Your BFS Set Up ?

[ChrisD46]

I’ve recently become interested in tossing around various Neg Rig / Finesse baits on a BFS set up - let’s hear what your BFS set up and what baits you enjoy using with your BFS set up ? 

[waymont]

Phenix Feather ml/Daiwa Alphas air sv

 

neds, small cranks, poppers

 

2nd

GLX 842 mbr/ Daiwa Alphas air sv 

 

shakey heads, small spinner baits, small swimbaits, 

 

I use both w OG 8lb PP to 8lb leader.

 

love both rigs!

[JediAmoeba]

I have a daiwa alphas with full ceramics, a shallow spool on a Dobyn's 7'4" Sierra Ultra Finesse. Thing works great for small hair jigs. 

[softwateronly]

Didn't go all in last year, kinda BFS adjacent.  I paired up a Phenix 7'1ML w/ an Alphas Air.  Realized that once the end of May rolls around, I'm just dealing with too much cover for the Phenix ML and bottom contact.  I wasn't enjoying working tiny t-rigs, neds, jig worms, and free rigs in the weeds, rod was just a little too soft to feel like I was in control presenting the bait and therefore missing bites.  This year I'm gonna pair up the Alphas Air with a Major Craft Days360 6'10M and put the phenix on ice to see how this year goes.  I should be able to throw down to 2-3 grams and think that'll be plenty light enough for me.  

 

scott

 

 

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

My recreational BFS setup is simple and effective for fish taunting adventures. I'm not an accomplished bait cast operator so using them is new to me with BFS even newer. My rig is composed of a Kastking BFS Zephyr mounted to a 5.5 foot Zebco medium light rod (rod came from a Zebco Slingshot combo).

 

Nothing fancy, and didn't require a huge investment. This configuration is pretty light weight overall so it handles easily. I have it spooled with 4 pound mono and it sends the various baits from about 1.5 grams to 4 grams reasonably well. Baits are everything from soft plastics on jig heads, to inline spinners or spoons.

 

The learning is realizing how to better manage my casting technique. Improvements there have greatly diminished the time and line wasted to backlashes. Using the BFS is closer to my principal use of ultra lite techniques. The ability to use both BFS and UL spinning gear is handy. The retrieve speed is very helpful with those in-line spinners and spoons. The retrieve speed is also helpful in keeping tension even when the fish swim towards you.

 

The BFS experience has added to my angling adventures. Nice to have a newer way to catch fish. I am only just feeling comfortable using it in all the different weather conditions such is higher winds, greater than 15 mph. 

 

Good luck in your research and with your BFS adventures. Be well, and Cheers!

[PhishLI]

Just started to dabble. I'll only have from ice out until late May to use it as weeds become way too much here afterward.

 

JDM SLX BFS/13 Muse Black 6'10" ML/Omen Green II 7'7" M 

Sufix 6lb Fluoro

 

I've had it out for just two very cold one-hour sessions on the Muse getting a feel for it throwing finesse TRD neds on 1/16oz heads, light cranks and jerkbaits, and 1/16oz bitsy bugs with small trailers. Spool bearings weren't flushed for the demo seshs, but they will be.

 

This will be my boat/yak setup for shorter work mostly in one of our two smallie lakes as it really can't compete in the max-distance department with a 3000 sized spinning reel spooled with light braid to leader on a 7'M. But that's not why I got it. I got it to be able to use straight fluoro without dealing with leaders or with the headache of spinning reel line twist.

[ghost]

High end setups:

 

1. Shimano 23 Calcutta Conquest mounted on  Phenix BFS Classic, 7'1"

 

2. Shimano 22 Aldebaran BFS mounted on Dobyns Sierra Finesse, 6'9" 

 

3. Shimano Curado BFS reel mounted on Curado Light casting rod, 6'8"

 

4. Daiwa SV TW 70 w/ aftermarket Ray's Studio shallow BFS spool mounted on            Phenix BFS Classic, 6'8"

 

Middle of the road:

 

5. Kastking Kestrel Elite BFS casting reel mounted on Kastking Kestrel Elite BFS rod, 6'3"

 

