BFS Reels Overview: Get Started with Bait Finesse Now

Introduction to BFS Fishing

Been on any of the fishing social media pages lately? Then you’ve probably heard about the Bait Finesse System (BFS). This technique is all about using ultralight gear to catch those sneaky fish with lightweight lures. BFS fishing is a mix of precision, control, and finesse. Let me share what I’ve picked up about BFS reels, which are the heart of this fishing style.

Why Should You Use BFS Baitcasting Gear?

Precision Casting and Sensitivity

If you’re into ultralight or finesse fishing, you’ll love BFS. My family thought I was an avid fisherman all my life, but then I discovered Bait Finesse. Man, it took my passion and enjoyment to another level!

As a fishing enthusiast, I’ve found that BFS casting reels and rods are perfect for casting smaller baits with pinpoint accuracy. This setup gives you more casting distance with bigger lines compared to your usual spinning gear. Plus, you get the fish-fighting power of a baitcaster with the light-action fun of spinning gear!

Getting to Know BFS Reels

While BFS likely started with modified Abu Garcia 1500 and 2500 reels in Japan, modern BFS reels were first mass-produced by Shimano for anglers who love ultralight lures. BFS is a Shimano term, so you rarely see it on other manufacturers. These reels have quickly become a favorite because they offer the accuracy and control of baitcasting reels, but are perfect for lightweight lures.

Here’s what makes BFS reels special:

Shallow, Ultralight Spools: The shallow spool design cuts down on start-up inertia, making it easier for lighter lures to pull line off the spool.

Advanced, tuneable Braking Systems: These systems control the spool’s speed, preventing backlash and ensuring smooth casts.

High Gear Ratio: Usually between 6.3:1 and 8.2:1, these gear ratios let you reel in the line quickly. However, they aren’t as fast as they sound due to the smaller spool sizes.

Light Drags: With a max pressure of around 8 lbs, the light drag system is a perfect match for the lighter rods and line you will be using.

Drag Clicker: Also referred to as an “alarm” by some manufactures, this simply lets you know a fish is pulling drag – like a spinning reel. FOr me it adds one more of my senses to the fight against those toads you’re likely to encounter fishing light lines and lures.

High-Performance Ball Bearings: These cut down on resistance during casting, making it easier to cast lightweight lures, and let them cast father.

It’s All About Precision

What sets BFS reels apart is their ability to cast lightweight lures you’d typically throw on a spinning rod with the precision and control you’d expect from baitcasting reels. This makes them perfect for situations where you need pinpoint casting and sensitivity.

If you’re itching to learn more about the techniques and gear, check out my articles on BFS fishing techniques, BFS rod selection, and BFS lures. Each article digs deeper into the details, helping you get the most out of your BFS fishing adventure.

Practical Application

In practice, BFS is all about keeping it simple and light. I like to carry a few small packs of finesse baits for easy mobility, rather than lugging around a ton of tackle. Conventional baits like hair jigs, small crankbaits, small plastics, and jerkbaits work great with BFS gear, letting me target various fish species.

For the die-hard anglers out there, investing in a BFS reel with these features can seriously up your fishing game.

Braking Systems in BFS Reels

When you’re into BFS (Bait Finesse System) fishing, the braking system in your reel is one of the most important components for smooth and controlled casting. Let’s break down three popular braking systems in BFS reels: Shimano FTB, Daiwa Air Brake System, and the Mag Trax system.

All of these perform at a much higher level than conventional Baitcasters made even just 10 years ago. So if you’ve struggled with backlashes in the past (like I did), these BFS reels might be much easier to use than you expect.

In fact, I haven’t used a spinning reel in 2 years (and counting)! These new BFS reels are that good.

Shimano FTB

Shimano’s Finesse Tuned Brake (FTB) system is a favorite among anglers. This magnetic braking system is known for its effectiveness and is even found in budget-friendly reels like the SLX BFS and the Curado BFS. The FTB system gives you a high level of control during casting, which is crucial for the lightweight lures used in BFS fishing.

