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BFS (bait finesse system), anyone use them? reading reviews and watching YouTube videos, they look like a downsized bait caster. Brands to stay away from and brands to lean towards? Real world reviews?
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Rawr215 who is a member here is who you need to look at. He uses and has posted several videos from his YouTube channel here. Below is a link to one.
https://youtu.be/NUq3qQB_1n0
I’ve played with a couple of BFS outfits .
IMO , It’s not Ultralight , it’s closer to light action fishing .
I have the KastKing BFS reel , I had to go with 6# line to keep it the line from getting between the spool and frame .
I’ve taken a Daiwa Lexa 100 reel and backed the spool with large diameter braid , then spooled with 6# P-line and achieved the same results .
Depends on what one calls BFS .
For me , where a baitcaster performs best is with a spinnerbait or crankbait . I’m able to cast down to 1/16 jig spinners , if the wind isn’t a problem. Of course the wind has always been an issue with me with any baitcasters . And yes the magnetic brakes can be adjusted to cut down on backlashes, but it reduces distance .
I’ve also played with an old Ambassador reel with similar results without a magnetic brake .
I caught more LM bass than I did gills .
It was fun to play with , but when I want hassle free casting of tiny baits , you can’t beat a nice Ultralight spinning outfit.
Check out Chris Stewarts site. He sells BFS gear and is a member here:Quote:
Originally Posted by dougpew
https://www.finesse-fishing.com/bait...se-system.html
I have used what's called BFS. About 25 years ago I was working in NE Kansas and became familiar with what we then called Midwest Finesse Fishing. It was mostly bass fishing but could be used on any species. It used what's now well known as Ned rigs. The normal rig was 6 lb line on a lightweight spinning outfit. Being a longtime multi-species fisherman I preferred baitcast rods. Still do. But, I recognized the advantages of spinning outfits for ultralight fishing. When the Japanese began to popularize ul baitcasters for trout fishing I took notice but didn't go there because of the ridiculously high JDM prices. More recently the Chinese got involved and prices tumbled. I picked up a Kast King Zephyr reel and put it on a vintage All Star rod I've had for 30 years. It sold me on the BFS outfits. It is important to note the distinction between BFS and ultralight. They are two different techniques. If you want to go ul with 1/32 oz lures and line under 4 lbs spinning is the way to go, unless you want to invest in the JDM prices. I consider myself a multi-species fisherman and the American BCF fits me well. I routinely use 1/8 or 1/16 jigs and lures for crappie, bass, trout and 'eyes. I haven't pulled one of my several good spinning outfits from my rod locker in months. I now have 4 BCF reels, two on vintage rods and two on modern ones. When casting for crappie I prefer 1/16 oz jigs but can go as low as 1/24 oz. 1/8 oz will cast a mile. When I pitch or flip I use a regular baitcast reel with a flipping switch. I have no problem with small line until I to under 3lb. I also really like the ability to cast 1/16 oz lures. You can catch all sorts of fish on those little crankbaits or jerkbaits. For me, it's much more enjoyable to use LIGHT baitcasters than UL spinning outfits. But, I have now invested in a little better rods and reels. YMMV.
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Dougpew, however little I know about BFS (still new) Id like to chime in from my personal experience. Like Gillchaser999 says, its not UL. At least not for me, for I have had many a hard time casting any lure whether its a troutmagnet or jighead woolybuggers thats under 1/8 oz and drop shot rig is no difference.
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I can honestly say after being a striped bass and catfish fisherman for many years Im not new to baitcasters in general and I can vouch that the Shimano Conquest BFS (last picture) and Daiwa Pixy series are the best light lures reel you can get at the moment. Cheers!
Let me add , I think BFS has its place and is just another tool in my fishing adventures.
I’ve always been 95% UL or light tackle fisherman.
Even my inshore saltwater tackle was light with mostly 6# test line or less .
My baitcasting experience has always leaned toward light tackle and was intrigued by BFS .
What I found , is the equipment is better now , even the lower priced stuff .
I can cast baitcasting equipment better now than I’ve ever been able to .
I’ve even been somewhat successful in my float and jig fishing using BFS . I just have to pick my days.
