BFS Reels for Average Weight Free Rigs/T-Rigs

[Fat Ika]

Anybody have specific experience with comparing casting distance when using a moderately weighted free rig with a Steez SV TW or an Antares DC MGL III vs BFS reel? Specifically, using a traditional medium/medium light casting rod with straight flouro. Might be receptive to alternative casting options aside from the spinning setups I already value for this.  Basically looking to get more bank casting distance with straight flouro than I am with a Steez SV TW or Antares MGL III DC. Steez SV TW upgrade or other custom Daiwa experiences are welcome, relative to this situation as well. 

[bulldog1935]

Not your specific requirements, but Many casting trials comparing Daiwa Silver Wolf, Steez SV TW and Zillion with stock and a range of aftermarket spools and spool bearings.  

The hands-down distance champ is Steez SV TW with Roro-X spool and Roro-X bearings.  

It's about a 50% improvement over stock Steez SV TW.  

I sent you a pm with a cost-effective recommendation.  

 

[WRB]

44 minutes ago, Fat Ika said:

Anybody have specific experience with comparing casting distance when using a moderately weighted free rig with a Steez SV TW or an Antares DC MGL III vs BFS reel? Specifically, using a traditional medium/medium light casting rod with straight flouro. Might be receptive to alternative casting options aside from the spinning setups I already value for this.  Basically looking to get more bank casting distance with straight flouro than I am with a Steez SV TW or Antares MGL III DC. Steez SV TW upgrade or other custom Daiwa experiences are welcome, relative to this situation as well. 

Define moderate weight and worm size??

1/8 oz and 6” worm or 3/16 oz and 6” worm weighs 3/16oz to 5/16 oz approximately that any of the above reel cast cast stock further then you may be able to detect strikes and get a solid hook set depending on the rod and line #test.

Tom

[Fat Ika]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Define moderate weight and worm size??

1/8 oz and 6” worm or 3/16 oz and 6” worm weighs 3/16oz to 5/16 oz approximately that any of the above reel cast cast stock further then you may be able to detect strikes and get a solid hook set depending on the rod and line #test.

Tom

Hi Tom. Thanks for asking. I did intend to include. Average beaver size plastic with a 1/16-1/8 oz closed-ring DS or bullet weight. OSP DoLive Shot is a also a plastic I'm partial to for free rigging clear water smallies from the bank. Feel safe with .325 mm flouro. 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

Not your specific requirements, but Many casting trials comparing Daiwa Silver Wolf, Steez SV TW and Zillion with stock and a range of aftermarket spools and spool bearings.  

The hands-down distance champ is Steez SV TW with Roro-X spool and Roro-X bearings.  

It's about a 50% improvement over stock Steez SV TW.  

I sent you a pm with a cost-effective recommendation.  

 

Thanks for the advice. I've heard about the silver wolf with a stock Steez sv spool for flouro. Definitely interesting. How much .325 mm flouro will that roro spool hold? I'm trying out hedgehog 1030 air bearings with the stock g1 spool this spring, but don't anticipate a 50% increase. 

[bulldog1935]

Silver Wolf holds more fluoro than it's rated for. 

 

That would be my choice.  

Sorry, this is the best photo I have of the stock spool.  

 

Though I'm not sure why you'd want to cast light weight on 15-lb

fluoro.  

Steez SV TW with 1012 spool might be even better - install those bearings.  

[PressuredFishing]

I can fish 1 16th oz with 4" straight tail worm on my diawa tatula 100ct if that helps but it's not accurate or far compared to using a dedicated bfs reel. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tatulatard]

Those reels are pretty inline with what BFS reels used to be.  The modern shimano BFS and daiwa stream/air reels are more stream orientated.  If you're bass fishing with a ML rod and 10 lbs flouro then there is no need for a reel with a super light weight super shallow spool.

