Overlap?

[Dalleinf]

While I can't speak for Shimano (don't own any), I will say that Daiwa's SV lineup has really upped the game as far as casting/braking/distance with borderline scary (in a good way) spool control. Even more impressive is that it's available throughout their price range. I can only imagine what's coming in just a few years.

That said, I'd like to see longer BFS rods offered as I fish out of a kayak and can fully enjoy the advantages of a longer rod. 6'6" would be my absolute minimum, 6'10" and up would be more preferable for me.

I agree with you.
What I wrote above is only true for more old-school setups. Daiwa especially - with their SV spools - have been moving the lower boundary for what a "standard" setup is capable of.
Some people may not like BFS. Still, I think that the "public demand" for BFS style setups has been great for baitcasting tackle in general.

[gillchaser]

I should add, that while experts on this site throw 1/16 oz lures with BFS, I rarely throw such light lures with my BFS setup just as I rarely throw 1/4 oz lures with a more standard setup (lexa plus MH-H rod).
I prefer to use lures that I can rapidly throw a 1000 times (I may exaggerate) without experiencing any backlash.

I wondered just what weight lures others were able to cast with their BFS outfits . The Daiwa Lexa and Exceler reels I own are capable of casting 1/16 beetlespins when there is little or no wind . Also had no trouble with a 3" Senko style worn on a 1/16 jig fished wacky style using my custom 5'6" casting Rod as well as a cheap Shakespeare Micro casting Rod . The little Shakespeare impressed me for what it cost . $20 . This is my limit to finesse fishing with my Baitcasting equipment . Anything lighter will be fished on my UL spinning gear or my UL Spincasting gear , my Zebco Omega Z02 reels . A quality built Sipncasting reel . Gillchaser

[Dalleinf]

I should add, that while experts on this site throw 1/16 oz lures with BFS, I rarely throw such light lures with my BFS setup just as I rarely throw 1/4 oz lures with a more standard setup (lexa plus MH-H rod).
I prefer to use lures that I can rapidly throw a 1000 times (I may exaggerate) without experiencing any backlash.

I wondered just what weight lures others were able to cast with their BFS outfits . The Daiwa Lexa and Exceler reels I own are capable of casting 1/16 beetlespins when there is little or no wind . Also had no trouble with a 3" Senko style worn on a 1/16 jig fished wacky style using my custom 5'6" casting Rod as well as a cheap Shakespeare Micro casting Rod . The little Shakespeare impressed me for what it cost . $20 . This is my limit to finesse fishing with my Baitcasting equipment . Anything lighter will be fished on my UL spinning gear or my UL Spincasting gear , my Zebco Omega Z02 reels . A quality built Sipncasting reel . Gillchaser

I guess many on this site are more skilled than I am.
Still, I have thrown 1/16 oz (or slightly heavier) non-aerodynamic lures with my BFS setup on many calm-weather days. I just prefer to be more in the middle of the BFS comfort zone weight-wise and therefore I throw slightly heavier lures, eg 1/8 - 3/16 oz, and/or use more aerodynamic lures.

[gillchaser]

Thanks for the info . Although I was able to fish the 1/16 Beetlespin , it was a lot eaiser casting the 3/16 Strike King Pond Magic , which is listed as a finesse bait .
I'll experiment some more later on into spring , although the spinnerbait is my favorite cold water bait for LM . Right now , I'm enjoying my float and jig outfit. . Gillchaser

[uljersey]

While I can't speak for Shimano (don't own any), I will say that Daiwa's SV lineup has really upped the game as far as casting/braking/distance with borderline scary (in a good way) spool control. Even more impressive is that it's available throughout their price range. I can only imagine what's coming in just a few years.

That said, I'd like to see longer BFS rods offered as I fish out of a kayak and can fully enjoy the advantages of a longer rod. 6'6" would be my absolute minimum, 6'10" and up would be more preferable for me.

I agree with you.
What I wrote above is only true for more old-school setups. Daiwa especially - with their SV spools - have been moving the lower boundary for what a "standard" setup is capable of.
Some people may not like BFS. Still, I think that the "public demand" for BFS style setups has been great for baitcasting tackle in general.

As far as public demand dictating availability, it depends on where you live, although the internet has pretty much has taken that out of the equation. Here in the states, the prevailing mindset tends to be "go big or go home" ... light tackle anglers are on the fringe and will likely remain there. I can't fault manufacturers for not making items available that won't sell.

