Robin

Another vote for Digitaka. I have also had really good success with Japan Tackle and JDM Tackle Heaven. It is amazing how fast the items show up at your doorstep! I have never had a single problem with any of these.

Line type also plays into the equation. I see a lot of recommendations for 10lb fluoro as the best line to use. Using this line would make you trend more toward a fast action rod. I personally prefer 20lb braid when fishing jerkbaits so a moderate fast rod works fine. I have tried fluoro off and on and braid just seems to give me more control/action on any given lure. I have also used braid with fast action rods-just loosen up the drag a bit. It works fine.

I have converted several of the Shimano Aldebaran/Curado/ Scorpion 50 size reels to BFS using the Avail spools and have been very pleased with the results. These spools have a 4 pin braking system instead of the 6 pin found on the stock spools. You do have to use your own brake blocks, but I have accumulated more spares than I can keep up with. I normally run the Avail spools with 1 brake on and 3 off. Modern BFS reels can certainly cast lighter lures (1 gram), but once you start getting into the 3-4 gram plus range I find that the modified older Shimanos actually cast a bit further than the modern BFS reels. I have also added some Roro BFS spool bearings to one of my reels and saw an improvement on the light stuff. These bearings normally run around $20 per pair.

Depends on what you are throwing. I use 20lb power pro on bait casters with a leader quite a bit for 3/8 to 1/2 oz jerkbaits. Never really have problems with line dig as long as you keep your casting stroke smooth. I will go down to 8lb on my BFS reels with no problems; but I am generally around 1/8 oz. I find I get noticeable extra distance the lighter I go. Throwing 1/2 oz jigs with trailers generally requires at least 30lb for me or the line dig issue starts to pop up.

I have several of the 1000XTs which were the JDM equivalent to the Curado 50E. All of them are still in service along with my 50Es. Several have Avail shallow spools and I use them for BFS. All in all these are very versatile reels that I will never part with. I have not had a single problem with any of them.

Never had much luck on Rapala jerkbaits. The Megabass 110 works good for me, but my real fish catchers are the Megabass Nahahan and the OSP Durga. These two are usually thrown on my BFS set-ups and they really do produce. The Durga is somewhat "off the radar", but it is an excellent bait. Unfortunately, both of these are somewhat expensive, but bottom line is they definitely catch fish.

I agree that it is about time for G Loomis to get in the game. BFS appears here to stay and it is a growing segment. Many of the other US rod companies have already released some very good products (Dobyns, Phenix, Cashion, Kistler, to name a few).

Digitaka is occasionally out of stock on some of their reels, but keep checking back and they most likely will show up again soon. I have purchased a number of Daiwa and Shimano BFS reels from them this year and have occasionally run into this problem. The current models do get restocked frequently so keep checking. I also enjoy the "free" stuff they throw in from time to time. You order a BFS reel and you may get a few BFS hard baits as a customer appreciation gesture. I usually order several lures to go with the reels to take advantage of the free shipping. Also enjoy not having to pay Texas sales tax (8.25%). Texas has caught up with Tackle Warehouse along with Ebay so they are forced to charge Texas sales tax now.

Ordered many times from Digitaka. Prices cannot be beat and the shipment always arrives lightning fast. Not sure how they do it, but the speed is amazing. Everything I have ordered and received has been top notch as advertised. Highly recommended!

Curado 200 and 50 Es for me (along with their JDM Scorpion counterparts). These reels have served me well for decades. You can still see new Es fetch over $300 on ebay when they are offered. They are truly a "set and forget" reel that perform consistently and reliably. The only maintenance I have encountered is the occasional bearing lubrication and cleaning. i still have around 10 of these in routine service with no parts failures. Most of the 50 size reels have been converted to BFS with Avail spools and they perform flawlessly. Routinely throw down to 2 grams.

I thought I would chime in on Waterloo Rods. Although designed for the coast, they make excellent BFS/power BFS rods. They are very light, sensitive and strong and many of the models can easily cast down to 1/8 oz. I am currently using one of their Slam Mags as my 110 jerkbait rod. Best jerkbait rod I have ever used. Just trying to make a point on their versatility. Their lighter action rods really shine for any type of bottom contact fishing including finesse jigs.

Try Japan Tackle. I have purchased several Avail spools from them for use on my 50 series Curados plus a few Scorpion 1000XTs. They work great for lures down to 2 grams. These spools have really transformed the reels into full BFS. I still love the old style centrifugal brake systems and they work fine for BFS. These spools are basically "drop-in" items and no modifications are required. You do have to add brake pins to the spools, but I had a ton of spares just laying around. Giving new life to old reels that are still in great shape just adds to the excitement. The Avail spools only have four pins instead of the six on the factory Shimano spools. I start with one on and three off. Hope this helps.

