Shimano BFS Magnets

[jim spooner]

Does adding brake magnets allow for casting lighter lures? The BFS reels come with 6 brake magnets installed at factory, with 2 spares, which obviously affect casting. I'm not sure how the braking affects heavy vs. light lures.

[HellaBread]

Does adding brake magnets allow for casting lighter lures? The BFS reels come with 6 brake magnets installed at factory, with 2 spares, which obviously affect casting. I'm not sure how the braking affects heavy vs. light lures.

Adding the 2 additional magnets is just like turning up the brakes on any normal baitcaster, some people need/want more braking for their given application it’s as simple as that. Purely personal preference. on my 17 conquest i run it with the 2 additional magnets personally

[jim spooner]

Thanks for your reply. From everything I've read, Shimano suggests adding the additional weights for extremely light lures. Seems ass-backwards to me. I got the reels (Aldebaran BFSs) initially because I thought they'd handle lighter baits (baisa, etc) a bit better than my Aldebaran MGLs and they do. Guess I need to play around and test with adding magnets to see if advantageous. I'm 82, so my "playing around" time is a bit limited (Ha).

[LowRange]

Thanks for your reply. From everything I've read, Shimano suggests adding the additional weights for extremely light lures. Seems ass-backwards to me. I got the reels (Aldebaran BFSs) initially because I thought they'd handle lighter baits (baisa, etc) a bit better than my Aldebaran MGLs and they do. Guess I need to play around and test with adding magnets to see if advantageous. I'm 82, so my "playing around" time is a bit limited (Ha).

The super light stuff really slows down at the end of the cast. It's like wading paper into a tight ball and throwing it. It will travel quickly then rapidly slow and fall to the ground. Magnetic braking profiles work well to slow the spool speed at the end of the cast where these tiny UL baits rapidly slow. It's also why that same braking profile is seen as over braked at the end of the cast with normal bass baits compared to centrifugal brakes. I have a Scorpion 1000XT with a Yumeya spool in it that I don't like going below 1/8 oz total weight. On the cast with a light bait by the time my eyes track the bait and see it heading to my target the spool is already starting to over run making me have to feather the spool the entire cast as a precaution.

[Just_Bass]

Let me try, might be wrong though. To me heavier lures need less brake but light lure or non aerodynamic lure need more brake. Spool spin faster than the line being pull off for lighter lure thus more brake to control spool needed to not get over run off line vs spool speed.

[jim spooner]

Great insights. Thank you.

[John G]

Let me try, might be wrong though. To me heavier lures need less brake but light lure or non aerodynamic lure need more brake. Spool spin faster than the line being pull off for lighter lure thus more brake to control spool needed to not get over run off line vs spool speed.

Yup