First and foremost, I need a different BFS rod for Ned Rigs. A secondary technique is for twitch baits like a Karashi or small poppers. I currently have 3 different Cashion ICON BFS rods which are great, but they are a bit too soft for twitch baits.

Ned to Karashi spans quite a gap in terms of techniques for one rod, but I want to try to find something that can do both if possible. Thinking maybe Fast action, but more likely Extra Fast. High sensitivity for feeling the Ned/bottom and a tip that isn't too "noodley" for twitch/jerking... yet not so stiff that you can't launch an 1/8 oz lure.

Best would be 6'8"-6'10" in length. I'm looking in the $200-400 range primarily. Tall order... but open to suggestions ~ TIA

Check out the Kistler Hunt Series.

I haven’t felt the shorter one, but the Cara BFS 7’2” will do it. I was throwing (not launching) 1/16oz total bait two weekends ago and it will launch a 1/8 total. I have fished the 1/8 oz Zara pooch on it before and it’s fine there too. My suspicion is that the shorter one is the same blank with 3” cut off the butt but I can’t prove that.

20 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

I haven’t felt the shorter one, but the Cara BFS 7’2” will do it. I was throwing (not launching) 1/16oz total bait two weekends ago and it will launch a 1/8 total. I have fished the 1/8 oz Zara pooch on it before and it’s fine there too. My suspicion is that the shorter one is the same blank with 3” cut off the butt but I can’t prove that.

Good suggestion, how would you describe the "fast" action of the rod? The Cashion is also fast, but much closer to a moderate. Awesome for BFS crankbaits, but just doesn't "twitch" as well. I'm looking for a true fast action, maybe even more towards the extra fast side.

I put the 7’2” BFS in line with the 7’2” swim jig rod which is a true fast. Light tip that transitions into the ‘power’ of the blank pretty quickly. In the case of the BFS, the power is pretty light. On the SJ it gets a lot more power. But I rate the action similarly. Tomorrow I can pull the BFS out and put it under some strain for a picture.

38 minutes ago, FishTank said:

Check out the Kistler Hunt Series.

Interesting line up.. but I see the action is moderate-fast. That's pretty close to what I have now and just a bit soft for what I need.

6 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

I put the 7’2” BFS in line with the 7’2” swim jig rod which is a true fast. Light tip that transitions into the ‘power’ of the blank pretty quickly. In the case of the BFS, the power is pretty light. On the SJ it gets a lot more power. But I rate the action similarly. Tomorrow I can pull the BFS out and put it under some strain for a picture.

I've seen the rod on 2 different sites... TW says "fast" action but this one says moderate-fast.

Anyone have the Steez BFS rod - 6’8” extra fast? I like the slightly shorter handle for twitching. Daiwa seems to have their handle lengths figured out, while so many of the Shimano rods have the long cumbersome handles for finesse and jerk baiting techniques.

4 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Interesting line up.. but I see the action is moderate-fast. That's pretty close to what I have now and just a bit soft for what I need.

I know it says moderate fast but I think its more of fast to moderate action. Meaning it has a fast tip but a moderate middle. Oddly I tried a 7' Light Cashion BFS rod and thought it was too stiff to cast hard BFS baits. The Hunt I have is the exact opposite of that rod in terms of action. I throw this guy on it 90% of the time on it. I even caught my personal best smallmouth with it, around 6lbs.

Bassday Mononofu 50s.

When it comes to the Karashi, I think I get the best distance on spinning gear (P5 Whippet) and it works the bait better but I catch more fish on BFS. I still have yet to figure this one out.

@FryDog62 - pics of the 7’2” Cara BFS for reference. I pinned them at the butt/seat and just hung a couple swimbaits that were handy. Around 2-3 oz or so. You can see that the bottom 2/3 of the rod doesn’t flex a whole lot with that amount of weight. Of course it doubles over with a 3lb smallmouth. Without measuring angles, I’d call it straight fast. Since the overall power of the rod is lighter it starts to load the rod and not the tip but from a casting perspective with the intended weights it casts like a fast action rod (aka, keep your timing in check).

