BUYER'S GUIDE: BFS (BAIT FINESSE SYSTEM) RODS, REELS, AND TACKLE

[@blazemanchannel477]

I spooled it with 8 LB test mono for lighter lures, gave it some practice casts and found that it did cast well kzbin.infoUgkxSlytCJqozTF7EbdP4LWP-HUXf9WRDJ0e , except that the anti-backlash setting had to be turned up almost all of the way to keep the "overcasts' ' down. I disassembled it, and found that if I potted some "shim washers" behind that anti-backlash magnet assembly, it got the magnets closer to the spool without rubbing, and I could get better control with about a 6 to 7 out out 10-Max setting. I also noticed that the handle shaft had some internal end play, maybe only 2 or 3 thousands of an inch, but it's still noticeable. If the anti-backlash and shaft tolerances were "tightened up" this would be a fantastic value. I've only used it for 4 days of fishing in a month's time, but I plan on keeping it.

[@madmullets]

I Switched to exclusively using BFS 3 years ago and have not looked back. Its a blast but it can also blast your wallet. That said over the last year some nice affordable options have washed up. I put my BFS setups in 2 categories. Stream setups and lake setups. My stream setups are are short 5" to 6" rods with very light 2 to 4 pound line, throwing to the smallest lures you can get. i.e. those tiny trout magnets lures and jigs in the under 2 gram weight. the second set up for lakes and rivers. These are usually the bigger BFS gear like the guys talked about on 6 to 8 pound lines. Great setups for picky bass on a hot day. One trick to get your BFS reels to cast better is that you do not need to stuff them with line. yes it will hold 200 yards of 6 pound but you don't need that much just spool up like 50 yards and it saves weight on the spool. The lighter the spool will help you throw those ultra tiny lures.

[@baitfinesseempire]

Spot on, no need for more than 50 yards generally. Keep that spool weight down and those reels can fling tiny lures like none other.

[@smoovefishing]

I tried but find myself using spinning setup instead, the reason why is there is so many more opinion with spinning rods

[@catchemdinks]

I'm starting to massively collect gear and splitting them into two similar categories, Creeks/Streams and Open Water. For Creeks and Streams, short flickable rods with 30 yards of line. Open Water has 50 yards of line for that further casts.

[@Braunschweiger89]

Great info!

[@brettwhitmire1131]

Years ago I'm sitting here watching you guys throw 12" swimbaits on XXH rods, now I'm sitting here watching you guys throw 1/16oz baits on ultralight setups... I love it! Great content guys, keep up the great work. Cheers!

[@h20-jiggamoe]

Would be awesome to see you guys do a whole day of fishing with all BFS gear. I learned a ton of techniques from you guys and thank you.

[@dillonkaradunis3119]

I was just thinking about this last night

[@ballzybaits4414]

I've been on the bfs journey for a while and I'm glad it's getting some attention now.

[@e4t662]

Sometimes I stop thinking about fishing. Thanks guys for keeping me sane.

[@tacticalbassin]

😂😂 I'm glad we can help

[@JustinRoyal]

I picked up the Curado BFS and paired it up with a 7.2 Medium Light rod but could definitely go way lighter. As it sits, it is absolutely perfect for that little finesse Plopper and the smaller 1/4oz Rat L Traps. I’m going to have to look into a 0 power! I wasn’t even sure I was using this thing properly. And now I know even more ways I could use it in the future. Thanks for the breakdown dudes. Always enjoy the educational content and I am one of the many who never miss an upload. I get technical questions from folks who watch my content often, and I never hesitate to recommend your channel to anyone wanting to learn more about fishing. Happy Holidays, boys.

[@akilidebrady3785]

Happy Wednesday Tactical Bassin! Been doing pretty well recently on large lakes from the bank in the cold! I owe a huge part of that to you guys! And plenty to myself too for sticking through the days of skunk and putting the time in to learn. Ready for my next lesson today! Thank you!

[@tacticalbassin]

Way to go!!

[@timothythompson6549]

I grew up ultralight fishing in a TINY creek. It was full of TINY fish. I might be catching chubs, rock bass, assorted sunfish, and smallmouth. A two pounder was a GIANT. I always keep an ultralight in my arsenal for that type of fishing. It's so much fun, and if you do hook a truly large fish you're in for a ride. I bought the kastking reel and a st croix panfish series casting rod to test the bfs waters. It has largely replaced my ultralight combo.