It's all good though. If you're willing to pay (or bide your time and wait for deals to surface) you can pretty much get what you want. For me the internet has been THE game changer,just look at the quantity/quality of UL and BFS gear go up as time goes on.

It's a good time to be an angler

[IlliniDawg01]

I should add, that while experts on this site throw 1/16 oz lures with BFS, I rarely throw such light lures with my BFS setup just as I rarely throw 1/4 oz lures with a more standard setup (lexa plus MH-H rod).
I prefer to use lures that I can rapidly throw a 1000 times (I may exaggerate) without experiencing any backlash.

I wondered just what weight lures others were able to cast with their BFS outfits . The Daiwa Lexa and Exceler reels I own are capable of casting 1/16 beetlespins when there is little or no wind . Also had no trouble with a 3" Senko style worn on a 1/16 jig fished wacky style using my custom 5'6" casting Rod as well as a cheap Shakespeare Micro casting Rod . The little Shakespeare impressed me for what it cost . $20 . This is my limit to finesse fishing with my Baitcasting equipment . Anything lighter will be fished on my UL spinning gear or my UL Spincasting gear , my Zebco Omega Z02 reels . A quality built Sipncasting reel . Gillchaser

A Lexa 100 might cast a lure that small but a true BFS reel will cast the same lure probably twice as far

[gillchaser]

I should add, that while experts on this site throw 1/16 oz lures with BFS, I rarely throw such light lures with my BFS setup just as I rarely throw 1/4 oz lures with a more standard setup (lexa plus MH-H rod).
I prefer to use lures that I can rapidly throw a 1000 times (I may exaggerate) without experiencing any backlash.

I wondered just what weight lures others were able to cast with their BFS outfits . The Daiwa Lexa and Exceler reels I own are capable of casting 1/16 beetlespins when there is little or no wind . Also had no trouble with a 3" Senko style worn on a 1/16 jig fished wacky style using my custom 5'6" casting Rod as well as a cheap Shakespeare Micro casting Rod . The little Shakespeare impressed me for what it cost . $20 . This is my limit to finesse fishing with my Baitcasting equipment . Anything lighter will be fished on my UL spinning gear or my UL Spincasting gear , my Zebco Omega Z02 reels . A quality built Sipncasting reel . Gillchaser

A Lexa 100 might cast a lure that small but a true BFS reel will cast the same lure probably twice as far

I'd love to see that . If I got my timing right I was casting 70-75 feet . Gillchaser

[Jrob]

How did this thread change title??

[Jrob]

How did this thread change title??

I see it reset after my reply? Weird

[Dalleinf]

While I can't speak for Shimano (don't own any), I will say that Daiwa's SV lineup has really upped the game as far as casting/braking/distance with borderline scary (in a good way) spool control. Even more impressive is that it's available throughout their price range. I can only imagine what's coming in just a few years.

That said, I'd like to see longer BFS rods offered as I fish out of a kayak and can fully enjoy the advantages of a longer rod. 6'6" would be my absolute minimum, 6'10" and up would be more preferable for me.

I agree with you.
What I wrote above is only true for more old-school setups. Daiwa especially - with their SV spools - have been moving the lower boundary for what a "standard" setup is capable of.
Some people may not like BFS. Still, I think that the "public demand" for BFS style setups has been great for baitcasting tackle in general.

As far as public demand dictating availability, it depends on where you live, although the internet has pretty much has taken that out of the equation. Here in the states, the prevailing mindset tends to be "go big or go home" ... light tackle anglers are on the fringe and will likely remain there. I can't fault manufacturers for not making items available that won't sell.

It's all good though. If you're willing to pay (or bide your time and wait for deals to surface) you can pretty much get what you want. For me the internet has been THE game changer,just look at the quantity/quality of UL and BFS gear go up as time goes on.

It's a good time to be an angler

Yes, good times.
With public demand I guess am thinking of Japan (and www).
I am happy with increasing availability of BFS gear. More importantly, I am very happy that manufacturers are pushing the limits for what can be done comfortably with baitcasting tackle - BFS especially. When manufacturers improve BFS, they also improve the more typical baitcasting tackle. Light weight spools are now becoming the norm in bass fishing tackle, even in mid-priced products. I think/hope that in a few years SV spools will be found in the cheapest daiwas. MGL spools are found in cheaper Shimanos and the ABU Pro Max series will likely benefit from increasingly light spools etc...
So what I mean is that even those who dislike BFS will benefit from advances made in the pursuit of better BFS products...

