Current thinking on BFS reels please?

[webertime]

I just bought a bfs spool for my Fuego CT when I wanted to try bfs.  I like it and haven't changed. 

[FishTank]

20 minutes ago, Bass Rutten said:

A rod rated for 1/8-3/8 will very likely not load the tip enough to cast 1/16 or 1/32oz (total weight) well, at least in my experience, assuming that’s the weight range on the rod you mentioned above.

 

@MickDThat's my thoughts as well. Having the correct rod tip for the lure is just as critical as the reel, and even line for that matter.  I am on my 6th rod trying to figure out this equation.  I've got 4 winners, 1 questionable,  and one that just didn't fit BFS but has proven to be good at other things.  

 

If I had to pick a good starter setup, the Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse 700C and a Shimano Curado BFS would be an easy to use combo. I like this for just about anything BFS, especially topwater. 

 

My favorite is a Kistler Hunt BFS 3X Ultralight and a Shimano Aldebaran BFS.  I use this setup for trout minnows and small cranks. Caught my personal best smallmouth on this setup.

 

 

For micro jigs and softplastic I use a Jackall Revoltage II and a Daiwa Tatula BF70.  It works but I have struggled to find a Daiwa reel that works as well as Shimanos for BFS.  I think Shimano has figured out something with their braking system that Daiwa has not. I tried four different Daiwa BFS offerings and each has given me issues. Two of them have been sent to Daiwa and rebuilt/serviced.  One was returned.  The other is no longer used for BFS.

 

My favorite for small crankbaits is the Megabass P5 Six Eleven and a Shimano Conquest BFS. This reel is a work horse. I can't say enough good things about it.  The rod is also is something special. It loads perfectly. It has enough power to control big fish. It's a pleasure to fish all day. I have lost track of how many fish this rod has brought in. 

 

For trout and stream fishing....Basically get a trout rod. Don't make the mistake I did with thinking you can cast something like a trout magnet on rod labeled 1/8 - 3/8oz. For the reel I like Shimano Conquest BFS here as well.

 

For line I like Sunline Invisible FC 5lb and X-braid PE #0.8-1.2 and 10lb leader. Not a fan of mono with BFS. Another, side note the aftermarket spools mentioned above require PE line. From what I have seen, anything else can crush or deform the spool.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bigbox99]

For "under 1/8 oz" are we talking about putting a 3 inch peice of plastisol on a 1/20 oz head?  Something that actually weighs over 1/8 oz? 

[KP Duty]

54 minutes ago, FishTank said:

 

@MickDThat's my thoughts as well. Having the correct rod tip for the lure is just as critical as the reel, and even line for that matter.  I am on my 6th rod trying to figure out this equation.  I've got 4 winners, 1 questionable,  and one that just didn't fit BFS but has proven to be good at other things.  

 

If I had to pick a good starter setup, the Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse 700C and a Shimano Curado BFS would be an easy to use combo. I like this for just about anything BFS, especially topwater. 

 

My favorite is a Kistler Hunt BFS 3X Ultralight and a Shimano Aldebaran BFS.  I use this setup for trout minnows and small cranks. Caught my personal best smallmouth on this setup.

 

 

For micro jigs and softplastic I use a Jackall Revoltage II and a Daiwa Tatula BF70.  It works but I have struggled to find a Daiwa reel that works as well as Shimanos for BFS.  I think Shimano has figured out something with their braking system that Daiwa has not. I tried four different Daiwa BFS offerings and each has given me issues. Two of them have been sent to Daiwa and rebuilt/serviced.  One was returned.  The other is no longer used for BFS.

 

My favorite for small crankbaits is the Megabass P5 Six Eleven and a Shimano Conquest BFS. This reel is a work horse. I can't say enough good things about it.  The rod is also is something special. It loads perfectly. It has enough power to control big fish. It's a pleasure to fish all day. I have lost track of how many fish this rod has brought in. 

 

For trout and stream fishing....Basically get a trout rod. Don't make the mistake I did with thinking you can cast something like a trout magnet on rod labeled 1/8 - 3/8oz. For the reel I like Shimano Conquest BFS here as well.

