Surfing, Flying, and Fishing in Cambutal, Panama with Jennifer Maguire

Jennifer Maguire is a Texas-based freshwater angler who is no stranger to action-packed days on the water. But on her most recent adventure, she took a different approach, choosing instead to relax, unwind, and assimilate with the laid-back surf culture that makes Cambutal, Panama the slice of paradise that it is. 

Cambutal is a remote town situated on the southern tip of Panama’s Azuero Peninsula. It’s a beloved destination for surfers, who flock to this stunning bit of Pacific coastline for its great waves and consistent swell—and for Jen, who recently purchased a home there, learning to surf has begun to feel more and more like a necessity. 

We sat down with Jen to hear more about her experience as a surfing greenhorn, plus how she managed to reel in some of her favorite species when it was time to get back to fishing.

Learning to surf

While she’s spent untold hours in the water, Jen is a surfing greenhorn, having decided to take up the sport as a way to get to know her adoptive home a little better. Fortunately, there are a handful of surf instructors in the area, and Jen recruited one of her new neighbors to help her learn the ropes.

As any surfer knows, it’s a steep learning curve—and falling off the board means getting a faceful of salt water, which, for Jen, meant her surfing lesson became a lesson in resilience. While it’s common to practice on the beach first, Jen’s instructor had her jump straight in with her board, helping her learn how to position herself on the board while keeping the nose above the surface.

“If I didn’t stay on the board just right, it would dive down into the water, which was frustrating. I wanted to overcome that because I didn’t want to keep getting water in my face, so I quickly learned where to put my hands so I could sit up, and from there, I could build up to a stand.”

While it took more than a few tries, her instructor’s trial-by-fire method worked, and, by the end, Jen was able to stand up for a few glorious moments. With the basics down, Jen is ready for more: “I look forward to going back and learning more—I did not know surfing was going to be something I would enjoy as much as I did.”

Fishing in Cambutal

Jen’s surfing lesson was a fun interlude, but she’s an angler at her core, and the incredible biodiversity of Panama’s Pacific coast is what drew her to the area—mahi mahi, yellowfin, cubera, and roosterfish are just a few of the species up for grabs. 

It was the roosterfish that Jen was after on this trip, and they’re known to hang out right in the “front yard” of Jen’s new house, making it easy to jump in for some fly fishing. 

Although Jen is a seasoned angler, fishing in Cambutal poses its own set of new and exciting challenges: “We went during the windy season, so it was really hard to get a cast out there. And I was learning how to cast a 10-weight, which is bigger than what I use for trout. But it was really fun to play around in the surf—it’s a totally new experience.” 

While they didn’t hook a roosterfish on flies, they had panga boats at their disposal, and Jen was determined—they spent seven hours on the tiny boat, using poppers and jigs to lure them. “But they weren’t biting. They’d come, and then they’d just dart off.” 

Just before going back in, however, Jen decided to try trolling. “We had a red diver, which we trolled behind us. Five minutes in, we saw a jump, and that roosterfish was out of the water going crazy. When it hit the bait, it went airborne.” After a bit of a fight, they were able to reel in Jen’s prized catch—plus a 30 pound mahi for dinner. 

Ready for your next adventure?

To see what else Jen is pulling up, you can follow her on Instagram (southernbellefishingtx), TikTok (@southernbellefishingtx), and Facebook (Southern Belle Fishing). If you’re heading out for a day on the water, Salt Life’s got you covered. Stock up online, or find a store near you.

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