1/10 oz ned rigs, JDM trout minnows (3-5 grams) and small jerkbaits (Megabass Nanahans and Duo Rozante 63SP around 1/4oz). I will go lower, but these seem to produce the best for my fishing. I mainly fish Central Texas (Hill Country) rivers and these sizes are perfect for the native Guadalupe bass. They also work well for stocked rainbow in the winter. I will also break out a small Zoom Fluke Jr. (4") quite often and these can be "killer" on largemouth, smallmouth and Guadalupe bass.

Probably closer to 100! I rarely sell anything and still have old Castaway rods dating back to the 90s. I also fish many different techniques-bass, bfs, trout finesse, salt/bay and fly. I try not to keep them all in one place in case my wife starts counting! They do all get used on an annual basis though. Favorites are probably the Sarge, Laguna and Waterloo bay rods. The Shimano Expride BFS rods along with the Winston fly rods are also right up there.

Your response is much appreciated. That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. Looks like I will be adding a new rod to my BFS collection.

Saw this on a few other fishing forums/websites as well. The reel looks promising, but the price point seems way out of line considering it is Lew's initial BFS reel. This puts their reel in direct competition with several high end Shimano and /Daiwa reels which have quite a following. I own several Lew's baitcasters and they have all performed very well, but Lews has very little experience or recognition in the BFS market. They probably should have targeted the $150-$200 range as a starting point. I may eventually end up buying one; but not at full retail price.

Has anyone picked up one of these yet? The 6'8 model has definitely caught my attention and the price is reasonable too. Hoping it is not as heavy as their Recon Elite 6'8 Light. I purchased one last year and although the rod's performance is great, it tips the scales at about 4.3 ounces which was a big surprise to me. I have a number of 7 foot+ heavy jig rods that way less and are better balanced.

I generally go with 10lb CXX. It is plenty strong and ties a very good knot. I have never had a fish break me off, including a 40lb black drum on the Texas coast and numerous oversize reds. Anything over the 10lbs in my experience has way too much memory.

Wish I could find some old affordable Abu 2500s. The prices on these in good condition are nuts. I was fortunate to have a supply of Curado 50es, Aledebaran 50s, and Scorpion XT1000s that I accumulated years ago. Converting them to BFS basically only required an Avail spool. The old school centrifugal only brakes work just fine for BFS. Just use the right rods and line and you are golden.

Amen on the right rod. I have a few of the old Alphas that were pre-BFS and they work fine assuming I am using a BFS rod rated down to 1/6 of 1/8 oz. I also use several Curado 50s modified with Avail shallow spools and they perform as well or better than my Aldebaran and Curado BFS specific reels. Bottom line, centrifugal brakes still work as long as you are mindful of your cast and you are using the right rod action. Most of my lures average around1/8 oz and I have no problem with getting good distance with my casts.

I still have 4 old the old Curado 200 Es plus 3 of the JDM equivalent Scorpions. They are all in great shape and get used regularly. Primarily for jigs and Texas rigs. After all of these years and new reels these are still my favorites and they perform as good as they did when they were new. I also have several of the 50 Es/Scorpions that have been "repurposed" to BFS with Avail spools. They hold their own with the modern BFS reels to say the least. There is something special about the simplicity and efficiency of the old Shimano centrifugal 6-pin system that is hard to describe but it just flat out works.

I have been using some coastal rods made by Waterloo and Laguna for my BFS applications. Both of these companies make some phenomenal rods and their medium-light rods are often rated down to 1/16 oz. This may sound a bit strange, but they can easily handle these light lures as well or better than most BFS specific rods I have. As an added benefit, they are the lightest rods I own and extremely sensitive. They generally run around $350-$400 but are worth every penny. Both companies stand behind their products. They have a lot of "back-bone" and can also take on an over-size redfish.

I generally fish rivers in Central Texas out of a kayak and usually take 5 or 6 rods. No problem storing them behind the seat upright in a milk crate with rod tubes. This may sound like overkill, but I use different rods for different lures/baits and presentations and they all get used every trip I make. I had a full fledged bass boat years ago when I fished lakes and got used to having quick access to different options as they presented themselves.

Reply from Austin Texas. The aisle/space has been totally vacant for about two weeks and the employees I spoke with are clueless as to what may happen next. I doubt that any of them really care anymore. Academy is no longer the same store they used to be. I have been a loyal customer for 40+ years, but things started going downhill quickly after they were acquired years ago. I suspect they are being run by a VC group motivated only by the "bottom line". I have seen this happen to a number of retailers and restaurants in Texas. I thankfully stocked up on H20 lures several years ago. Hopefully I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling this go around. I have never seen the local stores remove the product completely.

Kistler Helium 7 foot Medium action. These are extremely sensitive and I use them for light Texas rigs and zoom flukes. Kistler's prices have gone up considerably in the last year or so, but you can often catch a "sale" on their website. These rods are extremely light and balance well with most reels.