to pull you out.

Easy, buddy.

Easy.

That's a big one.

Keep him out.

Easy, now.

Easy.

Easy, easy.

He's in the woods.

Hold on.

Hold on.

Hold on.

Rudy, hold up.

Hold on, now.

Don't pull.

Easy.

We got to go get him.

He's in the junk.

Hold on.

Just keep the line taut.

Don't pull, though.

Just keep it taut.

Easy.

Don't horse him.

Lift up.

>> There we go.

>> Unh!

That's what we're talking about, baby.

>> The highlight of the day.

>> Look in there, that orange.

Look in there real good.

Go a little closer.

You can see his -- Chkkkkk!

[ Both laugh ] Nice.

>> It's still moving its gills.

>> Hold him up like that.

Good job, Rudy.

I'm proud of you, man.

You did good on that one.

Hey, man, I want to show you something that I believe in.

I'm not getting all crazy on you, okay?

I don't want you to think I'm getting all holy and stuff, but... you see the sun up there?

>> Right.

>> Do you see it?

>> Yeah, the sunrays?

>> You know what that is?

>> What's that?

>> It's God.

>> That's a blessing on the water, right?

>> Well, you know what it's doing?

Shining.

You know on what?

>> On us.

>> That therapeutic sound around you and vision that you're getting... you're off of reality when you're out there.

>> Watch this, Rudy.

Let me show you some of my own stuff.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Okay?

Watch this.

Come on.

You go, boy.

Okay, my friend.

Mm.

That's love.

Love, love.

>> Alright, Captain Neal.

Thanks a lot for the fishing trip.

We got to do this again.

>> It was a pleasure.

>> We'll do this again.

>> Really was a pleasure.

I appreciate everything you've done for our country, too, sir.

>> And I thank you for all you're doing for the vets.

>> I really do, man.

'Cause just know this.

This is one of the reasons why I do this, okay.

I wouldn't get to throw those lures to the structure that I get to do, and I wouldn't have a beautiful family if it wasn't for fine individuals like yourself.

>> Cool.

>> Thank you, sir.

>> Thank you very much.

>> Alright.

It's a pleasure.

And I look forward to fishing with you some more.

>> Okay, will do.

>> Alright?

>> Will do.

>> Keep in touch, now.

We're going to do this, Rudy.

I know Rudy had a good time.

I could see it in his body language.

I could -- throughout the day, I watched the weight fall off him, as I've seen so many times, time and time again.

>> As we said, we're going to be real good friends from now on, you know?

So, I'm going to be coming back out fishing with him quite a bit, you know?

Neal's one in a million.

Through his life experience, has found how calming and soothing fishing is, and he just wants to pass it on to the rest of us.

There is no cure for PTSD.

So, you know, all they can do is make you cope with it.

>> Even though they're home, a lot of times, they're still at war.

>> To learn more about "Rudy and Neal Go Fishing," visit RudyAndNeal.org.