[@jimwarden9617]

I’m ahead of you guys on this. Several Tubers have good stuff out there. Big fun.

[@Internutt2023]

I purchased a KastKing Zephyr in July 2023, it got .009 inch diameter 6 lb test co-polymer line stuck between the spool and housing damaging the line a few times, and the anti-backlash control was weak, needing to be turned up to its MAX setting to do any useful control. I returned it, it needs better manufacturing. It did cast 1/8th ounce lures well though, but was just going to be a battle using it almost every time I took it out so I returned it. Getting the housing opening tighter to the spool and the magnets closer would likely fix those 2 issues, they need to make those changes and test it better.

[@tacticalbassin]

We've heard that feedback from a few others as well. The Zephyr is definitely not our first personal choices for BFS, but when a budget option is desired it's been the best we've found and will function in most situations.

[@ETuss713]

The Texas coastal system fisherman know very well about this. We throw very light, almost fly fishing lures sight casting to reds, specs, and flounders in some very skinny water. Old 18 makes some great rods for it. Buggs makes some great lures.

[@culturerootsoutdoors2510]

Awesome video! I fish a lot of urban bass tournaments where finesse is must. So having the ability to now throw super downsized hard baits is killer!

[@gregoryjones6143]

When I heard "KASTKING" I knew!. With these guys EVERYTHING is above board..good piece!

[@tacticalbassin]

Ha! We're always on the hunt for quality gear 👍🏼

[@TheCrimsontwister]

Just bought the new Ark Gravity BFS reel. It will launch small lures and for $149 it's hard to beat. @@tacticalbassin

[@farrzmd3038]

The kastking zephyr is the one mentioned by Matt. You can find them for around $50-$60. They’re pretty good, not sure if it’s going to be a long haul reel durability wise and kastking customer service can be wonky, but a good entry reel. I picked one up to cast my favorite lure, rapala #05 floating minnow. Casts Fluoro and braid equally well.

[@goyslop4289]

If it takes a dump buy a new one on Amazon and return the old one lol.

[@ReelAZMatt]

I went with the Megabass Triza Aello and it has become my favorite rod of all time! SO LIGHT!

[@donkukawski8609]

I know this is off topic. I just wanted to thank you guys..in the past week I've caught the most and the biggest bass I've caught all year using Tim's advice on bumping a jerkbait and letting it sit for 20-30 seconds. I'm sold on the Megabass 110's now..3 - 5lbers this time of year in Delaware..hell yeah!

[@tacticalbassin]

Way to go!!! Thats awesome!

[@af4od02]

These BFS rigs are crazy. Lately I have begun using these rods and baits with great success. Also, at the same time I have enjoyed throwing giant swim baits and glide baits with giant 8 foot extra heavy rods. My bass fishing is all over the place!

[@charlesthomas5926]

Megabass has a great hunting lineup for bfs fishing that's phenomenal

[@nickball5964]

Glad to see BFS is finally getting attention. I’m surprised you guys didn’t mention the Tsurinoya XF-50. It’s a great reel for the style. Also, BFS is a great style if your sick and tired of dealing with line twist throwing light cranks on spinning gear. BFS eliminates this problem.

[@Bigfoot120]

So stoked to see you guys tamper with bfs! Keep those vids coming!

[@bassnbonsai]

Hit the nail on the head with this one.. I'll be honest being a long time finesse fisherman and smaller rods and baits overall I thought you guys might flub this one... If I had anything to add is that although it's a fast growing niche style with tons more coming... Like you mentioned there's already tons of baits on the market aimed at spinning gear that these can accel at over spinning... There's also some sleeper rods around that have soft enough tips or actions to fit right into bfs or power bfs fishing... One I'll mention is the Berkley medium Lightning rod .. the one with compressed cork handle not the orange one.. Anyway keep up the great work and I'd like to thank you on the burn burn burn pause.. and glide baits . Now I'm not truly burning a deep diver but I've caught several this fall and winter in 46 deg water going very fast with a bfs square bill.. I also took another shot at glide baits with a knock off and preceded to catch a ton in a short amount of time again in clear 47deg water...