[Bootytrain]

Wow, thank you for all of the responses. I've been an UL spin caster most of my fishing life, well as soon as I could buy my own gear and ditch the ol' 202. I probably fished the UL setups a little heavier than suggested, I just always loved the short rods and fight. I got the stradic to start really UL fishing,keeping lures under 1/4 oz with a light rod. I'll fish it in the local trail race for trout when stocked in February and panfish the rest of the year with the occasional carp/hybrid/bass. I also fly fish for my really light weight fix.

I'm thinking of getting a Zodias or Expride from Japan if I do the BFS, I like to get proper equipment so I know it's not the equipments fault I'm doing horribly. Also it's hard to find a decent rod locally that's rated low enough that's not glass. I'm thinking I could do BFS for hardbaits and put the stradic on jig and inline spinner duty.

I dont consider myself an expert but I do have alot of experience and alot of BFS tackle . If budget is a concern, I would forget the Shimano rods and look into Major Craft. They have tons of options and in my experience have the tapers to handle lures under 1/4 better and have really affordable prices. You can even look into a baitcasting trout rod. As far as the reel, theres more options now than ever before, Id recommend the new Scorpion BFS thats coming out in a few months, or if you cant wait, theres the Alphas Air and Revo ALC at around 250. The one piece of wisdom I can tell you is that BFS reels arent about tying on a 2 gram lure, turning the brakes all the way off and launching it 50 yards thumb free(I tried that at first and spent more time blowing up the reel and picking out backlashes than actually fishing. The lightest lure I feel a BFS reel with even the lightest spool can effectively handle is 2 grams. Which is a little over 1/16. And even then the lure isnt going 50 yards. A good cast is probably going to top out at 50-60 ft for that weight. And to get that requires ALOT of brake.. turn those brakes up. In fact Id start at max brake and back them off slowly to start when dealing with anything under 1/8 oz. And it may require a slower deliberate casting stroke. These spools are light and fast so it doesnt take alot to get them going if you are whipping those casts out and the blow ups usually start at the beginning of the cast, thats why you need more brake the lighter you go, to control the spool at the start.

[gillchaser]

Wow, thank you for all of the responses. I've been an UL spin caster most of my fishing life, well as soon as I could buy my own gear and ditch the ol' 202. I probably fished the UL setups a little heavier than suggested, I just always loved the short rods and fight. I got the stradic to start really UL fishing,keeping lures under 1/4 oz with a light rod. I'll fish it in the local trail race for trout when stocked in February and panfish the rest of the year with the occasional carp/hybrid/bass. I also fly fish for my really light weight fix.

I'm thinking of getting a Zodias or Expride from Japan if I do the BFS, I like to get proper equipment so I know it's not the equipments fault I'm doing horribly. Also it's hard to find a decent rod locally that's rated low enough that's not glass. I'm thinking I could do BFS for hardbaits and put the stradic on jig and inline spinner duty.

I dont consider myself an expert but I do have alot of experience and alot of BFS tackle . If budget is a concern, I would forget the Shimano rods and look into Major Craft. They have tons of options and in my experience have the tapers to handle lures under 1/4 better and have really affordable prices. You can even look into a baitcasting trout rod. As far as the reel, theres more options now than ever before, Id recommend the new Scorpion BFS thats coming out in a few months, or if you cant wait, theres the Alphas Air and Revo ALC at around 250. The one piece of wisdom I can tell you is that BFS reels arent about tying on a 2 gram lure, turning the brakes all the way off and launching it 50 yards thumb free(I tried that at first and spent more time blowing up the reel and picking out backlashes than actually fishing. The lightest lure I feel a BFS reel with even the lightest spool can effectively handle is 2 grams. Which is a little over 1/16. And even then the lure isnt going 50 yards. A good cast is probably going to top out at 50-60 ft for that weight. And to get that requires ALOT of brake.. turn those brakes up. In fact Id start at max brake and back them off slowly to start when dealing with anything under 1/8 oz. And it may require a slower deliberate casting stroke. These spools are light and fast so it doesnt take alot to get them going if you are whipping those casts out and the blow ups usually start at the beginning of the cast, thats why you need more brake the lighter you go, to control the spool at the start.

Great , informative post . Thanks , Gillchaser

[JrodTX]

Wow, thank you for all of the responses. I've been an UL spin caster most of my fishing life, well as soon as I could buy my own gear and ditch the ol' 202. I probably fished the UL setups a little heavier than suggested, I just always loved the short rods and fight. I got the stradic to start really UL fishing,keeping lures under 1/4 oz with a light rod. I'll fish it in the local trail race for trout when stocked in February and panfish the rest of the year with the occasional carp/hybrid/bass. I also fly fish for my really light weight fix.

