I now have only 3 rod combo’s to take back seating in lieu of 6, the 3 spinning combo’s are no longer needed!

1. MHF custom JWR rod for jigs and big worms.

2. MF Splash-It rod for utility top water and everything between 1/4-5/8 0z lures.

3. BSF Falcon rod for everything spinning.

3 combo’s life is easy.

Tom

That was my thinking in getting it also.  Then I went and bought a poison adrena 7’2” ML and they are VERY similar in power and action, just with a different reel.  

My e-friend on Texas Kayak Fisherman forum moved to TX from the PNW and went fishless for a year (faithfully reporting his shut-outs on TKF).  

When he followed my lead on BFS for inshore, he began catching fish - this is one fish /nine from his recent TKF report this past weekend:  

Dave posted this really nice photo of redfish back in the mud marsh.  

He also recently discovered bass fishing in neighborhood ponds, using his same inshore combo and lures.  

I do enjoy my BFS combos, but I still prefer my spinning for deeper water casting with teeny tiny lures. I feel that I get a more vertical sink with spinning and in my mind it makes a difference. 

5 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I feel that I get a more vertical sink with spinning

Would this have more to do with the line rather than the type of reel? 

26 minutes ago, MickD said:

Would this have more to do with the line rather than the type of reel? 

 Using straight FC or braid to a FC leader the spinning reel falls more vertical. I can consistently hit rock/brush piles on my 360 Imaging with my spinning reels that I won't hit with the BFS BC, even casting the exact same distance. If I manually hand pulled line it'll work, but I will not.I believe it's just how freely the line comes off a spinning reel. I'am talking 20'+  and light little lures. 

@GreenPig - what you're describing may be the only bonus result of runaway line that people normally complain about casting spinning tackle.  

There's likely a tendency for folks to cast their baitcasters low and tight-line.  

Casting high arcs is pretty typical with shore fishing, wind at your back.  Sailing your bait this way ends up with the excess line you want to drop.  

It's also a test of how well you set your mag brake.  

BFS is about all I've been fishing for the last 5 years.  Where I live, I can use it on everything but musky, sturgeon, and king salmon.  Panfish? Yep.  Bass? Of course.  Stream trout?  Heck yeah.  Steelhead?  You betcha!  I just size my line and leader according to the conditions and off I go.

If put loose line in the water by raising the rod tip a spinning reel doesn’t move the lure. BSF you just cast with more arch to create loose line as the lure lands, same result.

Tom

Just stop using spool tension.  Line will flow right off that spool with the weight of the bait and line sinking. 

15 minutes ago, Bigbox99 said:

Just stop using spool tension.  Line will flow right off that spool with the weight of the bait and line sinking. 

I run my slx bfs with no tension but the aldebaran bfs punishes me if I try. I need just a bit to keep that reel controlled.

One of these days I'd like to put together a nice BFS combo, just maybe not this year.

 

Bass would be fun but for some reason I'm more excited to catch bluegills and crappies on it.

 

Topwater bluegill would be AWESOME!

6 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Topwater bluegill would be AWESOME!

Chartreuse pop-x usually gets the sunfish fired up for me. Cashion Icon 610 medium light bfs SLX bfs, 6lb ultragreen.

Got rid of all my spinning gear back in 2013. Never looked back nor missed them.

On 7/17/2025 at 9:18 AM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

One of these days I'd like to put together a nice BFS combo, just maybe not this year.

Do yourself a favor and skip the so-so SLX/Curado BFS. Wish I had. Pick up the ARK BFS instead which clobbers both (IMO) and competes directly with the Alde BFS (IMO) and may actually be better due to the range of adjustment and definitely regarding touchiness. Hard to believe? Believe it.

Ark Fishing Gravity Limited Edition BFS Casting Reels | Tackle Warehouse

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I already know what I want.

 

To me, it's the most beautiful reel I've ever seen. Not kidding, it's like a piece of art to me.

 

 

I went the opposite direction. Had BFS reels maybe 10 years ago. Sold them and went back to spinning. Debating buying a second spinning rod.

 

It's much easier to acquire nice BFS rods and reels today so I may end up giving it another shot. 

I too have a weakness for anodized round reels.  

25 minutes ago, Bigbox99 said:

I too have a weakness for anodized round reels.  

That's all I use.  I sold off my low profile reels a few years ago.  I can't say I miss them. My only gripe is there aren't enough round reels.  The only games in town are Isuzu and Shimano.  Daiwa as well, but they have yet to release a new Ryoga or Millionaire and show no noteworthy round reels on the Japan or US sites.  Abu is all but finished, and they bowed out as BFS was picking up steam.  The Morrum ZX 1600 Mag had the potential to be a hell of a BFS reel had Abu been competitive with Daiwa and Shimano.

I took my first Ryoga, matched with KTF Kahen spool, into the salt in April.  

It was a joy, and caught every fish on the trip.  

I'm not going to reject any of my LP reels (BFS-mod Zillion), because they fit better on straight blank-through-handle rods.  

though I plan to work this into my mud-marsh niche on a (half-offset) Bright River Rivermaster grip.  

2 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

Just stop using spool tension.  Line will flow right off that spool with the weight of the bait and line sinking. 

 

Not as well as a spinning rod and not as well with light baits.  I can show you that objectively with FFS.  I run zero spool tension on most all of my baitcasters (aldebaran included) and even at zero spool tension there is still drag from the spool that will pendulum the bait back.  A high arc cast is the solution if you're using a BFS rod.

Love BFS as well. 

 

My two rigs are P5 Katsumi 611 with Aldebaran BFS, and P5 PopX with Gekkabijin AIR; both with straight 5 or 6lb flouro. 

On 7/17/2025 at 9:48 AM, PhishLI said:

Do yourself a favor and skip the so-so SLX/Curado BFS. Wish I had. Pick up the ARK BFS instead which clobbers both (IMO) and competes directly with the Alde BFS (IMO) and may actually be better due to the range of adjustment and definitely regarding touchiness. Hard to believe? Believe it.

Ark Fishing Gravity Limited Edition BFS Casting Reels | Tackle Warehouse

 

This the reel I choose w/5 lb UG, works good!
Tom

2 hours ago, sierra11b said:

 P5 PopX 

 

This rod confuses me.

 

It says UL but can throw up to 1 oz?

I like my BFS setups for small river fishing but disappointed when trying to use lake fishing. The issue is line capacity, just not enough to fish twenty five- thirty foot deep lakes with the Curado SLX reels. One cast of a 1/4oz spinner and it’s almost spooled!
I assume a smaller line like a ygk x8 #1 would be a improvement, but not really familiar with the Japanese  line design designations and conversions.

@bulldog1935 do you have line recommendations?
I did switched to a 100 sized reel on my BFS Phenix rod and found it very compatible with smaller lures. 
However, I did buy a new Vanford 2000 and 3000 reels for improved spinning outfits.