[@tacticalbassin]

Thanks Thanks the feedback and recommendations! I'm glad we didn't let you down with this one 🤪

[@logannewman4532]

A lot of this describes why I like ultralight and tenkara in general. My local tackle shop was showing me that exact Dobyns/Shimano combo the other day when I was picking up some of the new Zman micro TRD stuff.

[@JoshKyleFishing]

You guys would get me excited and buying things I never even thought about needing!!!!!!

[@IV-fad]

Not a buyers guide I expected to see! Thanks guys!

[@tacticalbassin]

We're always trying the latest 👍🏼 We hope it helps!

[@HokiePitcher22]

I got a kastking zephyr bfs and ultralight rod and I've had so much fun with it. Nothing better than catching an average sized bass or crappie on ultralight tackle. Its just so much fun

[@_Lt__Dan_]

Megabass Nanahan and LC Pointer 65 are WICKED FUN on BFS

[@gregstott8109]

Had a blast with both of those this fall. The 110 jr +1 too, though I used a little heavier gear for it.

[@upthecreekyt]

You can tell Matt is jacked up about this style of fishing. Looks fun. It'd be cool to see you guys do an on-water demonstration.

[@The_Multi-species_Angler]

Nice introduction to bfs bass gear!! The medium light stuff you speak of the term I heard use is called power bfs. Looking forward to seeing what reels you all talk about for bfs.

[@bassonfly66]

I modified a couple of Tatula 100's. I bought 4 of the BFS spools from Ali Express (they weigh like 6 grams vs. 13 grams for a factory spool) , replaced the factory bearings with Hedgehog studio BFS bearings & replace the drag washers with Carbontex drag washers...amazing! I put them on a a pair of Daiwa Tatula TTU701MLRB ML jerkbait, small topwater rod. I'm launcing crappie crankbaits 40+ yards & trowing a 1/3 oz Storm Arashi spybait as just as far as I could with a spinning rod. Also playing with some Major Craft Jigpara Spin Micro tail spinners & the .18oz Jigpara Blade blade bait . This stuff catches tons of fish & gets seriously addicting!

[@JWDBSNRNOCN]

I caught a 5lbs bass on the Dobyns 700C. It's light but has some serious backbone that landed that fish. Iove that rod. I use it for wacky rigged presentations as well. I use the Cashion 7'4" ML for swim baits. I have a number of each with the KK Kestrel and the Shimano Curado.

[@LiveBassFishing]

That Rapala ultra light popper is fire. I’ve caught so many fish on that bait. Good stuff guys. BFS is exciting.

[@hawjfamily321]

I was hoping guys would make this video. I've been very interested in bfs lately.

[@greatestever3827]

My BFS is running on nano 2lb braid to 4lb tatsu and is the best feeling ever on a ultra light jdm rod.

[@helotaxi]

To be fair, the Shimano rods are labeled BFS-A for BFS American. They're actually pretty heavy rods by BFS standards. I have one of the Dobyn's rods and I use the Zodias as my dropshot rod. I've been using BFS setups for several years and Phenix has been my go-to for rods. I've got at least a half dozen in light and medium light power in their various series and lengths. Reels go from some older Daiwa SV reels that TW had limited quantities of at various times, to the Curado BFS, Scorpion BFS and just recently the SLX BFS. I also have two of the KastKing Zephyrs and they are decent reels though they have WAY too much drag and as delivered the bellville washers are nested rather than opposed so the drag is either all the way on or all the way off. I removed half of the drag stack and flipped one of the bellville washers to make is more appropriate for really light line.

[@helotaxi]

And I seriously fish a Ned rig or weightless Senko or light Texas rig on a M or usually MH baitcast rod with a good reel (Daiwa Tatula or Zillion SV models really get it done) and 30# braid to an 8-12# leader.

[@okish02]

I just had my first year with bfs . It was a blast especially for river smallmouth. I dont even want to pick up my normal size gear anymore. I have caught more fish than ever before . All sizes !! I use a ultra lite for cranks and spinners, light for swim baits and small spinnerbait and med light for ned rigs ,

[@clintonbruning]

I slayed with the little swimbait, dobyns rod, and kast king zephyr reel on Saturday it was awesome

[@robfunke909]

I won’t lie I love a big bait bite just as much as anyone else but I’m a finesse guy at heart, coming from the northern part of the country , I’d be lying if I said I havnt caught more big fish on tiny presentations then the latter & honestly always had more fun doing such Read a lot about bfs but havnt pulled the trigger recently I’ve been thinking more about light pitch/flip so sounds like I know where to go, thanks again guys

[@danharris8046]

I’ve been waiting for you guys to talk about this

[@mikeream2696]

Welcome to the club. I’ve been BFS experimenting for finicky bass this year and found the Tsurinoya BFS crank handles sub 1/4oz lures well, and is budget priced. I paired it with an SJ782 blank from MudHole I built and use it 80% of the day.

