Ambassador Capt. Alissa Vinoski

CAPTAIN ALISSA VINOSKI:

“I can pinpoint the exact moment when my passion for fishing was sparked. I remember it like it was yesterday, even though I was a mere four years old when my Papa taught me how to catch mud minnows out of a ditch on the side of road in Beaufort, S.C.. From that moment forward, I was hooked. As a matter of fact, all I wanted to do for a few subsequent years was just catch bait. I finally figured out the point of catching bait by putting that poor little minnow on a line and sending him down to the depths.”

Flash forward 23 years and you’ll find that same girl still has the bug. Captain Alissa is an experienced saltwater angler, now residing in the Tampa Bay area, and she loves to share her passion for fly fishing with others. Alissa is a military brat and has lived all over the United States, but for the last 20 years, has spent the majority of her time from Coastal Virginia to the Florida Keys; being exposed to this region has fueled her love of fishing. Alissa started fishing around the same time she entered kindergarten, gathering much of her knowledge from her father and grandfather in Beaufort, South Carolina. What started as a favorite childhood activity has since culminated into a lifestyle she couldn’t imagine herself without.

Alissa is a licensed United States Coast Guard Captain, and she runs a 2014 Beavertail Strike out of Tampa and the surrounding waters as a part-time guide, in search of primarily redfish, snook, trout and tarpon. Without a doubt, sight fishing with light tackle or a fly rod is one of her favorite pursuits. Her patient attitude provides her the ability to effectively teach beginners the techniques of casting a fly rod, catching bait, or working a lure, and how natural factors influence fish and their movement. On the flip side, she also appreciates the moments when she gets to watch an experienced angler place a perfectly casted fly or lure in front of a hungry fish. She is always seeking new fishing adventures and is looking forward to a lifetime of fishing.