About West Florida Black Flags

Prominent landing spots for French, English and Spanish privateers during the Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th and 18th Centuries, Tampa Bay and the West Florida Coast has openly embraced its swashbuckling past. The story of a mythical pirate named Jose Gaspár even inspired a festival that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Tampa every January. Yup, we’re talking about Gasparilla.The West Florida Black Flags Angling Club honors that buccaneer heritage in a number of ways. The “black flags” moniker is symbolic of pirates flying the black flag to signal their intentions to attack other ships. The skull pays homage to the jolly roger, with heavy tackle rods and reels taking the place of crossbones. The gold color is a reminder of the many legends of pirate treasure buried and lost in the area.