Honest opinions...is BFS really worth trying?

[MK49]

Well, I used my Gekkabijin for the 3rd time this morning. I didn't use anything less than 1/4oz, but the reel is smoother now. I also used a different rod this time, a Daiwa Steez ML topwater rod from 12 years ago. The reel/rod combo worked pretty well for poppers and smaller lipless crankbaits. I kind of like it now.

[dragon1]

Well, I used my Gekkabijin for the 3rd time this morning. I didn't use anything less than 1/4oz, but the reel is smoother now. I also used a different rod this time, a Daiwa Steez ML topwater rod from 12 years ago. The reel/rod combo worked pretty well for poppers and smaller lipless crankbaits. I kind of like it now.

Perfect! Yeah I'm thinking the Gekkabijin will be a really good versatile reel for mag-finesse to MH techs just need a deeper spool.

[MK49]

Well, I used my Gekkabijin for the 3rd time this morning. I didn't use anything less than 1/4oz, but the reel is smoother now. I also used a different rod this time, a Daiwa Steez ML topwater rod from 12 years ago. The reel/rod combo worked pretty well for poppers and smaller lipless crankbaits. I kind of like it now.

Perfect! Yeah I'm thinking the Gekkabijin will be a really good versatile reel for mag-finesse to MH techs just need a deeper spool.

Yeah, the first time I used the Gekkabijin, I was disappointed. So, I didn't use it for about 2 months. The 2nd time, it was better, The 3rd time was even better. I guess the reel needed to get used be a reel. Braided line does kinda same thing. It gets better after a few fishing trips.

I think the brake on the Gekkabijin is a little too strong, though. I ended up using between 5 and 7, but I hoped it could cast a couple more feet. I could set the brake lower, if I didn't mind getting a few bird's nests. But the line is so thin that I can hardly see it to fix the bird's nest. I didn't feel like the spool was turning as freely as my Steez. It could just be the difference in the spool size, though. Maybe, it'll get better. Either way, I'll keep using it. Now, I see it has more potential than my old PX68. I didn't feel that way, when I used it for the 1st time. That said, I'll have to put the same 10lbs braid on the PX68 to see if it improves significantly over 8lbs copoly.

Like you said, a deeper spool would be nice, though. Four or five of my Steez are 6.3:1 gear ratio, and two are 7.1. The Gekkabijin is faster like 8.5 (?), so when I burn lipless cranks, I don't need to reel as fast, which is very nice.

[hoohoorjoo]

Well, I used my Gekkabijin for the 3rd time this morning. I didn't use anything less than 1/4oz, but the reel is smoother now. I also used a different rod this time, a Daiwa Steez ML topwater rod from 12 years ago. The reel/rod combo worked pretty well for poppers and smaller lipless crankbaits. I kind of like it now.

Perfect! Yeah I'm thinking the Gekkabijin will be a really good versatile reel for mag-finesse to MH techs just need a deeper spool.

Yeah, the first time I used the Gekkabijin, I was disappointed. So, I didn't use it for about 2 months. The 2nd time, it was better, The 3rd time was even better. I guess the reel needed to get used be a reel. Braided line does kinda same thing. It gets better after a few fishing trips.

I think the brake on the Gekkabijin is a little too strong, though. I ended up using between 5 and 7, but I hoped it could cast a couple more feet. I could set the brake lower, if I didn't mind getting a few bird's nests. But the line is so thin that I can hardly see it to fix the bird's nest. I didn't feel like the spool was turning as freely as my Steez. It could just be the difference in the spool size, though. Maybe, it'll get better. Either way, I'll keep using it. Now, I see it has more potential than my old PX68. I didn't feel that way, when I used it for the 1st time. That said, I'll have to put the same 10lbs braid on the PX68 to see if it improves significantly over 8lbs copoly.

Like you said, a deeper spool would be nice, though. Four or five of my Steez are 6.3:1 gear ratio, and two are 7.1. The Gekkabijin is faster like 8.5 (?), so when I burn lipless cranks, I don't need to reel as fast, which is very nice.

Do what I did. I got the Aliexpress deep spool for my gekkabijin and I'm so happy I found it! It holds a full 125 meter spool of 10# X9 braid, and that's with backing. I can cast 1/8 like a rocket, as the spool only weighs .4 grams more than the stock spool. Plus, there's a fixed inductor version that actually weighs less than the stock spool. Best $50 I ever spent on a spool.

[MK49]

Do what I did. I got the Aliexpress deep spool for my gekkabijin and I'm so happy I found it! It holds a full 125 meter spool of 10# X9 braid, and that's with backing. I can cast 1/8 like a rocket, as the spool only weighs .4 grams more than the stock spool. Plus, there's a fixed inductor version that actually weighs less than the stock spool. Best $50 I ever spent on a spool.

Interesting. I'm also using the 10lbs X9 braid with the stock spool. I probably have 50 ~ 60 meters on it. At least, I haven't ran out of the line yet.