I haven’t tried drop shot yet , but can see how that would work .
My rods are short fiberglass rods except for a couple of custom rods I had built on UL spinning rod blanks . One , a 5’4” is a sweet casting rod . A few others are flyrods I removed the reel seat and handle and glued on a casting reel seat and handle . I’m working on a 5’9”:3wt conversion at the moment. One of those , when I get around to it projects .
Handle is removed , just have to glue up the new seat and handle .
It’s a three piece Cabelas CGT .
Gillchaser, rods do play a big part in how far one can cast BFS light lures definitely. My current bfs casting rod is an inexpensive Chinese Kuying Teton 6feet5 in UL.
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Absolutely, totally different IMO from an Ultralight spinning rod .Quote:
Originally Posted by LVSpinfisher1
For UL spinning I prefer a fast or xtra-fast action , For BFS I’ve found a more moderate action casts better , for me anyways .
That’s one reason I’ve converting the 3wt Cabelas CGT into a BFS rod . I believe the CGT rods are S-glass which are what I would call a moderate/fast and should do well .
I need to go ahead and order my reel seat and finish the build so I can try it out .
I have a modified Abu-Garcia Black Max Gen3 and a tricked out ABU 1500C. Once the lightweight spool shows up, my new (old) ABU Morrum SX1600C will be BFS ready.
https://www.crappie.com/crappie/all-...bfs-gills-etc/
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BFS reels aren't necessarily down-sized. The main thing is a very lightweight spool and then high quality bearings, often low mass types made of ceramic. Overcoming the start-up up inertia is the key to being able to cast light lures. Diawa and Shimano make BFS specific reels. But many of their offerings and some of Abu-Garcia's can be turned into a BFS reel with a lightweight spool (and in some cases bearing upgrades). Some reels can cast lures in the 1/8 and 1/16 ounce range by doing nothing more than only putting about 100 feet or so of light line on the spool. There are quite a few Chinese BFS reels available at low cost. I've never used any of these, so check the reviews before jumping.
The Reel Test YouTube channel has tons of reviews of BFS reels.
THE REEL TEST - YouTube
[QUOTE=There are quite a few Chinese BFS reels available at low cost. I've never used any of these, so check the reviews before jumping.
[/QUOTE]
I have two of the Kastking Zephyr reels, an expensive Daiwa air, and have a Shimano Curado BFS on backorder. The KK and the Daiwa all handle 1/16 lures easily. For ease of adjustability I prefer the inexpensive KK reels to the Daiwa. Not sure of their longevity as I have only used them for two seasons. There are lots of rods (some very inexpensive) that work well with them.
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Theres your answer right there. I respect the fans but couldnt take the aggravation. Just my personal opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by gillchaser999
Bob
I think we all agree. As I posted earlier there is a difference between UL and BFS. I rarely cast 1/32 oz or less but when I do it's with a spinning outfit. But for anything heavier I almost always prefer my BFS rigs. Of course, I grew up with baitcasters so I'm not intimidated by them. Yesterday I was casting a 1/16 oz rapala countdown on my KK/vintage All Star combo in a pretty good wind and was throwing that lure further than my ULs will cast, much more accurately and with no hint of a backlash. I use 10lb braid with a 6 lb leader. I've caught several nice crappie with that as well as 3lb smallmouth and 2.5 lb brown trout. Hope to catch larger than that this year. For me, it's more fun. As I posted earlier YMMV.
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Its an interesting concept, but I think Im with Bob. I have lots of rabbit holes that I disappear into and dont need another. You all know I like making my own jigs and pour lead and so on, but Im not getting into making my own plastics for the same reason. In fresh water I seldom use more than 6lb and usually grab 5 ul rods and go play. BFS is something I will no doubt give a shot one day but Im gonna wait a minute before I get my shovel and begin another rabbit hole.
Not really trying to convince anyone to start something new. Just answering a post from the OP.
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I hear you, iken. Not for everybody. One thing I will say from my really bad bait cast rig as a kid, I absolutely loved the pistol grip and that I do miss but it has been too many years to count. I liked the precision feel of that style handle.