I'm thinking of getting a Zodias or Expride from Japan if I do the BFS, I like to get proper equipment so I know it's not the equipments fault I'm doing horribly. Also it's hard to find a decent rod locally that's rated low enough that's not glass. I'm thinking I could do BFS for hardbaits and put the stradic on jig and inline spinner duty.

I dont consider myself an expert but I do have alot of experience and alot of BFS tackle . If budget is a concern, I would forget the Shimano rods and look into Major Craft. They have tons of options and in my experience have the tapers to handle lures under 1/4 better and have really affordable prices. You can even look into a baitcasting trout rod. As far as the reel, theres more options now than ever before, Id recommend the new Scorpion BFS thats coming out in a few months, or if you cant wait, theres the Alphas Air and Revo ALC at around 250. The one piece of wisdom I can tell you is that BFS reels arent about tying on a 2 gram lure, turning the brakes all the way off and launching it 50 yards thumb free(I tried that at first and spent more time blowing up the reel and picking out backlashes than actually fishing. The lightest lure I feel a BFS reel with even the lightest spool can effectively handle is 2 grams. Which is a little over 1/16. And even then the lure isnt going 50 yards. A good cast is probably going to top out at 50-60 ft for that weight. And to get that requires ALOT of brake.. turn those brakes up. In fact Id start at max brake and back them off slowly to start when dealing with anything under 1/8 oz. And it may require a slower deliberate casting stroke. These spools are light and fast so it doesnt take alot to get them going if you are whipping those casts out and the blow ups usually start at the beginning of the cast, thats why you need more brake the lighter you go, to control the spool at the start.

Thanks for the info. Pulled the trigger on a 16' Aldebaran, looks like the scorpion isn't due for a few months. I've started looking more into rods now and see that a lot of users experience the lure rating being off on the major crafts and Zodias BFS. Reports of them fishing a power higher. I'm almost tempted to buy the Ugly Stick Elite 7" UL since both Major Craft or a Zodias would take time to ship from Japan and I am anxious to fish! Any experience with a Benkei or Go. Emotion?

[Bootytrain]

Wow, thank you for all of the responses. I've been an UL spin caster most of my fishing life, well as soon as I could buy my own gear and ditch the ol' 202. I probably fished the UL setups a little heavier than suggested, I just always loved the short rods and fight. I got the stradic to start really UL fishing,keeping lures under 1/4 oz with a light rod. I'll fish it in the local trail race for trout when stocked in February and panfish the rest of the year with the occasional carp/hybrid/bass. I also fly fish for my really light weight fix.

I'm thinking of getting a Zodias or Expride from Japan if I do the BFS, I like to get proper equipment so I know it's not the equipments fault I'm doing horribly. Also it's hard to find a decent rod locally that's rated low enough that's not glass. I'm thinking I could do BFS for hardbaits and put the stradic on jig and inline spinner duty.

I dont consider myself an expert but I do have alot of experience and alot of BFS tackle . If budget is a concern, I would forget the Shimano rods and look into Major Craft. They have tons of options and in my experience have the tapers to handle lures under 1/4 better and have really affordable prices. You can even look into a baitcasting trout rod. As far as the reel, theres more options now than ever before, Id recommend the new Scorpion BFS thats coming out in a few months, or if you cant wait, theres the Alphas Air and Revo ALC at around 250. The one piece of wisdom I can tell you is that BFS reels arent about tying on a 2 gram lure, turning the brakes all the way off and launching it 50 yards thumb free(I tried that at first and spent more time blowing up the reel and picking out backlashes than actually fishing. The lightest lure I feel a BFS reel with even the lightest spool can effectively handle is 2 grams. Which is a little over 1/16. And even then the lure isnt going 50 yards. A good cast is probably going to top out at 50-60 ft for that weight. And to get that requires ALOT of brake.. turn those brakes up. In fact Id start at max brake and back them off slowly to start when dealing with anything under 1/8 oz. And it may require a slower deliberate casting stroke. These spools are light and fast so it doesnt take alot to get them going if you are whipping those casts out and the blow ups usually start at the beginning of the cast, thats why you need more brake the lighter you go, to control the spool at the start.

