BFS Reel Recommendations: The last 3 years or so have really been good to BFS anglers. The growing popularity has had reel manufacturers competing with each other in the enthusiast market as well as the budget / “workhorse” class as well.

On the budget friendly side, the KastKing Zephyr is my recommendation. For under $80 USD, you get a solid performing reel. Drag clicker, great casting potential and available in the USA is a great reel to test the BFS waters. The Zephyr performs well in stock form for but, definitely benefits from a spool bearing upgrade. The basic linear magnetic braking system can also be finicky at times, especially with wind.

KastKing Zephyr, performance way above its price and available in the USA

Mid-level pricing, the Shimano SLX BFS gets my vote. For around $168 MSRP (converted from yen), you get a refined BFS reel that has the same feeling and performance of its Curado cousins such as the 70k and 200k models yet, tuned to cast lighter lures. Casting 2 grams and above is a breeze with the SLX BFS and can handle the abuse from bass fishing as well as be at home casting minnow style lures in streams for trout. Upgrading to an Avail 21SLX15 spool and finesse bearings really unlocks the potential of the SLX BFS. Also gives you the ability to use the stock spool for bass fishing and the Avail spool for super finesse work.
If buying from overseas is not an option, the Curado BFS is very similar to the SLX BFS and is readily available in the USDM market.

SLX and Curado BFS are now readily available domestically - SLX BFS (left) and it’s USDM version, Curado BFS (right)

For enthusiast level BFS reels, the Daiwa Alphas AIR TW is my top vote. With my limited time using the 2022 Shimano Aldebaran BFS, I can say that it is quickly growing on me. I am confident with more time, the 2022 Shimano Aldebaran BFS will take the place of the Alphas AIR TW as my recommended enthusiast BFS reel.

The Alphas Air TW is a great BFS option

The stock 28mm spool is a versatile workhorse that performs great in short range stream settings as well as long casting micro topwater lures in open water. The Alphas AIR TW handles mono, fluorocarbon and braid very nice. Retrieve and drag are smoother that its price point. Only negative is that the Alphas AIR TW does not have a clicking drag that is common on many BFS reels being produced today. Sagisi Customs does make a drag clicking set for those who cannot live without the drag clicking when a fish pulls out line when fighting.

Trout is a popular targeted species with BFS

Mods to Make a BFS reel: Before the days of “out of the box” BFS reels, anglers had to modify existing platforms. Tuning components were scarce and ordering from overseas was more difficult. The accessibility of tuning components is greater than ever, making it easy to turn your favorite baitcasting reel in to a BFS reel. Below are some key areas of improvement for lightweight casting performance:

Aftermarket spools can improve performance or even make a reel BFS capable

Aftermarket Spool: Putting an aftermarket spool into a reel you already own can be a cost-effective way to use BFS gear without the commitment of buying a dedicated reel. If you are willing to take the time to swap back and forth between the stock spool and aftermarket BFS spool, this cost-effective option can allow the angler to be adaptable and change the reel’s capabilities to match the species they are targeting. Companies such as Avail, K.T.F and, Roro Lure make aftermarket spools. Most aftermarket spools are created for Shimano and Daiwa reels.

Bearings also exist to fine tune your BFS reels

Finesse Bearings: After a lightweight shallow spool, finesse oriented bearings are going to be your next bet. If casting bass finesse lures such as Ned Rigs or shakeyheads, aftermarket bearings are usually not going to add much increase to performance besides pitching. If attempting to cast panfish style plastics such as the Eurotackle Micro Finesse line, you are going to want finesse bearings. Companies such as Hedgehog Studios and Roro Lure make finesse oriented bearings with easy to navigate sites to ensure you are getting the correct size for your reel. If you are unable to find the information on the size of the spool bearings for your reel, you can take the following measurements to ensure you order the correct size bearings.

Rods: The most welcome benefit of BFS fishing gaining popularity was the increase in available BFS rods. Prior to this, building BFS rods from spinning blanks was the easiest option for me to get a BFS rod with the specs I was looking for.

Nowadays, most BFS rod descriptions will explain the rod’s intended uses. The angler’s imagination can use the specs and description to fill a niche within their tackle to maximize efficiency and/or enjoyment from the BFS setup.

BFS is also known as “Big Fish System”

Traditional BFS rods are designed to act like a fast action bass rod with lighter power. These fast action finesse rods were designed for casting and pitching plastics around light cover. Most USDM rods such as the Dobyns Sierra Micro Finesse Casting Rod have that “bass rod feeling” while still being able to enjoy the fight from smaller fish as well.

BFS can be effective in many types of water

Perhaps the fastest growing trend in BFS fishing is using ultralight powered rods to target smaller fish. Pond hopping around golf courses or fishing areas that most anglers skip due to stunted, overpopulated fish is an easy way to enjoy an action-packed day. Arguably the first budget BFS rod that anglers were importing from overseas was the Kuying Teton. I remember years ago there were threads popping up on the TackleTour forums about this rod. It is aggressively priced and using Fuji components, makes is a great way to wet your feet with BFS.

There are many choices in every price point to enjoy BFS fishing

Stream or trout BFS rods are generally softer in power and bend deeper into the blank to focus on short range casting and cushioning the fight with trout in current. Fiberglass rods are quite common in trout rods due to the taper allowing very little effort to be had to cast short distances. Advances in graphite blanks allow them to behave similar to fiberglass blanks and yet retain the low weight and sensitivity graphite is known for.

On the opposite end of swimbaits and big bait angling BFS is just as much of an enthusiast application, and one where you can go deep in techniques and tackle

Conclusion: BFS fishing has come a long way since I started using the technique over a decade ago. The amount of new rods, reels and other tackle continues to grow more and more every year. The expansion of BFS can be attributed to the internet, allowing anglers to share ideas and techniques they normally would not be exposed to while fishing their local waters.

PB bluegill pitching jigs into deep weed pockets

What was once a technique in a limited market is now available for almost any budget. As popularity continues to grow, so will the selection of BFS related tackle. Seeing rods and reels for finesse baitcasting being offered in the US market is a good sign for the future of BFS fishing.

Message from Zander, Editor-in-Chief: Cody, or Hobie-Wan Kenobi as many TT anglers may know him as, has been a long time member of the TackleTour community. His passion for angling and all things BFS gives him a great perspective on the technique, and we are excited to welcome him to the team as a contributing editor. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel where he goes deep into BFS and the tackle that is designed for this fast growing technique.