[@live2fishofficial]

So far my first, and only BFS reel has been the Piscifun Spark, which was introduced and made available earlier than the Curado you pointed out. I’ve been very happy with it and it’s a very affordable budget friendly model for those of us who aren’t stacked with $200 price point combos and have budgets for the sub $200 market. Haven’t tried that KastKing one, but sounds good! The Spark comes in at under $50 and I use it for finesse presentations and it has been my go to set up to replace my spinning gear for Ned rigs. My brother in law had never used a baitcaster before, but had tried one without success - he was using too light of a lure and endured heartaches in the back lashes. Once I set him up with that BFS reel and taught him how to adjust it, he took to it quickly. He uses it now as his primary frogging rig and will probably expand on his use of them. I have a great video capturing his first catch with it on my channel. So for me, BFS reels haven’t just been about finesse presentations. Their design and ease of use can actually be a great starting point for those who are interested in getting into baitcasters. Thanks for all the great work you guys do!

[@Mr.Higgs.]

Wait, did you mean to say your brother in law uses a bfs reel for frogging??

[@live2fishofficial]

@@Mr.Higgs. yeah, since it was the first baitcaster he ever tried, he threw on some braided line and tossed a frog on it and loved it! It’s light enough to not give him problems, but I told him he needs to try some of his micro gear on it.

[@baitfinesseempire]

@@Mr.Higgs. micro frogging is definitely a thing 😁 We stock frogs that are 1/8oz, down to around 1/32oz in weight 🔥

[@pj3p488]

The Ark Mini crankbait is fantastic. It even has a weight transfer system in it.

[@raypod6967]

I guess i was 6 years ahead lol , this is any New Jersey public lake, the bitsy minnow crank bait and the bitsy bug have long been producing bass here.

[@BasslivesmatterLLC]

Yezzir that ultra finesse on a baitcaster a killer yall the reason I have a shimano bfs. My best friend caught hist pb on a okashira screwhead with a keitech easy shiner on the setup. 5.8lb largie on 8lb test was insane 😳

[@herbsteiner1013]

I've been using a GLoomis ProGreen 821C and a Dobyns Sierra 700, both with Kastking Zephyr reels. Favorite crankbait is the Lucky Craft Tango.

[@shanemcneill178]

I've thrown spinning gear with no issue and this bfs has me revamping everything. It just seems like it will be a blast

[@tomrawson2209]

Thanks again Matt and Tim!! I'm probably your number one fans and love your content. I watch your videos almost daily. I appreciate you!

[@ebear4015]

Didn't even know there was a BFS outfit until recently. I simply do not like spinning gear, and I have more confidence in finesse, so this was refreshing. Have a Gary Loomis Edge black widow finesse rod coming tomorrow and an Alderbaran 2016 BFS. Can't wait to get on the water.

[@_Lt__Dan_]

Im a pond angler mainly but when i take my BFS gear to the lakes, its absolute madness! Lake fish are so much more aggressive than pond fish, especially the smallmouth. I've lost count how many fish i've lost on my BFS because i didnt adjust quick enough. Like someone mentioned below, it would be great to see a BFS day out on the lake. Give everyone a glimpse of what freshwater Tuna fishing is like with the BFS setup.

[@tacticalbassin]

Ha! We actually do have a couple of these type videos. Matt stuck some big Michigan smallmouth on BFS earlier this year 👍🏼

[@_Lt__Dan_]

@@tacticalbassin Oh man can't wait to see the content. Merry Christmas fellas!

[@brucef7644]

Thanks, I needed this video! My BFS reel has been in the box since August with no rod😥. Somehow I had enough foresight to walk thru the crappie section and grab some tiny crankbaits

[@americanfishingadventures5486]

💥🔥👍👌👏THIS GUYS GENUINELY HELP PEOPLE TO MAKE GOOD BUYING DECISIONS!! LOVE IT!!