Thanks for the info. Pulled the trigger on a 16' Aldebaran, looks like the scorpion isn't due for a few months. I've started looking more into rods now and see that a lot of users experience the lure rating being off on the major crafts and Zodias BFS. Reports of them fishing a power higher. I'm almost tempted to buy the Ugly Stick Elite 7" UL since both Major Craft or a Zodias would take time to ship from Japan and I am anxious to fish! Any experience with a Benkei or Go. Emotion?

Great reel choice . Benkeis are pretty popluar in asia, and for a starter BFS rod looks to be solid. Ive had a bad experience with a go emotion MH. Snapped on a cast. I checked out the specs for the Ugly stick elite.. wow didnt even know rods existed like this in the US market lol. The lure rating looks good, and taper looks good, and the price is even better.. I may try one out for $50. it just may be a sleeper. BFS rod true lure ratings will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer of course. I find the major crafts I have tend to be accurate if you keep in mind that alot of regular bass rods tend to not be able to handle their lowest rating with ease. Shipping from Japan is pretty fast if you order from reputable vendors.

[IlliniDawg01]

Wow, thank you for all of the responses. I've been an UL spin caster most of my fishing life, well as soon as I could buy my own gear and ditch the ol' 202. I probably fished the UL setups a little heavier than suggested, I just always loved the short rods and fight. I got the stradic to start really UL fishing,keeping lures under 1/4 oz with a light rod. I'll fish it in the local trail race for trout when stocked in February and panfish the rest of the year with the occasional carp/hybrid/bass. I also fly fish for my really light weight fix.

I'm thinking of getting a Zodias or Expride from Japan if I do the BFS, I like to get proper equipment so I know it's not the equipments fault I'm doing horribly. Also it's hard to find a decent rod locally that's rated low enough that's not glass. I'm thinking I could do BFS for hardbaits and put the stradic on jig and inline spinner duty.

I dont consider myself an expert but I do have alot of experience and alot of BFS tackle . If budget is a concern, I would forget the Shimano rods and look into Major Craft. They have tons of options and in my experience have the tapers to handle lures under 1/4 better and have really affordable prices. You can even look into a baitcasting trout rod. As far as the reel, theres more options now than ever before, Id recommend the new Scorpion BFS thats coming out in a few months, or if you cant wait, theres the Alphas Air and Revo ALC at around 250. The one piece of wisdom I can tell you is that BFS reels arent about tying on a 2 gram lure, turning the brakes all the way off and launching it 50 yards thumb free(I tried that at first and spent more time blowing up the reel and picking out backlashes than actually fishing. The lightest lure I feel a BFS reel with even the lightest spool can effectively handle is 2 grams. Which is a little over 1/16. And even then the lure isnt going 50 yards. A good cast is probably going to top out at 50-60 ft for that weight. And to get that requires ALOT of brake.. turn those brakes up. In fact Id start at max brake and back them off slowly to start when dealing with anything under 1/8 oz. And it may require a slower deliberate casting stroke. These spools are light and fast so it doesnt take alot to get them going if you are whipping those casts out and the blow ups usually start at the beginning of the cast, thats why you need more brake the lighter you go, to control the spool at the start.

Thanks for the info. Pulled the trigger on a 16' Aldebaran, looks like the scorpion isn't due for a few months. I've started looking more into rods now and see that a lot of users experience the lure rating being off on the major crafts and Zodias BFS. Reports of them fishing a power higher. I'm almost tempted to buy the Ugly Stick Elite 7" UL since both Major Craft or a Zodias would take time to ship from Japan and I am anxious to fish! Any experience with a Benkei or Go. Emotion?

Great reel choice . Benkeis are pretty popluar in asia, and for a starter BFS rod looks to be solid. Ive had a bad experience with a go emotion MH. Snapped on a cast. I checked out the specs for the Ugly stick elite.. wow didnt even know rods existed like this in the US market lol. The lure rating looks good, and taper looks good, and the price is even better.. I may try one out for $50. it just may be a sleeper. BFS rod true lure ratings will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer of course. I find the major crafts I have tend to be accurate if you keep in mind that alot of regular bass rods tend to not be able to handle their lowest rating with ease. Shipping from Japan is pretty fast if you order from reputable vendors.

For those considering the Ugly Elite, please be aware that it is indeed an UL rod, not a ML like most BFS sticks, so it is VERY soft in the tip. Personally, I like that because it will cast pretty much any weight and the 7' length still provides plenty of backbone, but it starts like 2/3 the way down the rod. Light Jigging for walleyes was really fun with this rod. I recommend braid main line with it to help with hooksets.

DaveJ