redmeansdistortion

The scorpion BFS has a more ported spool and weighs a little less over all. The spool on the Curado BFS looks to be the same as the SLX BFS.

It looks to me that it may be the same platform as the 70 MGL, but with the finesse spool and braking system. I'm curious, but not curious enough to buy one as I have a few BFS reels already and my wife would probably shoot me lol

The price isn't too shabby either, about in line with other Curado models. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Curado_BFS_Casting_Reel/descpage-CRBF.html

I fish trout 90% of the time, and BFS for me makes it more enjoyable since I prefer a casting reel over a spinning reel. With my 4'10" UL, I can cast accurately when neck deep in the spinach on the tiny creeks I usually fish. It's always a hoot getting the fluoride stare from the fly fishermen I occasionally stumble across while on the streams. I've had a few of them say something along the lines of "you aren't going to find any bass around here". I'm here for trout brother, just like you. What I have tied up in BFS gear is just a drop in the bucket compared to what a die hard fly fisherman will spend on a nice rod and reel. I know a couple of those guys, and it isn't unheard of for them to drop over $1000 on a nicer fly rod, then there are the reels.

The Abu 6500CT still holds the world record for casting distance IIRC at 305yd. This was set back in 2004.

I catch them often when trout fishing. They like to hit on 1/16 Countdowns as well as 1/16 and 1/8 spinners.

Whew, I think I pooped myself just at the thought of doing such a thing lol

Maxima Ultragreen. I've been using it for a couple of decades now. I've tried others but keep going back, old faithful never lets me down.

Same here, Albright gets it done and it's super simple and quick to tie.

My mad science lab. Just finished up the Abus, now a dozen and a half Penns to go through, a mix of 330s and 320s for one of my charter service customers. Great Lakes salmon season is a comin'!

I'm a big fan of the Reelspeed spool pin pliers, they work very well. I don't think they are made any longer. Mine were purchased a few years back but I can't find them for sale anywhere now. https://reelspeedsouth.com/reelspeed-spool-pin-removal-pliers/

I've experienced this on both my Thai and Japanese made Daiwas, dry as a bone. I usually do a quick service with them; clean the gears, spool bearings, and drag stack then hit the bearings with TSI321, drag with Cal's, and the gears with Super Lube. Smooths them right out.

Excellent reel. You can save a good deal of money buying the JDM variant. A friend did that and saved about $100.

Most of my rods (CDM and JDM) came with covers so I use them. I also use cases for my reels. My system isn't good for those who like to keep multiple rods on hand, but for me that usually has one or two setups at a time, it works out well.

I run KO2s on my Subie Forester, it'll seemingly go anywhere any season of the year.

Mile roads, Anchor Bay, and Muskamoot Bay are my favorite areas. Muskamoot is on fire early season. I've had days on the Moot where it was one after another, literally. All the fish seem to clear out once the party boaters take to the water around the beginning of June.

The Tatula SV is already well capable of casting around 1/8 oz. If you see yourself casting lighter than that, then the Ray's spool should do you well. Keep in mind, this is with the total weight of your rig in mind. I feel the Tatula SV is plenty good as it is and no 3rd party spool is necessary. One thing about the Ray's spools, they tend to use a stronger spring for the inductor, so the braking profile will be different from the factory spool.

I was gonna say, the fishing there is so good just about any spot could be called a secret spot. Trophy brookies abound, and they aren't the least bit shy like the fish that haunt American rivers. Me and a couple of friends go once per year with the exception of last year. 2021 probably won't happen either. The best time to go is mid to late May before the bugs get really bad.

You guys are lucky, I wish our trout season opened in early April. Ours doesn't begin until the last Saturday in April.

Lifelong Great Lakes fisherman here, been fishing Erie, Huron, Michigan, and St Clair for 35 years. In my experience, you aren't going to need a leader. Just tie direct, the bass aren't picky. I've even caught plenty of steelhead from the piers using straight braid, and those fish are known to be line shy.

It's light (6oz), palms nice, and is very smooth. Additionally, I fish mostly small baits in general so the reel was a natural fit for me.

Sensitivity in a trout rod is somewhat important as this mostly depends on what you're fishing. If you're drifting bait, sensitivity is more important because trout don't savagely hit a morsel drifting in the current, they tend to sip it up. Now if you're throwing hardware such as spoons, spinners, or cranks, those produce reaction strikes, often times putting a nice bend in the rod. Next thing to consider, what kind of water are you fishing? If you're fishing stocked trout in a pond or lake, a longer rod will be best since it will provide the best casting distance. For fishing small creeks, you want something short, preferably under 6'. Creeks often have overgrown banks and lots of overhanging trees. The shorter rods are easier to handle in that environment. For the bigger main streams, something 6' to 8' will be best in general. If you're floating or drifting bait, go with the longer rod as it's much easier to mend your line on a drift. With hardware, the lower end of the spectrum is best since this will provide better accuracy and work those baits better. Lastly, rod power. Here you want to consider the size of the fish you're targeting. Brook trout are almost always fished on UL. Most seldom make it past a foot long and anything more will be a little much for them. Now if you're going for bigger browns and rainbows, step it up to a L and you're good to do. A 20" brown runs like a torpedo, and a UL, while fun to use, may be stressful on the fish, especially if the water temps are warm. If you're fishing trout in warm water, playing them out can stress them to the point of death so a rod that will help you land them faster will be easier on the fish. If you're catching to keep, this shouldn't be that important. I'll list the trout rods I own to give you an idea and what I use them for. I fish trout more than anything else and have specific rods I choose according to the baits I'm using and the water I'm fishing. Many don't realize it, but there is no one size fits all rig for trout, just like there is no one size fits all for bass. Here are my trout rigs. 4'10" UL - headwater/creek rod, spoons and spinners 5' L - creek rod, jigs and cranks 6' UL - main streams, spoons and spinners 6'6" L - main streams, jigs and cranks 7'6" L - drift rod, live and artificial baits

The Alphas CT is my favorite reel. If you fish a lot of small baits, say 1/8 to 3/8, it's the reel for you. Most of what I fish with mine is limited to smaller cranks, micro swimbaits, and small spoons and spinners. It matches up well with a L or ML powered rod. $250 isn't too bad of a price, but if you are patient they regularly dip below $200 on Asian Portal Fishing and Amazon Japan.

I have a number of setups but usually take two with me at the most. If I had a boat, canoe, or kayak I'd definitely take more, but being a wader and bank buster, more than two is a bit much to carry. Especially because I move around a lot.

They're d**n reliable. I have both a 700 for trout and panfish and a 1300 for steelhead. The 1300 is 25 years old, bought it brand new. They aren't smooth reels, but they are probably the most durable. Definitely the smoothest drag I've used in a spinner, even compared to more contemporary models costing more.