 

 

[Jrob78]

To me the weights you listed aren't really in BFS territory. If you're having trouble casting I would look at your line and your rod first. Any decent casting reel should do fine with a weighted free rig and regular size, bulky plastic.

[Bankc]

The problem with BFS reels is that in order to cast ultra light lures really far, they have shallow spools to lessen the weight of the spool, so it spins up faster.  If you're casting a normal sized lure from the bank you could easily cast out to the end of what a BFS reel can handle.  

 

If you're wanting more casting distance from the bank, I suggest making sure your rod is correctly matched to what you're casting.  Also, it helps if the rod's action matches the speed at which you can cast.  So a slower rod will give you more distance if you're a slower caster, while a faster rod will give you more distance if you can really whip that stick.  The rod works best when it rebounds at exactly the right moment, and a lot of variables can affect exactly where that point is.  Also, a longer rod will provide more leverage and increase distance. 

 

Also try upping the weight on what you're throwing, if you can.  When I'm trying to launch a T-rig out there really far, I'll use a 1/2oz.- 1oz. bullet weight, like you'd use for punching mats.  Only I won't peg the weight, and let it slide freely (like a free rig).  That way I have the weight to really cast it far, but with the weight sliding freely, I still get a slow sinking action.  It's not perfect, but if you need to get out deep, it's the best method I've come up with.  

[Fat Ika]

21 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

To me the weights you listed aren't really in BFS territory. If you're having trouble casting I would look at your line and your rod first. Any decent casting reel should do fine with a weighted free rig and regular size, bulky plastic.

Agreed. I like .325 mm for insurance and. Usually using samurai 14#. I've definitely experimented with 10 and 12#. 10# with proper drag is ok for most situations, but certain cover situations have ran some bigs in unrecoverable structures. You're right though. I should revisit smaller diameters this year when the targeted water allows. Appreciate it!

29 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

To me the weights you listed aren't really in BFS territory. If you're having trouble casting I would look at your line and your rod first. Any decent casting reel should do fine with a weighted free rig and regular size, bulky plastic.

Agreed. Wasn't looking for BFS, just interested to see if anyone's been able to make specific bfs spools/reels work for bomb casting the lower end weights of traditional bass casting. 

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

Silver Wolf holds more fluoro than it's rated for. 

 

That would be my choice.  

Sorry, this is the best photo I have of the stock spool.  

 

Though I'm not sure why you'd want to cast light weight on 15-lb

fluoro.  

Steez SV TW with 1012 spool might be even better - install those bearings.  

Nice. What specific flouro are you using, with what baits and rod? The 1012 for the Steez SV TW has definitely been on my radar. 

[bulldog1935]

I have 10-lb fluoro (Toray Exthread) on stock Silver Wolf spool.  

It casts great, but the Steez with 1012 spool has a slight advantage in the LW pitch and straighter line lay with fluoro.  

I pm'd you a couple more deep/light aftermarket spool options.  

[Jrob78]

16 minutes ago, Fat Ika said:

Agreed. I like .325 mm for insurance and. Usually using samurai 14#. I've definitely experimented with 10 and 12#. 10# with proper drag is ok for most situations, but certain cover situations have ran some bigs in unrecoverable structures. You're right though. I should revisit smaller diameters this year when the targeted water allows. Appreciate it!

Agreed. Wasn't looking for BFS, just interested to see if anyone's been able to make specific bfs spools/reels work for bomb casting the lower end weights of traditional bass casting. 

Nice. What specific flouro are you using, with what baits and rod? The 1012 for the Steez SV TW has definitely been on my radar. 

Yeah I think that might be what’s causing you issues. I totally get wanting heavy line for fishing around hang ups and structure but it’s probably costing you casting distance. It also will be pretty limiting on most BFS spools as they generally don’t hold much line. A rod that might be a little stiff combined with heavy fluoro is probably the problem. 