 

For line I like Sunline Invisible FC 5lb and X-braid PE #0.8-1.2 and 10lb leader. Not a fan of mono with BFS. Another, side note the aftermarket spools mentioned above require PE line. From what I have seen, anything else can crush or deform the spool.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you on the Kasumi 611...I have a pair that I hope will last the rest of my life.

[FishTank]

11 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

I agree with you on the Kasumi 611...I have a pair that I hope will last the rest of my life.

I have been thinking of buying another one. Out of the rods I own,  it's only one where I sometimes wish I had two on hand. It's versatile enough that I could fish a BFS crankbait or jerkbait on one and then do topwater or even a small softplastic bait on the other.  It's just a rod I have a lot of confidence in.

[MickD]

7 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

A rod rated for 1/8-3/8 will very likely not load the tip enough to cast 1/16 or 1/32oz (total weight)

You are basing this on the ML rating of the rod. I have CCS numbers which tell me it's more like what most would call L.  And I have the rod in spin and have experience with it, so know what it can do.  Thanks for your opinion.  Do you do CCS on your rods? 

5 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

For "under 1/8 oz" are we talking about putting a 3 inch peice of plastisol on a 1/20 oz head?  Something that actually weighs over 1/8 oz? 

No.  I'm not stupid.

[Bass Rutten]

35 minutes ago, MickD said:

You are basing this on the ML rating of the rod. I have CCS numbers which tell me it's more like what most would call L.  And I have the rod in spin and have experience with it, so know what it can do.  Thanks for your opinion.  Do you do CCS on your rods? 

I do not, just going off my current and past experience with medium-light rods and weight ratings, my ml/f kistler is rated 1/16-3/8 yet it begins to struggle loading at 1/8oz (total weight). If you know that blank can go lighter then I guess the only question is how light can it go?

[MickD]

13 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

If you know that blank can go lighter then I guess the only question is how light can it go?

Will find out, I guess.  Using manufacturers' power ratings is frustrating.  I have ML blanks/rods that measure less than 15 CCS ERN (effective rod number) number, and one that measures 20.  I have Med power rods that measure between 16 and 25 and one blank from one of the biggest blank makers in the country that is called Med power and it's about 11.  Because it's supposedly a "drop shot" rod its rating is skewed by the intended use.  Only when you use CCS and get actual, measured, objective NUMBERS will you know exactly what the power and action of your rods are.   With respect to the rod I am going to use, remember that a friend already uses that rod for BFS and likes how it works.  By the way its action is described as "fast," but I'm sure most would consider it moderate-fast after fishing it.  Its CCS action number puts it below what I would consider fast.

[Bigbox99]

On 11/25/2024 at 3:40 PM, MickD said:

You are basing this on the ML rating of the rod. I have CCS numbers which tell me it's more like what most would call L.  And I have the rod in spin and have experience with it, so know what it can do.  Thanks for your opinion.  Do you do CCS on your rods? 

No.  I'm not stupid.

If you are going to be under 1/8 oz then pass on the Tatula 70 unless you want to swap in a BFS spool.  Otherwise get the Alphas Air or the USDM Alphas Air called the PX70.  

[msgf91]

If you were just wanting to try out BFS, maybe a Soloking hicc50 would be a good option. When they're on sale you can order them from Aliexpress for $25. It's a good $50 reel. That way you get the full BFS experience without breaking the bank.  Then if you like it you can order a higher end reel.  

[redmeansdistortion]

If I were on the market for a brand new BFS reel right now, I would look at the Aldebaran and Conquest.  They're about as good as it gets.  The FTB in the newest Shimano offerings is spot on.  I run my '23 Conquest with the brake dial a third of the way up and it'll cast anything from 1/16 on up with zero backlash, even in breezy conditions.  The newer Daiwas are no slouch either, but I feel the braking isn't as consistent as what Shimano has at this moment.  If this thread was posted just a few years ago, my opinion would've favored Daiwa as the FTB in the previous generation Aldebaran and Conquest was more touch and go than Daiwa at the time.

[UmairF]

If I wanted to have a spinning setup to throw BFS lures instead of a baitcasting setup, would the NRX+ 902S SJR work? Anyone have experience with that rod? Was thinking 10lb braid to 7lb leader. What weights/lures would be best?

 

Thanks,

Umair