Does your deep spool cast better or at least, as good as the stock? I don't think I'll use anything less than 1/8oz + the weight of a soft bait. Mostly used for 1/4oz ~ 3/8oz poppers and walkers.

So, do you have fixed or SV?

Thanks for the info.

[SSS]

I think that BFS is for the large majority of those who enjoy using a baitcaster, and aren't just using it because its practical. If you're not one of those, you might not enjoy BFS. Personally, i haven't used any spinning setups, well, this December it'll be 10 years

[MK49]

I think that BFS is for the large majority of those who enjoy using a baitcaster, and aren't just using it because its practical. If you're not one of those, you might not enjoy BFS. Personally, i haven't used any spinning setups, well, this December it'll be 10 years

I agree. I used a spinning reel twice in the last 15 years or so. I just don't like it. If you're happy with using spinning gear, there wouldn't be a reason to use BFS.

That said, the only thing I want to cast better with BFS is a Rapala floater F11. That was my main bait 30 years ago. I caught thousands of bass with it in 4yrs, including my PB, a 12 pounder with it. That was a spinning reel. I haven't used it for many years, probably since the mid 90s, just because I stopped using spinning reels. Maybe, I just need a lighter baitcasting rod to throw the F11.

[hoohoorjoo]

Do what I did. I got the Aliexpress deep spool for my gekkabijin and I'm so happy I found it! It holds a full 125 meter spool of 10# X9 braid, and that's with backing. I can cast 1/8 like a rocket, as the spool only weighs .4 grams more than the stock spool. Plus, there's a fixed inductor version that actually weighs less than the stock spool. Best $50 I ever spent on a spool.

Interesting. I'm also using the 10lbs X9 braid with the stock spool. I probably have 50 ~ 60 meters on it. At least, I haven't ran out of the line yet.

Does your deep spool cast better or at least, as good as the stock? I don't think I'll use anything less than 1/8oz + the weight of a soft bait. Mostly used for 1/4oz ~ 3/8oz poppers and walkers.

So, do you have fixed or SV?

Thanks for the info.

I never used the stock spool, but the diy spool casts a 1/8 oz rat-l-trap as far as I'd ever need it to go. That diy spool actually holds a little more line than my 32mm Alphas sv tw stock spool, despite the alphas spool being 32mm o.d. and the diy spool being 28mm o.d. I have the SV version. The fixed version should do slightly better with the lightest stuff, but from your description, the sv version is what you'd need.

[MK49]

I never used the stock spool, but the diy spool casts a 1/8 oz rat-l-trap as far as I'd ever need it to go. That diy spool actually holds a little more line than my 32mm Alphas sv tw stock spool, despite the alphas spool being 32mm o.d. and the diy spool being 28mm o.d. I have the SV version. The fixed version should do slightly better with the lightest stuff, but from your description, the sv version is what you'd need.

Thanks again. Never used the stock spool? That's kind of weird.

I've used the Gekkabijin 6 times in this month so far. Wow, I just realized that I fished 6 times in the last 9 days. It's getting better and better with the stock spool. I fished this morning, and I felt like the reel opened up (or, maybe, I got used it.) It casts better than 2 days ago. I really don't know why. I used the same brake settings. And, 2 days ago was much better than the 1st time I used it. The first time I used it, I threw Rapala Floater F11, just to see how far I could cast. It didn't cast well. I knew the reel started casting better, so I threw the F11 again this morning, and it casted way better, almost twice the distance. I actually couldn't believe the difference.

So, for now, I'll keep using the stock spool, until I feel like trying something different.

Thanks

[Dalleinf]

I never used the stock spool, but the diy spool casts a 1/8 oz rat-l-trap as far as I'd ever need it to go. That diy spool actually holds a little more line than my 32mm Alphas sv tw stock spool, despite the alphas spool being 32mm o.d. and the diy spool being 28mm o.d. I have the SV version. The fixed version should do slightly better with the lightest stuff, but from your description, the sv version is what you'd need.

Thanks again. Never used the stock spool? That's kind of weird.

I've used the Gekkabijin 6 times in this month so far. Wow, I just realized that I fished 6 times in the last 9 days. It's getting better and better with the stock spool. I fished this morning, and I felt like the reel opened up (or, maybe, I got used it.) It casts better than 2 days ago. I really don't know why. I used the same brake settings. And, 2 days ago was much better than the 1st time I used it. The first time I used it, I threw Rapala Floater F11, just to see how far I could cast. It didn't cast well. I knew the reel started casting better, so I threw the F11 again this morning, and it casted way better, almost twice the distance. I actually couldn't believe the difference.

So, for now, I'll keep using the stock spool, until I feel like trying something different.