[@Choffa09]

I have been having fun tossing the Honey Nugget on a free rig on my Expride 6’8 bfs rod paired with the aldebaran bfs

[@pineomt]

Keuka lake, NY. Have the Expride paired with BFS Aldebaran. Nose hook fluke in open water. Have the Dobyns 740 with BFS Aldebaran. 1/8oz okashira screwhead in open water. Have BFS Aldebaran paired to 6’10” ML Fantasista Premier by Abu Garcia. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard you guys mention this rod, but it’s fantastic. Stupid light weight, extremely well balanced, soft touch plastics on grip. Rod is perfect for smaller JBs in cold clear water. Also works well for balsa top water poppers and the original floating rapala.

[@benthompsonfishing1119]

I was finesse fishing these past two weeks on my curado... Very impressive

[@seanwoodburn2616]

Cheers from Willits guys! Great content as always. I started using BFS on streams for smallies and trout when conditions for flycasting were not good. Been at it for 15 years or so. Like you said...expensive then. I have a bunch of tuned ABU 2500C and 1500C BFS reels. Tried some of the other options, all JDM. Daiwa Pixy's, Scorpion BFS, etc but liked my Ambassadeurs better. All of the above were a pretty stiff investment. The Curado and Kast King are real game changers as far as getting beginners into the game but there is another really cool option. You can get BFS spools with bearings for the now discontinued ABU Black Max Gen 3. I just bought three unfished rep samples for $90.00 and free freight. Spools are between $18.00 and $40.00 with bearings installed and work really well. There are spools available for Gen 4 as well but much more pricey and I have not cast the new reel yet. Not even sure the pinion disengages to give adequate free-spool for the light lures I use but the Gen 3's are out there and cheap. Always great content. Thanks!

[@ohmslaw7069]

Literally been researching BFS until my head started spinning. TacticalBassin to the rescue!!

[@tacticalbassin]

We've got you covered 👍🏼

[@HobieWanKenobi]

...I can help you out

[@omardamji8493]

@@HobieWanKenobi i checked out your channel, subbed

[@HobieWanKenobi]

@@omardamji8493 Worth the watch for BFS content. Trout and Bass BFS

[@darrenmoore2794]

Game changer! Been looking to do this for a while. Awesome video/ information. Trout,crappie,

[@tomrawson2209]

The only thing I trully regret is to book a guiding service with you guys when you where around Clear lake in Northern California. Best of luck for you two fishing studs in Tennesee. I think you guys are awsome. I look at you guys as my football hall of fame gus like Joe Mantanna and Jerry Rice who have rocked my world of sports. I wil always look up to as my go to guys in the sport of bass fishing. I wish you and your families a merry Christmass! Cheers

[@bradduff5898]

So I could trout and Crappie fish with a baitcaster and not a spinning reel now ….. I’ve gotta try. Thanks so much for the info and something new and fun I’ve never heard of before. 👍🏻

[@skeeterboy77]

Glad you guys are enjoying the Dobyns Sierra 700/740... I think ive been BFSing in the US since 2004 ish id say and I still get a bunch of crap for tossing UL casting tackle chasing big fish.. But man its a BLAST. Check out the Daiwa alphas Air TW, Daiwa alphas air Gekkbigin, Daiwa silver creek Air TW that is coming out in Jan..

[@emmpak]

They don't pitch Daiwa because they have trouble with braid to flourocarbon leader issues with the T-wing guide. They told me that recently. Did the Imakatsu Wind Dragon work? Did u catch any fish with it?

[@christinesaukam714]

That's not the only/main reason why they are Shimano-centric.

[@robertramirez908]

Phenix has a few rods that handle bfs stuff quite well in the recon line. Feather series has a light powered casting rod as well. These are proven rods on my regular rotation. I’ve been fishing bfs a several years now and I am glad to see it gain momentum stateside.

[@helotaxi]

I've got at least one of every Phenix rod that is either Light or ML power except for the K2 model. Great rods. The 6'10" MH Maxim is a sleeper "do all" rod that's competent throwing super light stuff and is only $100.