6. Kastking Valiant Eagle BFS reel mounted on Lurekiller wood trigger casting rod 1.4m(4'6")

 

Lures:

 

BFS crankbaits

spoons

inline spinners

topwater

3" Fat Senko

2.5" Deps Cover Scat

2.5" Yamamoto Yamatanuki Stick Bait 

2.8" Keitech Swing Impact FAT Swimbait w/ 1/8oz ball jighead

3" Keitech Swing Impact Swimbait w/ 1/8oz ball jighead

[ghost]

Hi PhishLi, I also have the 13 Muse Black 6'10" ML. It's a very good rod and I like the looks of it too. I bought it from TW from there last 15% sale w/ free 13 Fishing Blackout rod. Now that was a good buy!

 

Anyway, the Muse Black ML, I'll mount any of my BFS reels and it will be great for bottom contact plastics.

[Big Hands]

I wouldn't classify what I do as true BFS. I would say it's more like classic finesse fishing like we used to do more of with spinning rods. 

 

7'4" Phenix Classic BFS w/Curado BFS: 7 lbs Daiwa Samurai Camo Fluorocarbon

 

Very much enjoyed it throwing 2.5" Zman Crawz Texas rigged with a 1/8 oz tungsten worm weight. Also tossed live shad with a bobber with this rig and had a good tussle with a 4.5 pounder. It fights three pounders real well. That 4.5 was challenging near the reeds, and was no picnic next to the boat. Very sporting to say the least.

 

That's the stuff I got it for though, so I have no complaints. 

 

I may try a different spool in the Curado BFS, or possibly a different reel. 

 

I have a 7'1" Phenix Feather ML/F, but it wasn't quite working for me, which may have been because I was using 15 lbs braid. I was all over the place trying to find a way to make it work. I may need to give it another shot at some point. 

[T-Billy]

Phenix Feather 7'1" ML and L. Curado BFS on both. 6# XT.

[Lead Head]

Daiwa Steez 100sh with a $15 bfs spool off aliexpress. Added hybrid spool bearings. 

NFC Delta DS6107 (a drop shot blank) built into a casting rod. It's rated 1/8-3/8 with a XF tip. 

I put this setup together for 1/16oz neds. It's works better than expected, the tip let's me launch TRDs and it still has enough backbone to handle 5lb fish (no bass that size yet, but several drum).

I also used it to throw small top waters chasing schools this past summer. 

Running 15lb braid to leader.

[bulldog1935]

Mine might as well be rabbits.  My finesse fishing covers limestone creeks, rivers, inshore to shore microjigging.  Kayak.  

I only have one reservoir combo that will fit most of the discussion here, which is my ZPI Alcance with ZPI finesse spool and KTF microbearings - matched with Valleyhill 6'7" MM, rated 1/16 to 5/8 oz (fishes the full range). and PE#1.2.  Versatile enough for a single rod in a kayak.  

With this, I fish TRD Neds, finesse spinnerbaits, and crankbaits from finesse size up to the rated 5/8 oz.  

 

Three of my LP inshore reels count as BFS, they're all 34-mm Daiwa, Steez, Zillion and Silver Wolf, with microbearings and interchangeable BFS spools - I'll fish PE#1.2 down to #0.8 for the lightest 2- and 3-g baits.  No spinning tackle can keep up.  Fishing shallow grass, any jighead more than 1/8 oz brings up mostly grass.  First rod here was 7'1" Omen Green ML, I've added long shore rods from Yamaga Blanks and Abu Japan, and a very versatile 7'3" kayak rod from Abu 

 

Baits here include year-round standard MinnowZ on 1/8 oz TexasEye jighead, and finesse topwaters.  Winter through spring forces us into tiny baits for both shrimp and glass minnows (glass minnows concentrate in tide passes and in channels under nite-lites) - these baits include SlimSwimZ on 1/15-oz TexasEye, stream trout minnows with single-hook swaps, and metal microjigs.  

   

 

The real rabbits are my round reels for river kayak fishing.  These are raced-out Ambassadeur with microbearings and Avail spools, and Isuzu Kogyo with Try-Angle spools, on short Japanese S-glass and composite rods with offset grips made for round reels.  PE#1.

