BFS Training Line

[hoohoorjoo]

I have been training myself with 24 lb / 0.12 mm Spiderwire Stealth Smooth 8. I haven't lost any inch of line because this line is very manageable and easy to solve out of bird nests and it's stong (for BFS). And I have lost 0 lure with this line.

I agree on all counts. I have been using the 8# Stealth Smooth on my Pixy with a Ray's Studio spool and I've been able to straighten hooks and get tiny cranks back with it.

[Knotty]

24# line on BFS? Yikes! We must have very different definitions of what BFS is.

For me the upper end of BFS might center around a Ned rig, about 5 or so grams I think, and go up to 10 g. Low end is 1.5-2 g. 2-6# mono or 10# braid max. Above that and it just doesn't seem like finesse to me. Of course, that's just my opinion.

Some recent catches.

4# Flouro



2.5# Mono (.128 mm)

[hoohoorjoo]

Nice fishies and on light line, too!

[jvelth74]

Formerly I have used for light bottom jigging 0.06 mm Spiderwire Stealh Smoot 8, it’s something 15 lbs. And when I begin BFS fishing, I used that 15 lbs line for BFS. But I found it was nearly impossible to tie in the dark with my old eyes, and birdnests wasn’t so easy to solve out - sometimes those were impossible and sometimes when I casted into trees, branch did not break and I lost lure. Places where I fish BFS are very bushy. Sometimes there is interesting place to cast lure into water but cast must be performed through the bushes. Only cast that can be performed is ‘shooting’ (taking grip of hook, bend rod, and swipe about 10 degrees arc with rod). 3 / 4 of casts will failure but 1 / 4 is succeeded. But my line must be that strong that I don’t loose lures. My target fishes are 2 – 4 lbs rainbow trouts, and those are possible to be pulled directly to land with my line and obviously Teton SUL would also carry this weight without breaking. But of course I enjoy fight with fishes and I fight with rainbow trouts like that I would use something 5 lbs. line (my brake is loose and rod bends reasonably). My line just is that tough that it is virtually unbreakable. And in my fishing disadvantages of that thick line is limited. I cast mainly #1 spinners and 2 – 4 g crankbaits and casting performance is sufficient. And there’s 60 m this ‘thick’ line on K.T.F. spool and that’s enough. And regardless of use of braided line, 0.50 mm fluorocarbon leader is needed because of pikes. So in my fishing that ‘thick’ line pros are much greater than cons. In other situations, if casting distance would be needed and there’s good sunlight and it’s open area, I probably would be using much thinner line. And for bottom jigging I still use that 15 lbs / 0.06 mm Spiderwire.

[Knotty]

...So in my fishing that ‘thick’ line pros are much greater than cons. In other situations, if casting distance would be needed and there’s good sunlight and it’s open area, I probably would be using much thinner line. And for bottom jigging I still use that 15 lbs / 0.06 mm Spiderwire.

All good points. Can't argue with your logic.

I'm only just beginning to fish smaller streams with BFS and in most cases I can just wade over to my snag and retrieve it, or I'll just break off and abandon the lure when I cant, which is probably why I tend to use light lines and inexpensive lures and jigs.

By the way, I don't have nearly enough skill or nerve to use BFS in the situations you show. Hope to rise to that skill level some day. Practice, practice practice.

[jvelth74]

I'm not highly skilled in BFS, but my BFS combination is easy to handle. It don't make bad birdnests virtually ever. I can't use power nearly at all with my Teton SUL because I nearly always cast little heavier lures than the rod is designed for. And because of that lure can stop virtually any time during cast and I still have time to react and stop spool before there is bad birdnest. And that thick braid don't make bad birdnests at all on those shallow spool. My brother has a much less experience of baitcasting reels. But hi might already be better in BFS than me. Maybe it's the motor coordination by frisbee golf, which hi has trained a lot. At least backhand casts.

[Houndfish]

The Sniper breaks close to the IGFA ratings based on my decade or so of fishing it, and the articles that I have seen. USDM lines tend to break much higher unless it is rated as an IGFA line.

I would have guessed it was stronger then that, it seems very tough when I have to pull out a snag with it.

[poisonokie]

The Sniper breaks close to the IGFA ratings based on my decade or so of fishing it, and the articles that I have seen. USDM lines tend to break much higher unless it is rated as an IGFA line.

I would have guessed it was stronger then that, it seems very tough when I have to pull out a snag with it.

Maybe it just has better knot strength than other lines you've used. Also, if you're comparing it to 10# braid and you're snagged a good distance away, the stretch in that sniper will make it harder to break by comparison because the entire length of line has to absorb a lot of energy in order to stretch to its limit before the all the tension is transferred to the knot, or more accurately split 50/50 between the knot and your hand. That same principle is what's behind the idea of using shock leaders.

[Houndfish]

Maybe it just has better knot strength than other lines you've used.

That might be it. I use a ton of 12lb Invixz for most of my "MH" fishing and the 10lb Sniper feels almost as strong as it sometimes.
The 10lb is the thickest I have tried Sniper in, it really makes me want to try it in thicker diameters.

[earthworm77]

That poor Trulinoya Volkey 65UL knockoff broke in half on hookset.

What is this Volkey Knockoff you speak of?

The older Trulinoya Elite. I think I jammed the ferrule into the top section too hard and weakened it. This was my 1st ned rig and 1st BFS fish. I was testing the BFS waters with the Elite 65UL and Haibo Smart.
uploadimage

I was looking at the Pro Flex II spinning rod. THAT rod looks like a Volkey, right down to the cork and handle.
I am curious about it.

[poisonokie]

That poor Trulinoya Volkey 65UL knockoff broke in half on hookset.

What is this Volkey Knockoff you speak of?

The older Trulinoya Elite. I think I jammed the ferrule into the top section too hard and weakened it. This was my 1st ned rig and 1st BFS fish. I was testing the BFS waters with the Elite 65UL and Haibo Smart.
uploadimage

I was looking at the Pro Flex II spinning rod. THAT rod looks like a Volkey, right down to the cork and handle.
I am curious about it.

It sure does. It could even say Racing Spirit on the handle as far as I can tell.

[LowRange]

Yep "Racing spirit" and that weird "Back to the origin leatener" just like a Volkey.

They don't exist anymore and have been replaced by the Elite II.