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Enthusiast Review

 

Obsolete Before Its Time? Shimano Japan's SLX BFS (continued)

When this Shimano SLX BFS reel finally came into my possession, our ned rig season was more or less done. Weeds had emerged and the only finesse application that was scoring bites was a drop shot. My bait rig consisted of a tungsten weight of unknown weight, a #2 sized Gamakatsu Aaron Martens TGW Drop Shot Hook, and the bait Cody Meyer made famous over a decade ago, Jackall's Crosstail Shad. Total lure weight came in at a whopping 5 grams or just under three sixteenths of an ounce (3/16oz). To BFS die-hards, this is probably like punching grass with a 3/4oz bullet weight and your favorite TX rigged creature bait (total lure weight over an ounce). I may be crazy, but I'm not insane.


These magnets can be removed to customize the reel's settings to your liking

With Shimano's fleet of BFS specialty reels comes a braking setup that's a departure from their over two decade, VBS and SVS, centrifugal based systems. Their FTB (Finesse Tuned Brake) consists of a set of magnets housed within the non-handle sideplate that apply force to the inner surface of the reel's spool. Turning the brake adjustment dial moves this set of magnets either further into the spool (more brake force) or away from it, but there are no moving parts on the spool itself. It is the same system found in the previously reviewed Scorpion and Conquest BFS reels and can also be found in the new Curado BFS. I no longer have in my possession, that Scorpion BFS, but this SLX BFS reminds me a lot of that reel. It had no difficulty casting my 5 gram lure setup.


SLX BFS is available in an HG and XG configurations

Retrieve: After clearing the hurdle of casting my drop shot bait setup, I kind of lost track of what else there was to evaluate with this reel. The ability to present your bait is pretty much the greatest challenge with a BFS setup. The question of how smooth the reel is might be important, but few finesse techniques involve a constant retrieve. You basically cast your bait out and let it soak turning your handle only to take up slack as you inch your bait back to our position.


Handle length is 84mm center of post, to center of post

For those who absolutely must know, of course the SLX BFS feels perfectly fine while turning the handle and engaging those gears. In fact the reel's internals look exactly the same to me as the 2017 Scorpion BFS with a strange, all black main gear that looks and feel as though it's made of some composite material but is likely the same type of gear found in the domestic Curado BFS which is made out of aluminum and treated for additional durability.


Internally, the SLX BFS appears near identical to the Scorpion BFS

Power: There's no advertisement of this reel featuring micro-module gears and with the 84mm handle, this reel's ability to battle your catch is perfectly sufficient. Remember, we're talking light line, finesse techniques here, not dragging deep diving cranks through mud and rocks in twenty five feet of water. The need for power is another trait antithetical to this reel's objective.


That black gear, single carbon washer, and audible drag assembly

Drag: Instead, what is definitely called for with any reel tuned for finesse tactics is a smooth and consistent drag. Shimano Japan equips the SLX BFS with a single drag washer made from carbon matrix material. Like the Scorpion and Conquest BFS reels before it, they supply the SLX BFS with an audible drag clicker. That single drag washer is very effective in supplying a good amount of pressure free of hesitation or other inconsistencies and that audible drag makes it feel as though you're holding a spinning combo (fished upside down).


Ergonomics with this reel are excellent

Design & Ergonomics: The SLX BFS is built with an aluminum frame and carbon (graphite) side plates. I honestly thought it was built with a carbon frame, but looking back at Zander's writeup of the original SLX casting reel in 2019, I now understand the original SLX also features an aluminum body. After opening up this SLX BFS, I'm not quite sure what makes this reel so different from the Scorpion BFS other than their respective color schemes and the fact the Scorpion BFS has one bearing and one bushing per knob where the SLX BFS features two bushings. This reel even has X-Ship.


Shimano' Japan's SLX BFS retails for 24,000 Japanese Yen

Price & Applications: The good news for fans of JDM offerings is the SLX BFS is Shimano Japan's most affordable BFS option yet at roughly 24,000 Japanese Yen (JPY). The straight conversion of JPY to USD at the time of this writing makes that $216.28. Naturally, the reel can be found for less. Case in point, our friends at JapanTackle sell this reel for $207. The bad news for those who prefer a JDM BFS offering is that Shimano North America has introduced the Curado BFS for the retail price of $189.99.

Ratings:

Shimano SLX BFS Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality A solid little reel and yet another quality build in the high bang for the buck oriented SLX series 8
Performance Performed as expected and for me, indistinguishable from the Scorpion BFS 9
Price A little high compared to the other offerings within Shimano's SLX suite and especially when you consider the price of the Curado BFS available stateside 6
Features Shimano's FTB brake system, X-Ship, aluminum frame, audible drag, smooth & consistent drag performance 8
Design (Ergonomics) Light and super comfortable in hand 9
Application A wonderful BFS option targeted towards budget minded anglers, but performs above its classification - and it's saltwater safe 8

Total Score

8.00
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus
+ Nice, compact for factor - A little pricey for "SLX"
+ Shimano's FTB braking system for finesse applications works - Does it really make sense for domestic anglers to import with the Curado BFS available stateside?
+ Smooth, consistent drag  
+ Saltwater safe  

 

Conclusion: I was excited several years ago over Shimano's introduction of the Scorpion BFS, a more budget friendly finesse tuned casting reel. Finally, finesse casting reels were getting more mainstream attention with a more budget friendly option. So when I heard Shimano Japan was introducing the SLX BFS this year, that enthusiasm began to peak once more. Performance wise, this reel does not disappoint and I honestly cannot tell the difference between this reel and my former Scorpion BFS. Trouble is, I expected this "SLX" reel to come in well under $200.

 

If only SLX in Japan were at the same price tier as SLX in the US, this reel could be something special

 

Now that Shimano North America has introduced the Curado BFS, at a price below the JDM SLX BFS, I just don't see a market for this reel save for the die hard JDM fans that insist the grass is greener. If this reel falls into the USDM SLX price bracket, it'd be a fantastic buy. Unfortunately, as the situation stands, I'm just left to wonder why?

 

Looking for a Shimano SLX BFS?

Try Japan Tackle


 

   

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