One cool thing about the Shimano FTB system is its adjustability. You can tweak the braking force to match your casting needs. This makes it easier to cast lightweight lures with precision, a big deal in BFS fishing. But if you upgrade your reel with aftermarket ultralight spools, you might need to add extra brake magnets to keep the braking performance top-notch.

Daiwa Air Brake System

Daiwa’s Air Brake System is another hit with BFS fans. Like the Shimano FTB, this system uses magnetic brakes to control the spool’s rotation during casting. The Air Brake System aims to cut down on backlash while letting you make long, accurate casts with ultralight lures.

They key feature of the Daiwa Air Brake System is its automatic adjustment. The system tweaks the braking force based on the spool’s speed, which moves an induction rotor in and out, which increases and decreases the amount of braking that is applied throughout the cast. This not only gives you a smooth casting experience, but it also makes it maybe the most beginner-friendly system out there. This makes it easier to get consistent results, even in windy conditions or with different lure weights.

The Daiwa Gekabijin is one of my favorite reels for lures under 10 grams. If I’m throwing 1/16 oz and under for a large portion of the day, it is the reel I reach for.

Mag Trax System

Many of the other popular brands use a version of the “Mag-Trax” system. Abu Garcia is one major manufacturer that uses it. This system uses a row of magnets in a concentirc pattern. The magnets create barking force using the flat side of the spool. Non-magnetic spools will have a very thin magnetic “washer” attached to the spool.

The braking adjustment dial moves the magnets either closer (more braking) or farther away (less braking) from the spool face. So this created a static braking force – it doesn;t change during the cast like the Shimano to Diawa systems.

But, I’ve found that in some ways these can be much more adjustable, especially for expert fishermen who could almost fish with no braking. Many of these permit the removal of agents from the brakes, allowing you to get to virtually no magnetic braking. The Abu Gracia ALC-BF7 and the Flight Feather are two examples with removable magnets.

In the right hands, the distances you can achieve are astounding. You’ll need to spool more than the typical 50 yards if you’re going to go down this path.

This is the braking system you see often in many budget reels. It is a more basic system. It may also be more reliable in the long term. Less moving parts.

Other Braking Systems

There are other systems coming onto the market. PureLure, Loongze, and Bates offer more unique designs that work well. They are also starting to offer some DC (Digitally Controlled) Bait FInesse reels (nothing DC from Bates, YET). I just received the Pure Lure Silver Feather DC, so stay tuned for updates on that reel!

There are also many others – but the three innovative braking designs used by these companies have been proven to work well. Others are questionable, being either over-braked or just being a frustrating, birds-nest-generating, attempt at reducing costs.

Braking Systems Summary

All three braking systems have their perks and are designed to boost your BFS fishing game. Whether you like the sensitive adjustability and fine tuned precision of the Shimano FTB or the automatic precision of the Daiwa Air Brake System, or the consistency and affordability of the Mag Trax system, knowing these features will help you pick the best BFS reels for your needs.

For more tips on BFS fishing techniques and gear, check out my articles on BFS casting techniques and BFS lures.

Give Your BFS Reel a Boost

If you’re looking to upgrade your reels for even higher performance, focus on upgrading a few key parts: spools, spool bearings, and lubricants. These tweaks can make a world of difference in how your reel performs.

Make Your Casts Count

Here’s how to get the most out of your BFS reel, as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Upgrade Your Spools:Aftermarket shallow spools, like Roro spools, can turn your reel into a casting machine. Made from lightweight stuff like duraluminum, these spools help you cast lighter lures with ease.

2. Swap Out Bearings:High-performance micro bearings can make your reel smoother and your casts longer. These bearings cut down on friction, making everything run like butter. Roro and Hedgehog are two popular brands.

3. Use Better Lubricants:High-tech lubricants can really up your game. They reduce wear and tear, make everything smoother, and improve your casting.

But, this is one place not to buy into the fishing lubricants marketing. Spend your money on gear, not lube. I need to write a full article on this, but for now, use these as your lubricants, and thank me later.