[@HowieDewitt7575]

The Diawa Tatula 100 is surprisingly good for small cranks, leave my spinning rod at home sometimes

[@Steelman0355]

I know this is Bass Tactics, and i do a lot of bass fishing but i had to mention that my go to flounder rig is a Kastking Zephyr with a Diawa inshore 6'8" ML rod. 10lb braid to 8lb copolymer leader, 1/8oz jig head with Gulp Swimming Mullet. Great rig for open water flounder fishing. This is the only rig I carry on the boat. Less gear, lighter gear, budget minded and can cast all day.

[@gregstott8109]

Another fun one on the heavier side of BFS is the Megabass Triza Sparna. It comes with a fairly soft tip which can manage soft plastics with an open hook and is great for micro hardbaits. The really cool thing is you can get an xfast stinger tip for it that is awesome for little Texas rigged plastics and tiny 1/16 and 1/8oz football jigs. I have it rigged up with a Shimano Scorpion BFS and it’s a great little combo. I might need one of the 0 powered Triza next year. I could use it for sea run cutthroat in tiny creeks as well as panfish.

[@BassAddictFanatic]

I own the KastKing reel. I have it on. 7’ Shimano Sensilite rod. I LOVE THIS SETUP.

[@ILLUMINATHAN79]

You guys need to do a video breakdown on that Curado BFS and talk about the clicking drag and the removal magnets. That’s a bad little reel and it’s handles big bass very well. That Dobyns Ultra Finesse Rod is awesome but I got the 7’4” instead, just for a little longer cast. Amazing combo, so glad I pulled the trigger it’s so fun! Thanks guys!

[@oskerla125]

I got an Abu Garcia roxani bf8 for like 150 from Asian portal fishing. Nice reel. Also got the zephyr from tackle warehouse on black Friday. Both good reels

[@bassmayhem4215]

Bruhs, I literally was just talking to my buddy about this style of baitcaster system. Freaking magic! Lol

[@hunterfrederick5567]

Thanks for the video. I love it whenever you guys do new tackle stuff. I'm a tackle junkie like you guys, just poor🤣

[@tacticalbassin]

Tackle junkie always equals poor! 😂 It's a never ending money pit but it's fun!!

[@tapmcbrew4336]

Hell yeah….Tackle Warehouse finally got the Dobyns Ultra Finesse back in stock. Both sizes. Scored one.

[@tomeuk_tn9566]

My fav stream setup is an alphas air tw with #0.6 braid and #1.5 ygk fluro leader paired with a 4.5ft XUL fiberglass rod. Most of the time i cas 1g to 3g sinking minnows or occasionally topwater bugs.

[@KyleSeledic]

Thank you so much for this video! I just got my first bfs combo and can't wait to get some hours on it once the lakes unfreeze next spring here in Wisconsin

[@tacticalbassin]

You're going to have a blast, kyle!

[@midwestfischerman]

It's cool Matt referred (in passing) to the KastKing Zephyr. While I never used the Zephyr or any BFS, nevertheless my first two baitcaster rods and reels were KastKing. For the price NO ISSUES, for the price. KastKing performance is FANTASTIC, but the durability is questionable.

[@timothythompson6549]

I do have a zephyr, and like you I think the durability will be questionable. I haven't had a single issue yet, but it does feel super plasticy and not nearly as solid as something from daiwa or shimano usually feels.

[@midwestfischerman]

@@timothythompson6549 I had to get at the drag disks in my Spartacus II reel. I didn't back down the drag after a day on the water, and the disks seized and wouldn't stop the spool. That's on me, user error on the part of a new guy to baitcasters. My complaint is the nut holding on the reel handle is made of SOFT aluminum. It makes for a LIGHT reel, but it got gouged up something terrible with this one attempt to conduct reel maintenance. Both my KastKing Spartacus II and Royale Legend GT are light, have fast retrieves, are smooth, and can cast a mile! Unfortunately, both have soft aluminum nuts holding on the reel handle. As I said, truly amazing performance for the price, but perhaps the durability you'd expect from baitcaster reels under $50. If you baby them a bit and stay mindful that they are light and inexpensive due to soft aluminum components, then they are a good buy.

[@RockyPondProductions]

When looking at performance vs cost the Zephyr is the top of the list. If you feel the need to upgrade bearings you will still be $100+ under the next best option. The ifishband clamber hyper mirco is also an incredibly good reel. It is had to justify the more expensive options when the hyper micro and Zephyr exist for a fraction of the cost.