Bob
I understand also. In past years I’ve had several BC reels. When the Shimano Bantam 101 was new, I had a 5’2” lightning rod with a hypalon pistol grip. It was for standing in the nose of the boat and underhand cast under boat house doors. Great fun after the line twitched. Still have an older curado, wonder if it could be converted?
Ffw, this Japanese anglers channels been a source of inspiration for me over the years in the BFS department. He was the reason I went ahead a got the expensive Shimano Conquest BFS so hopefully my casting of light lures will improve (maybe if I have his fishing environment it would help...Lol), but it proves I need a skillset it could take years to hone in. This gent does it in style with ease and left-handed as well. Oh and his reels looked like a tricked out 2500c version and his rod....well lets just say Ajing/mebaru stiffness has no place here!:)
ラバーネットのススメ『未来へ続く 辺のために、出来ることから少しづ …』 - YouTube
what is your budget? What lure and weight do you try to achieve?Quote:
Originally Posted by dougpew
you can go with cheap Chinese BFS reels less than 100 bucks, but most I see will start to look for upgrade not long after. The top dog like now would be Daiwa alphas air tw 350 bucks. You can have Shimano Curado BFS cheaper at 200 but that reel will need some thumb education and might take a little bit longer to dial in.
I used to be baitcaster only type guys but change to spinning set for ease of casting 1/32 jig head and fun flight with ultra light rod. I still use baitcaster from time to time only when slab are around and I dont care for number. Most of my set built to handle 2-3lb bass and would feel over power with crappie or bluegill.
2020 may 21 ultralight Fishing for crappie with daiwa alphas air - YouTube
Ikenl, those reels you mentioned look mighty fine casting machines, especially the Daiwa Air snd its red shallow spool. These arent your neighborhood Walmart Abu Black Max thats for sure, but man 1/16 of an ounce gotta be tough. If accuracy not priority I can manage 3g jigs to 50 feet, very useable distance for me as bank angler on the Shimano conquest BFS. My easiest rig is this, popular in Europe but not much else:Quote:
Originally Posted by IkenI
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BobC, you left out the reel that usually go with the pistol grip rodlol. This:Quote:
Originally Posted by BobC
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.Im still using it time to time just like the good old days, albeit feeling a little juvenile but who cares when its casting so precise you could hit the fish in the head if it was above the surfacelol.
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But in all seriousness and to the OP, Dougpew and IkenI, baitcasting and BFS (Japanese) is here to stay and its a wonderful way to add to the sport of fishing just like fly-fishing (A river runs through it!) rings any bell?:) Thats why I love this site everyone seems to approach it with open mind without bias when it comes to points of view. With that said im like a jack of all trade when it comes to reel usage.I like try them all! Spinning, baitcasting, fly, convention, Tenkary (no reel), you name it I casted them all, well except this:Quote:
Originally Posted by LVSpinfisher1
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However one will never know Im still young enough,lol. Great read everyone!
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For the times I get frustrated with the BFS baitcasting reels , I own a couple of Zebco Omega ZO2 spincasters loaded with 4# test .Quote:
Originally Posted by LVSpinfisher1
If I can't handle it with a baitcaster I'll just drop back to a spinning rod. 1/16 oz is my normal limit with the BFS outfits. Gotta admit my favorite jig weight for crappie is 1/24 oz so I'll be using an UL spinning rod when I'm specifically targeting them. I had lots of good days with a Johnson Century spin cast reel as a youth but don't own any of those now. Even most of my spinning rods are light or mdm light for targeting brownies, 'eyes, or larger trout. My favorite UL is a 5 ft Falcon BuCoo (an old made in USA one) for any small fish I target, especially from the streamside.
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I set one up in 2018 found the reel online for around $65.00 (now unavailable) and found a clearance rod for $20.00. Then started building a house that took twice as long as it should have then not long after I had on going health problems so it never got used much. Sold most of my fishing/hobby stuff to pay off hospital bills but this rod never sold because people were kinda confused by it lol. Getting back to fishing so its been getting used a LOT in the last 3 weekends.
I can chunk a foam cork, 1/16oz jig head with a tube jig a country mile with this little setup lol its awesome.