• For spool bearings, use Singer Sewing Machine Oil or 3-in-1 Oil (my preference)
• For other moving parts, including the worm drive for the line guide, use Super Lube ISO 100 Oil.
• For Gears and drag washers, use Super Lube Synthetic grease.

Invest in these upgrades, and you’ll get the most out of your BFS reel. But most of them are pretty darn good right out of the box, so this is truly an optional step for those who like to tweak their gear.

Top BFS Reel Picks

Getting into BFS (Bait Finesse System) fishing? You need the right gear. Three reels that always come up are the Shimano Aldebaran, the Daiwa Gekkabijin, and the Doviello Acura. Let’s break down why these reels are favorites among BFS fans.

Shimano Aldebaran BFS

I’ve done a full review on this reel. I was one of the first to get it when it was released in 2022, and it is still one of my favorites. The only drawback is that it can be a little difficult to dial in for inexperienced anglers. But, it’s worth it. I also did a video review of the reel.

The main reason this reel can be hard to dial in at first is the combination of the “Silent Tune” system and the tight but responsive magnetic brakes. Many BFS reels you can get the spool tension close by tightening it until “there’s ono side to side movement of the spool.” This is what you will often read.

But SHimano’s Silent Tune system has rubber washers to remove the side-to-side play at almost all spool tensions! So this doesn’t work. The advanced Shimanos are best adjusted using the old-school “rate of fall” for spool tension. To do this, simply change the spool tension until the lure you are using slowly decends in a controlled manner, and you get minimal over-run when it hits the ground or water.

In fact, I use this for all my reels because I find it to be a better result.

Then there’s the responsiveness of the brakes. One click on a Shimano reel can make a big difference. Each click matters. And the brakes are tight (which prevents accidental movement during fishing), but it just makes it a bit tougher.

The good news is that you get amazing performance because the brakes are so well-engineered. And often, once I dial in light lures, I find I don;t need to adjust much for heavier lures.

There’s a reason so many people suggest the Aldebaran when people ask what the best BFS reel is.

Daiwa Gekkabijin PE Special

Wow! I went to link to my review of this reel and I realized I haven’t written one yet! Stay tuned! But, I did include it in my Top 5 BFS reels overview.

For me, this is the best value in the Daiwa Line-up. It is the most consistent reel I’ve used throwing 1-gram and below. It’s one of the longest casting reels with lures up to around 10 grams. (need to convert grams to ounces? Check my lure weight converter!)

The braking is near flawless. It’s super smooth. Many people mention he Alphas Air TW (AATW) for a great entry point to Daiwa’s lineup, but I have found that reel to be underwhelming, even when compared to budget reels from China that cost less than half what it does.

For everywhere the AATW falls short, the Gekkabijin excels. The one potential drawback for some is that it is optimized for braid (hence “PE Special”). But you should be using braid anyway in my opinion, so this is no big deal.

If you’re anti-Shimano or just like black and red better than blue, check out the Daiwa Gekkabijin.

Doviello Accura HICC-50

No discussion of BFS reels would be complete without mentioning the Doviello Acura (also known as the Soloking Acura or the HICC_50). This budget reel is a solid performer, and can be found consistently in the $40 range from Aliexpress. Sometimes less.

This reel has opened up the door to BFS for thousands of fishermen. Although there is always a newer reel threatening to dethrone this frugal-fisherman’s friend, the Acura still holds the crown.

Is it “just as good” as the two reels above, or frankly any of the offerings from Shimano? No. Is it good enough? Yes. Is it absolutely frickin’ amazing for the price? 100% yes. Check out this video for even more of my top BFS reel picks:

These reels have their perks and can seriously up your BFS game. Whether you go for the budget-friendly Acura, or the ultra-light Queen Gekkabiin, or the sports-car-like performance of the Aldebaran, you’re set to enjoy BFS fishing. Don’t forget to check out my guides on BFS lures and BFS line and leaders to complete your setup.

Conclusion

For those wanting to dive into BFS fishing, picking the right gear and mastering the techniques is key. Check out our section on BFS lures to learn more about the different lures and tackle used in BFS fishing. Also, for tips on choosing the perfect rod for BFS, visit our guide on BFS rod selection.