[@baitfinesseempire]

@@RockyPondProductions both are great reels at their price point for sure. One you get into the $300+ JDM reels that's a vast quality difference though The new Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra light looks promising as well. We do carry all of the above and more here in the USA if anyone is looking to snag one or for feedback 👍

[@RockyPondProductions]

@@baitfinesseempire A quality difference in terms of materials and how the reel makes you "feel" because it is expensive isn't what I am talking about. I am talking about the performance vs cost curve. A reel that costs $50 to $75 and performs within 90% of $300+ reel is a significantly better value. There are diminishing returns when it comes to fishing gear and most equipment begins get very similar performance wise at $100 and up. A reel that costs $300 or 6X the Zephyr is not out performing the Zephyr by 6X.

[@bobbybaker5304]

Thanks guys. I went another route but with a dual purpose. I bought the Lews Pro SP. designed by KVD and Andy Montgomery for skipping and pitching. However the reel is amazing at BFS as well. 1/16 ounce no problem and smaller. The shallow spool and the brake system is where it’s at. Take a look at it.

[@helotaxi]

The brake system alone on the Lew's likely weighs as much as the whole spool on a true BFS reel. You'll find that all purpose built BFS reels have magnetic brakes because centrifugal brakes simply weigh too much. Even Shimano, who make in my opinion the best centrifugal brakes in the industry, use magnetic brakes on their BFS reels. I have no doubt that the Lew's SP can do a passable job with light lures when matched up with the right rod and line but so will most any quality reel. I've been using Tatula SV and Zillion SV reels for most things that people insist you need a spinning rod for like Ned rigs and weightless plastics for quite a while. Don't take this as bashing the Lew's reel, I have one and I'm pretty stoked about giving it a go for its intended purpose soon. It will be interesting to send it head to head against the Tatula SV, Tatula Elite P/F (which is very similar in design philosophy but with magnetic brakes), the SLX DC and the JDM SLX 70 DC.

[@Tbowie13]

Hey guys speaking of crappie..."Wally Marshall" makes crappie cranks that work great on a BFS rig for crappie and bass. BFS is awesome...we have a super pressured park lake in Charlotte. Last spring I caught a 7 lb bass with a tiny hair jig on BFS at that little lake, and guys standing around watching with their chins in the dirt...lol. There are some good fish on pressured lakes, but ya gotta be different!

[@tryptaman4315]

Only thing I have been catching them on is a 2.5 keitech on a small mushroom Ned head and swimming it. Using braid to a 8 pound fluoro leader and spinning tackle. I need the BFS

[@Headshot191145]

Hey guys, don't forget...you are in Tennessee, and so is Charlie Brewer Slider. BFS is perfect for throwing a Slider, and the Pro Whirly Bee is incredible!

[@cloakoffeathers7217]

I’ve great success using the SLX mgl 70 and a fury medium to cast some net rig stuff. I can see why BFS is so much fun.

[@hawaiianboy2003]

Been fishing a med light Kistler Magnesium with a Curado 70 for a couple years now since y’all talked about fishing both extremes.Big 10” swimbaits and 2.8 keitech’s.Don’t really care for spinning setups so the Kistler was pretty much the only bait casting rod that was offered at the time.About to pick up the Curado BFS!Having to make too many adjustments on the 70,switching from bait to bait!Thanks for sharing all the knowledge!🤙🏾

[@cleavedspot]

Yo-Zuri Snap Bean is a lot of fun

[@DCmite1]

definitely needed this info....spinning rod/reel combos are just too bulky. I have had many trip ups when they are out on the deck.

[@deebz22]

The Reel test has been covering BFS for yrs. The info has always been around

[@user-by6yc8yl7v]

I ordered a daiwa bfs spool, gonna pair it w my lews tournament mb and a 7ft medium light fast stick. I got my hands on some Micro poppers (1.75", 1/16oz) and some micro jointed swimbaits. I cant wait

[@Dbars19]

These are used more up north for walleye and small mouth. I love it on st clair and Erie.

