Which bfs reel for skipping 4” senko?

[Okie2]

I’m setting up a rig specifically to skip the 4” yamamoto senko weightless around docks & under cables (dock filled lake). Will be using an older GLoomis IMX 721 as I like shorter rods for skipping out of my boat and a reel loaded with 8lb Sniper flouro. My question is which of the following reels that I have available would be most suitable for those short casts & skips…that will behave itself. I have the following available:22Alde bfs, alde mgl50, Kastking Kestrel Elite & their Zepher, Lews Custom Lite (not the new bfs version), Lews SP (their full sized skipping reel), Dark Wolf, or Diawa SV105. I also have the Daiwa Silver Creek Custom that is already my topwater skipping reel…so good but don’t want to buy another one. Where would you guys start? Thanks, Scott

[DirtyD64]

I have the SV105 and the 22 Aldebaran BFS. I have to run the Aldebaran higher braked, even with a heavier finesse lure (like a 4" Senko). For me the old SV105 has great brakes for skipping and still serves well with lighter line. I run mine with about 65% old braid backing and 35% mainline, makes for an excellent casting/skipping reel.

I push reels closer to their light lure limit, so for me a BFS reel would be overkill for the 4" Senko.

[John2204]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

[hoohoorjoo]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

...but not the best skipping reel. Centrifugal brakes are never as easy to skip with as a mag brake reel.

[mark poulson]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

...but not the best skipping reel. Centrifugal brakes are never as easy to skip with as a mag brake reel.

Why?

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

Daiwa SS AIR TW. I have been skipping weightless plastics a TON lately. Definitely catching fish I wouldn't have otherwise.

I been skipping a 1/10oz Trokar Ned jig with a 3" Zman TRD. The beefier hook help yank fish out of cover. Dobyns Sierra Series 701c with that lure combo is deadly.

[Okie2]

I ended up using the Kestrels as I had a couple come in from Aliexp. Worked out pretty well…not as good as the Daiwa Silver Creek but certainly good enough. Put to use this weekend & managed a bunch of sub 2 pound bass. The big winner was throwing topwaters around breakwaters. Bass just munched the Zman Razr Shad (plastic topwater chugger) on a Megabass Popx with that Daiwa. Sure was fun…bass were po’d & fighting hangry!

[hoohoorjoo]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

...but not the best skipping reel. Centrifugal brakes are never as easy to skip with as a mag brake reel.

Why?

Not sure, tbh, just my experience. Look at Shimano's true bfs reels. They are alll magnetic braking. Even some of the aftermarket spools for Shimano reels come with a kit to change the reel over to mag braking.

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

...but not the best skipping reel. Centrifugal brakes are never as easy to skip with as a mag brake reel.

Why?

Not sure, tbh, just my experience. Look at Shimano's true bfs reels. They are alll magnetic braking. Even some of the aftermarket spools for Shimano reels come with a kit to change the reel over to mag braking.

I will say the newer Shimano BFS reels are good for skipping too. Even the Curado BFS is a beast

[hoohoorjoo]

The Shimano FTB is magnetic, not centrifugal. That is the same braking system on the Curado BFS.

[LowRange]

I’m setting up a rig specifically to skip the 4” yamamoto senko weightless around docks & under cables (dock filled lake). Will be using an older GLoomis IMX 721 as I like shorter rods for skipping out of my boat and a reel loaded with 8lb Sniper flouro. My question is which of the following reels that I have available would be most suitable for those short casts & skips…that will behave itself. I have the following available:22Alde bfs, alde mgl50, Kastking Kestrel Elite & their Zepher, Lews Custom Lite (not the new bfs version), Lews SP (their full sized skipping reel), Dark Wolf, or Diawa SV105. I also have the Daiwa Silver Creek Custom that is already my topwater skipping reel…so good but don’t want to buy another one. Where would you guys start? Thanks, Scott

SV 105 Alphas SV. It's what I use to skip baits like that on 10# fluorocarbon. I have no complaints about the performance.

[LowRange]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

...but not the best skipping reel. Centrifugal brakes are never as easy to skip with as a mag brake reel.

Why?

A skipping bait will typically rapidly decelerate and free casting nature of centrifugal brake that produce little braking at low spool speeds is not a good pairing. The reel stops doing any meaningful braking at the spool speeds you are skipping the bait. If the bait does anything other than a perfect high speed skip your spool is going to overrun. You'll frequently find yourself making a skip but it's a slow and clumsy one and then find a bird nest on your spool. Reels with excellent low speed control do well with skipping baits. SV spools in particular can meter out the right amount of line to allow to skip anything as well or as poorly as you want.

[mark poulson]

I would go with the Aldebaran, it’s the best casting BFS reel out there, just my 2 cents….

...but not the best skipping reel. Centrifugal brakes are never as easy to skip with as a mag brake reel.

Why?

A skipping bait will typically rapidly decelerate and free casting nature of centrifugal brake that produce little braking at low spool speeds is not a good pairing. The reel stops doing any meaningful braking at the spool speeds you are skipping the bait. If the bait does anything other than a perfect high speed skip your spool is going to overrun. You'll frequently find yourself making a skip but it's a slow and clumsy one and then find a bird nest on your spool. Reels with excellent low speed control do well with skipping baits. SV spools in particular can meter out the right amount of line to allow to skip anything as well or as poorly as you want.

That makes sense to me. Thank you.

[slimjim1135]

Another vote for the SS Air TW. The tweaks they made to it over the recent Air models has made it a skipping machine. No overhanging tree has been safe this summer.

[Okie2]

Another vote for the SS Air TW. The tweaks they made to it over the recent Air models has made it a skipping machine. No overhanging tree has been safe this summer.

If only I could find the 2023 righty in stock from jdm.