[Fat Ika]

2 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

Yeah I think that might be what’s causing you issues. I totally get wanting heavy line for fishing around hang ups and structure but it’s probably costing you casting distance. It also will be pretty limiting on most BFS spools as they generally don’t hold much line. A rod that might be a little stiff combined with heavy fluoro is probably the problem. 

For sure. I go back and forth between a Dobyns 742 and 743 DX. Like to stay with the 742 at all time, but Hook penetration even with nano coats and standard coats like a j light hook sometimes lead to inefficient Hook penetration with the 742

[Jrob78]

17 minutes ago, Fat Ika said:

For sure. I go back and forth between a Dobyns 742 and 743 DX. Like to stay with the 742 at all time, but Hook penetration even with nano coats and standard coats like a j light hook sometimes lead to inefficient Hook penetration with the 742

Those should both be good rods for that, especially the 742 but even the 743 isn’t overly stiff. 

[FishTank]

I have fished a pack of the Dolive Shots and if I remember correctly it said 10 grams somewhere on the package.  So if it's around 3/8oz and you're adding a ds weight to it, you're a fuzz under 1/2 oz. That would put you out out of the BFS category. Also this bait is like a casting plug. It usually will cast a mile to begin with. 

 

I think both reels selected are good casters, with the Antares being the best of the two. A good 7' M or MH Fast rod should bomb that thing a mile.  I think the issue is the line. At .325mm, that around 15-17lb FC. I would drop down to 10 or 12lb. Out of FC I have used, on average Invizx casts the longest. 

 

Another option on the reel, look at the Steez A II. It will cast dangerously far. 

[newapti5]

Plat.co.jp has Daiwa Silver Creek Air TW Stream Custom on sale for $230 now with free shipping from Japan, much lower than what Digitaka offers. This is a true BFS reel, designed for fishing stream trout.

[Jrob78]

1 hour ago, newapti5 said:

Plat.co.jp has Daiwa Silver Creek Air TW Stream Custom on sale for $230 now with free shipping from Japan, much lower than what Digitaka offers. This is a true BFS reel, designed for fishing stream trout.

The Air Stream is a great reel, I have one, but it holds a tiny amount of line. Definitely wouldn't work for the heavier line OP is using, which is going to be the problem with most bfs reels.

[Bass Rutten]

The aerodynamic teardrop shaped free rig weight tends to "punch" through the air much better than a t-rig making any really special gear unnecessary, imo. I have no issues casting a 3/16 free rig on my tatula sv tw and medium/fast st croix and often use 1/8 oz.

[Fat Ika]

20 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Silver Wolf holds more fluoro than it's rated for. 

 

That would be my choice.  

Sorry, this is the best photo I have of the stock spool.  

 

Though I'm not sure why you'd want to cast light weight on 15-lb

fluoro.  

Steez SV TW with 1012 spool might be even better - install those bearings.  

What's been your experience with the silver wolf for braid types/size with what types of baits and casting?

[bulldog1935]

I only fish really fine braids here, because I'm shooting for max cast distance from shore in salt finesse and long rods - mostly PE#0.8, 16-lb.  Roro-X on Steez out-distances everyone's package BFS reels.  And then some.  

This is throwing micro-plugs, 38 mm, 2.8 g, metal jigs to 5 g.  

Here's the Silver Wolf on all-range salt BFS rod for kayak fishing, shallow AMO spool, PE#0.8 (the stock Silver Wolf spool is really too deep for braid this fine).    

  5g topwater

 

My reservoir bass BFS is on another reel now, with PE#1.2, 27-lb X-braid, and I'm using my ZPI Alcance.  

 

My salt ML is also PE#1.2 on Zillion and Ray's Studio SV spool.  

Even though it's rated for finer braid, the stock Silver Wolf Spool would fit right in here.  

 

@Fat Ika

Adding a note here while I'm thinking about it.  

If you get in the mode of swapping spools, Always begin by opening your "zero adjust" knob.  This is because spool spindle widths vary.  