Thanks

I have many Daiwa reels for which I have never used the stock spool. Maybe 20…
Not that weird, I hope

[hoohoorjoo]

I never used the stock spool, but the diy spool casts a 1/8 oz rat-l-trap as far as I'd ever need it to go. That diy spool actually holds a little more line than my 32mm Alphas sv tw stock spool, despite the alphas spool being 32mm o.d. and the diy spool being 28mm o.d. I have the SV version. The fixed version should do slightly better with the lightest stuff, but from your description, the sv version is what you'd need.

Thanks again. Never used the stock spool? That's kind of weird.

I've used the Gekkabijin 6 times in this month so far. Wow, I just realized that I fished 6 times in the last 9 days. It's getting better and better with the stock spool. I fished this morning, and I felt like the reel opened up (or, maybe, I got used it.) It casts better than 2 days ago. I really don't know why. I used the same brake settings. And, 2 days ago was much better than the 1st time I used it. The first time I used it, I threw Rapala Floater F11, just to see how far I could cast. It didn't cast well. I knew the reel started casting better, so I threw the F11 again this morning, and it casted way better, almost twice the distance. I actually couldn't believe the difference.

So, for now, I'll keep using the stock spool, until I feel like trying something different.

Thanks

I knew the stock spool wouldn't have enough capacity, so I actually ordered the spool before I ordered the reel. I spoke with a fellow board member about the spool, so I knew what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. Besides, I wanted the reel for power bfs techs, not the super-light micro baits. It is actually on a rod rated for 1/8 to 1/2 oz.

[MK49]

Very interesting. I have more than a few non-stock spools for my Daiwa reels, but I always try the stock spool first.

I've used two rods with the Gekkabijin. One is an old Quantum ML (1/8oz ~ 3/8oz). The other one is an old Daiwa Steez topwater rod (3/32oz ~ 3/4oz). They're about the same stiffness, but the Daiwa's taper is slower. For smaller jerkbaits, less than 1/4oz, I've been thinking about lighter rods. They're over 1/8oz, but jerkbaits don't casts like topwater walking baits or lipless cranks. I'm not sure if it casts better, though.

BTW, I actually bought the Daiwa rod to throw Rio Rico 12 or 13 years ago. I tried to replace my older Daiwa topwater rod that I bought in 97. One time, I hooked a 8 pounder with the rod, and I had hard time controlling the fish (there were plenty of sticks in the area.) Fortunately, I caught the fish. The older Daiwa rod had no problem, and I've caught about 50 bass over 8lbs with the Daiwa rod from the 90s. I still have three of them. It's rated 1/8oz to 1oz (yeah, I know it's weird, and never casted anything over 1/2oz.) It has a soft tip, mod fast taper and strong backbone. Maybe, I try it with the Gekkabijin next.

Oh, the Steez topwater rod is actually very sensitive. After the topwater bite died, I used it to throw a Flick Shake with 1/8oz wacky jig head. I could detect bites easily. I was surprised.

[MK49]

I ended up buying a light action Dobyns rod for my Gekkabijin. It does cast smaller baits like OSP Bent Minnow 86 and Bomber Long A 13A pretty far. It even made a 1/4oz Splash it feel a little heavy. Up next, I'll cast a tiny Heddon Tiger. It should cast far enough, I would think.

I just thought it's kind of weird. In the early 80s (I was like 10 ~ 12yrs old), I casted tiny baits like tiny Tiger, tiny Lucky 13, tiny Tadpolly, tiny Oreno... with a medium action 5'6" rod with a first generation Daiwa low profile baitcaster. I'm not sure how far I was able to cast, then, but I remember I was satisfied with the casting distance. Obviously, there was no BFS thing back then. So, I started thinking it's just a matter of getting used to casting smaller baits.

Back to the "is BFS really worth trying?" topic, I still say I'm not sure, based on my childhood memory. Maybe, if you keep throwing smaller baits with a medium action rod with a regular baitcaster, it might work well enough, although it wouldn't work as well as a current BFS setups.

[slipperybob]

If you ever had to mount a baitcasting reel on a light power spinning rod, cuz that's the rod you need to get the job done. Then of course BFS is worth it. I still bring the spinning reel for back up.

Honestly I don't need a trigger handle. Maybe just an ergonomic knob on the bottom. In the application for ice fishing, that trigger is actually in the way of mitts or gloves. I chopped the trigger off and the rods performs better.

[MK49]

If you ever had to mount a baitcasting reel on a light power spinning rod, cuz that's the rod you need to get the job done. Then of course BFS is worth it. I still bring the spinning reel for back up.

Honestly I don't need a trigger handle. Maybe just an ergonomic knob on the bottom. In the application for ice fishing, that trigger is actually in the way of mitts or gloves. I chopped the trigger off and the rods performs better.

Interesting. I don't like spinning tackle, so I've never thought about using a spinning rod with a baitcasting reel. I've bought about 100 baitcasting rods over the years, but only 5 or 6 spinning rods. I think it would be very uncomfortable using a spinning rod with a baitcaster, though. I guess it's just a matter of getting used it, but more than 95% of the time in the last 40+ years, I used baitcasters, so I got used them for sure.