The baits include finesse topwater, finesse spinnerbaits and spoons, and my all-time favorite inline keel spinner for bottom-bouncing flagstone (absolute cheating).  

  

I wrote an editorial on true BFS

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/256304-bfs-ul/

[casts_by_fly]

Chris,

 

I'm like Phish in that I started to dabble last year.  I know I need to do more finesse baits in the boat but I hate a spinning rod so I picked up a used kastking here in the classified and put it on a 6'6" ML/M casting rod that I built 20 years ago on a Lamiglas blank (6'6", 1/8-1/2, moderate action).  I threw some 10 lb 832 on it with 6 lb mono fly rod tippet.  I used it a couple times in the super early season but like Phish, we end up with too much grass too quickly to justify carrying that combo on the boat.  I picked up a spinning rod for this year to do the same and a bit more so the kastking will probably sit in the basement.

 

20 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

 

 

 

 

Bulldog,

 

What spinnerbaits are those and how big are they physically?  From the picture I'd guess about the size of a beetle spin but built better.

 

thanks

rick

 

 

[bulldog1935]

@casts_by_fly

Hi Rick, 

I keep a running basket at FishingShop.Kiwi, untill I can put $200 cart together for free shipping, because they don't have a cost-effective shipping contract for smaller orders. (Logged-in, anything you add to Cart stays forever)  This covers me on lures, lines, Meiho boxes.  If you're patient and can do this, you save a bundle, because their prices are deeply discounted.  Since I cover so many niches, the lure caches aren't that hard to put together.  

But I did have to go back to look at my order.  

The two above are Evergreen D-Zone Fry and Jackall Deraspin

The smallest jigs are 2" and 1/8 oz.  The biggest double is 3" and 1/4 oz. * 

 Ima Zinx Mini and Pro's Factory MiniSpin

 

*  @casts_by_fly - not to clutter the thread, that's not counting the safety pin, 

but ballpark length from jighead to tail.  The smallest Pro'sFactory is no longer than 2"

Edited January 17, 2024 by bulldog1935
for below

[Dreveal]

Cashion BFS rod with Shimano Scorpion reel with 4lb Sniper fluorocarbon. Great for bottom bouncing baits

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

@casts_by_fly

Hi Rick, 

I keep a running basket at FishingShop.Kiwi, untill I can put $200 cart together for free shipping, because they don't have a cost-effective shipping contract for smaller orders. (Logged-in, anything you add to Cart stays forever)  This covers me on lures, lines, Meiho boxes.  If you're patient and can do this, you save a bundle, because their prices are deeply discounted.  Since I cover so many niches, the lure caches aren't that hard to put together.  

But I did have to go back to look at my order.  

The two above are Evergreen D-Zone Fry and Jackall Deraspin

The smallest jigs are 2" and 1/8 oz.  The biggest double is 3" and 1/4 oz.  

 Ima Zinx Mini and Pro's Factory MiniSpin

 

thanks.  For the double (as an example) is the 3" for the head and skirt length or is that from the line tie to the back of the skirt?

[msgf91]

This fall my main BFS setups have been

ALX Aura 

Old 18 Authentic UL

Then a SS Air doing double duty but if I want to bring both rods I pair the Aura with the SLX BFS. 

4lb XL on the SLX and 2lb XL for when I use the UL

Zman shad fryZ blue glimmer sparkle on a 1/16th ounce roadrunner

Mule fishing donkey tail jr Karma on a 1/32nd ounce roadrunner

I have a bunch of other baits but these 2 have been producing for me since fall started. 

Money right there

[msgf91]

12 hours ago, ghost said:

High end setups:

 

1. Shimano 23 Calcutta Conquest mounted on  Phenix BFS Classic, 7'1"

 

2. Shimano 22 Aldebaran BFS mounted on Dobyns Sierra Finesse, 6'9" 

 

3. Shimano Curado BFS reel mounted on Curado Light casting rod, 6'8"

 

 

Hello, how are the classic BFS and curado Light rods actions? I'm currently trying to decide on sort of an all purpose action rod for casting underspins. I want something with enough backbone to set the hook on a single hook, but load fine casting 1/16th ounce underspins + swimbait.  Kind of like a MH fast rod but scaled down. Thanks for any info

[WRB]

BSF is turning into medium light or lures total weight exceeding 3/32 oz or 3 grams.