[@MatthiasWorch]

My favorite BFSish rod is the Phenix K2 713 ML. Yeah it’s pricey, but it’s an incredibly sensitive and balanced rod that might show up in any high-end buyers guide. Don’t let the 713 designation fool you, it’s lighter than the NRX 822 (and definitely the 852) and does DS, Neds, small tubes etc. phenomenally. Small jerkbaits, too. Just running a Curado BFS on it right now and it pairs very well (Daiwa SV Light works great, as well). I know you recommended the P5 Baby Plugging and NRX 821 for that high-end price point. If you haven’t tried the K2 yet and want more high end BFS toys, I maybe give it a try.

[@aaronbravo3848]

Been really getting into bfs with my ultra light/ light spinning rods! I catch tons of little bass on micro jerkbaits and small crappie jigs and with these light setups those small fish feel so fun to catch! Thanks for the info on baitcaster setups definitely want a nice bfs baitcasting setup

[@tomrawson2209]

Thanks Matt and Time! I bought myself an early Christmas gift by buying the Dobyns 700 rod. I’m going to actually use it to fish for trout throwing grubs because last week other fisherman were nailing them! Merry Christmas!

[@joshoats7903]

Have y'all ever did a video on how to tell if your using the right power rod for the job without just being told what power to use? Some ones MH Fast might be someone else's Hvy Fast. This is more or less for the lighter stuff for me. Thanks for the great content day in day out.

[@THEREELTEST]

Awesome video right down to the the origins of BFS!

[@ST4R1SM1NE]

I use a Curado BFS on 5'6 L/ML Rod, Alphas Air on 4'6 L/UL Rod and Steez Air on 4ft UL/UUL Rod. Super fun hooking into a 6lb+ fish on Ultralight Gear. 5-6lb Braid 5-6lb Fluorocarbon

[@Thepondguy85]

Good morning TB hope y'all have a fantastic rest of the week. Thanks for this video now I'm going to have more stuff in my tackle warehouse cart. Lol

[@tacticalbassin]

Ha! Thanks checking out the video!

[@Thepondguy85]

@@tacticalbassin don't ever miss one 💪

[@CASHU2400]

I can’t wait to get my BFS gear together. I have been waiting for the reels for about 6 weeks. We have been catching 30-60 fish a day on Shasta. They are all future 1 pounders. I need something to notice the biggins. Thanks for the info guys. Great video.

[@robertwilliamson6958]

The main reasons I’ve gotten into it, is, #1, when I’m throwing the ultra finnesse stuff, the fish might pick up the bait by just sucking it in and then sit there with the small bait quick after it hits the water. With a baitcast reel, I can get my finger on the line quicker after the bait hits the water, or as it hits the water, and feel that fish I would’ve missed otherwise. And, on finnesse bottom presentations, I can keep my finger on the line the whole time while reeling up slack, thus missing less ultra light bites, that if I had to take my finger off with a spinning rod to reel up slack, I may have missed that bite. I also love it since trying it out because it’s fun as heck. But like you all no way would I do it under tournament circumstances via the chance of loosing a fish.

[@MrDoItAll91]

Good morning TB GANG 👋 This video is a must!! Thanks for this one guys!! Btw that kastking bfs is A1. Better smooth and super affordable thanks for mentioning it 😉

[@tacticalbassin]

👍🏼 We're happy to do it!

[@edpelkey7798]

Great info Men! I’m so excited, now I know what rigs to purchase to get in the game! Your videos are the best around 👏👏

[@johnvandeventer9824]

You are missing out on the Phenix 7'1" L rod. Great backbone with a fast tip.

[@DrawntoWater]

Doing the work of gods, keep it up guys. I appreciate your videos. 🎣

[@timschreiber1584]

Fun! Look at the Clutch from Alpha Angler little heavier med fast 💨! And Fitzgerald Brian Thrift Micro Jig rod both are fun and work well with the micro jigs, smaller swim baits and drop shots rigs!

[@eric9245]

Shimano sensilight and a kastking did the job for me 120$ total and caught a 3.6lb snake head this past summer on it on a 1/16 crappie jig and 2in minnow literally with 10 lb braid to the 8-6lb mono/fluro leader and did tons of smallmouth.

[@ryancampbell8422]

Great info this is exactly what I was looking for thanks guys

[@erikanderson1142]

I love the buyers' guides (really, any tactical bassin video) more just to see the passion of you guys have for fishing like me. That being said, I have a hard time throwing the shad rap on baitcasting and dont like it on Spinning, so this does spin the wheels a little bit not worth the investment for one application. But did get me thinking get vid as always.