You can damage the palm plate latch by trying to close it without this.  

Last thing you do is adjust the spindle knob in freespool to incipient side play.  

[Fat Ika]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:18 PM, FishTank said:

I have fished a pack of the Dolive Shots and if I remember correctly it said 10 grams somewhere on the package.  So if it's around 3/8oz and you're adding a ds weight to it, you're a fuzz under 1/2 oz. That would put you out out of the BFS category. Also this bait is like a casting plug. It usually will cast a mile to begin with. 

 

I think both reels selected are good casters, with the Antares being the best of the two. A good 7' M or MH Fast rod should bomb that thing a mile.  I think the issue is the line. At .325mm, that around 15-17lb FC. I would drop down to 10 or 12lb. Out of FC I have used, on average Invizx casts the longest. 

 

Another option on the reel, look at the Steez A II. It will cast dangerously far. 

I use the Steez A for mostly 3/8-1/2 oz bladed jigs and spinnerbaits with standard trailers. Not impressed with casting distance. So the the Steez A II is a noticably farther caster for 1/2-1 oz baits?

[bulldog1935]

those big reels are set up with stout magnets and soft SV springs for extra centrifugal effect casting heavy weights.  

I suspect you can tune your mag brake number lighter for more distance.  

[FishTank]

1 hour ago, Fat Ika said:

I use the Steez A for mostly 3/8-1/2 oz bladed jigs and spinnerbaits with standard trailers. Not impressed with casting distance. So the the Steez A II is a noticably farther caster for 1/2-1 oz baits?

Yes....I tossed around a Steez A when it came out. It was a nice reel but I wasn't blown away by it, especially in the casting department.  The Steez A II is totally different.  It's very much like the new Zillion but just slightly better.  Casting is fantastic though.  I have been using it (weather permitting) with the Deps Evoke 1.8 and 2.0.  I haven't branched out much further.  

 

The key to the two baits you mentioned is more about the rod and fishing conditions than the reel. For bladed jigs I like a moderate fast rod and for spinnerbaits a fast rod.  Spinnerbaits can turn into a kite if just a small breeze comes up. Generally with a bladed jig though,  by the time you add a trailer,  they cast fairly well.  I throw bladed jigs on an old Curado G and spinnerbaits on either a Curado K or Chronarch MGL. Both cast well.

 

[Tatulatard]

You can also just buy a zillion sv boost spool and drop it in the steez a.  No need to replace entire reels when looking to change braking profiles.  The daiwa 34 mill spools offer a lot of options both stock and aftermarket. 

[Fat Ika]

52 minutes ago, FishTank said:

Yes....I tossed around a Steez A when it came out. It was a nice reel but I wasn't blown away by it, especially in the casting department.  The Steez A II is totally different.  It's very much like the new Zillion but just slightly better.  Casting is fantastic though.  I have been using it (weather permitting) with the Deps Evoke 1.8 and 2.0.  I haven't branched out much further.  

 

The key to the two baits you mentioned is more about the rod and fishing conditions than the reel. For bladed jigs I like a moderate fast rod and for spinnerbaits a fast rod.  Spinnerbaits can turn into a kite if just a small breeze comes up. Generally with a bladed jig though,  by the time you add a trailer,  they cast fairly well.  I throw bladed jigs on an old Curado G and spinnerbaits on either a Curado K or Chronarch MGL. Both cast well.

 

I use Dobyns champ 735 and 736 cb glass and the 7'4" Med Hvy Howell tatula elite with the Steez A. I guess I'll try seeing how a mod/fast graphite rod loads. Haven't used a mod/fast graphite rod with bladed jigs and spinnerbaits in some years. My ignorant assumption is not loading as well on the cast with a mod/fast graphite, but I'll try it out. I'm getting good distance, I just have cabin fever, bored and looking to make some improvements. I'll probably give the Steez A II a try. Slightly better casting distance than the Zillion HD or SV TW?