I could claim my MF rod with 5# UG with SLXMGL 70 is a BSF rod according to the posts in this thread, it’s finesse in my mind.

Tom

[msgf91]

15 minutes ago, WRB said:

BSF is turning into medium light or lures total weight exceeding 3/32 oz or 3 grams.

I could claim my MF rod with 5# UG with SLXMGL 70 is a BSF rod according to the posts in this thread, it’s finesse in my mind.

Tom

BFS is kind of complicated I think. I think it's just using finesse specific techniques with a casting reel. The BFS rod of BFS rods, the megabass Hien, is rated up to 5/8ths. 

[waymont]

15 hours ago, softwateronly said:

Didn't go all in last year, kinda BFS adjacent.  I paired up a Phenix 7'1ML w/ an Alphas Air.  Realized that once the end of May rolls around, I'm just dealing with too much cover for the Phenix ML and bottom contact.  I wasn't enjoying working tiny t-rigs, neds, jig worms, and free rigs in the weeds, rod was just a little too soft to feel like I was in control presenting the bait and therefore missing bites.  This year I'm gonna pair up the Alphas Air with a Major Craft Days360 6'10M and put the phenix on ice to see how this year goes.  I should be able to throw down to 2-3 grams and think that'll be plenty light enough for me.  

 

scott

 

 

I had the same issue. I started using my GLX 842 for when there’s more cover around, and it was my answer.

11 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I have a 7'1" Phenix Feather ML/F, but it wasn't quite working for me, which may have been because I was using 15 lbs braid. I was all over the place trying to find a way to make it work. I may need to give it another shot at some point.

Try using 8lb braid. 8lb PP is crazy thin. It works really well with that rod.

[bulldog1935]

Nothing could be simpler than BFS (coined by Hiroyuki Motoyama c.  2000)

BFS = the combination of a lighweight shallow spool, low inertia bearings, and threadline.  

 

 

It's the people with a hammer and a square hole who make it complicated.  

[Tennessee Boy]

For light lures 1/4 oz and less I use a Diawa Silver Wolf with a lightweight Ray’s Studio spool with .006 diameter braid on a Cashion Icon BFS or Cashion Core MF Worm and Jig Rod.  Sometimes I go as low as .004 diameter braid.  Feel free to debate if this qualifies as BFS.  I just call it my light lure casting (LLC 😆) setup.

[softwateronly]

1 minute ago, waymont said:

I had the same issue. I started using my GLX 842 for when there’s more cover around, and it was my answer.

 

That makes perfect sense to me, our waters are probably very similar.  I also just don't use treble/hardbaits that often either.  Though, the small t-rigs, jigs, free rigs, etc absolutely provide bites when traditionally sized lures don't.  I've heard from more than a few people proclaim their love of the 842, I'm hoping this mc will be somewhat similar.  

 

scott

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

Nothing could be simpler than BFS (coined by Hiroyuki Motoyama c.  2000)

BFS = the combination of a lighweight shallow spool, low inertia bearings, and threadline.  

You're correct. I went with the SLX/Curado/Scorpion BFS, which are all essentially the same reel with different paint jobs and bearing counts, as a borderline BFS setup simply because I wanted to use straight fluoro, coploly, or mono. The SLX's 9 gram spool can deal with the sqeeze and associated stress that plastic lines put on a thinner-walled spool. This is discouraged on 4-5 gram spools like AMO, Roro, etc, as is can distort them. So, I'm doing this borderline BFS thing with 5 grams being the lightest weight I'll be throwing. I've been resisting buying the Roro for my Tat 80 and using straight 8lb braid, but I'm getting wobbly by the minute with the monkey whispering sweetly in my ear: "You know you want it, dumbazz"