37 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

@FryDog62 - pics of the 7’2” Cara BFS for reference. I pinned them at the butt/seat and just hung a couple swimbaits that were handy. Around 2-3 oz or so. You can see that the bottom 2/3 of the rod doesn’t flex a whole lot with that amount of weight. Of course it doubles over with a 3lb smallmouth. Without measuring angles, I’d call it straight fast. Since the overall power of the rod is lighter it starts to load the rod and not the tip but from a casting perspective with the intended weights it casts like a fast action rod (aka, keep your timing in check).

This is reminiscent of my fishing line stretch tests from the top of the vaulted ceiling in my old house. Long winters and cabin fever can manifest themselves in many creative ways!

I got the Tatula 6'10 vertical and really like it. Its like a light+, but the tip is crisp for twitching baits up to 1/4oz. I haven't tried anything heavier.

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I got the Tatula 6'10 vertical and really like it. Its like a light+, but the tip is crisp for twitching baits up to 1/4oz. I haven't tried anything heavier.

I saw that rod and was curious about the “vertical” aspect. Figured it would be great from Neds, small jigs, etc but wasn’t sure about the twitching part. Good to know 👍

On 3/21/2026 at 5:27 PM, FryDog62 said:

I saw that rod and was curious about the “vertical” aspect. Figured it would be great from Neds, small jigs, etc but wasn’t sure about the twitching part. Good to know 👍

I was intriuiged by it as well. My preference for the previous line of Tatula Bass is what caused me to take a look, but it was curiosity that was the deciding factor in choosing a Tatula BFS over Major Craft or Phenix. If you want I can send you a picture or video of it loading up, LMK.

What about the new G. Loomis imx pro BFS rod? its 7 foot light power fast action. Looks sweeet!

10 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I was intriuiged by it as well. My preference for the previous line of Tatula Bass is what caused me to take a look, but it was curiosity that was the deciding factor in choosing a Tatula BFS over Major Craft or Phenix. If you want I can send you a picture or video of it loading up, LMK.

Hope to actually see one/bend it this weekend👍

11 hours ago, Hulkster said:

What about the new G. Loomis imx pro BFS rod? its 7 foot light power fast action. Looks sweeet!

Yes, that rod looks intriguing, have you used it at all?

My only concern is how long the handle is, it's not listed on TW unfortunately. The IMX lineup tends to have longer handles like many Shimano casting rods. I wouldn't want to have too long a handle when trying to twitch/jerk something finessy like a Karashi.

Major craft bfs rods are made specifically for bass with true fast actions. I have the days 65 ul x fast and it is a true fast action but with an ul power. Looking back now I probably would have got a light power, but found this one for a good price. It is plenty powerful and may even compare to some light power rods from other manufactures. It handled a 5.8 pound bass, and brought him in too. I do fish it with braid so it has less stretch than if I was going straight flouro or mono.

I've had the Phenix Classic BFS in 7'4" for close to two years. It's described as an extra fast action. I have caught hundreds of bass up to 4.5 lbs on it, and more using the Karashi than any other bait. I currently have an Aldebaran BFS on it and it's my go-to BFS combo for several different presentations. They offer it in 7'1" and 6'8".

The Dobyns SUF (I have the 7'0" and the 6'9") rods perform similarly, but I feel like the finish on the Phenix is a bit nicer.

Two others to check out..

Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse 701C. I have the 700C. It has a very fast tip but a soft middle. Sensitivity is not that great though.

Jackall Revoltage II 6'9 Light. This is a slightly stiffer rod but has a sensitive tip. Its great for BFS softplastic and jigs. I have tried hard baits on it and it works but not as well as other rods.

Bonus rod.... Megabass P5 Kasumi Six Eleven. I have two. Best hard bait rod for BFS I have used yet. Great sensitivity but it has a more moderate taper. Works for the Karashi but not the best distance with this rod. It brings in the fish. Caught these two Saturday. Around 4lb Largemouth and 10lb+ Catfish on 6lb Sunline Invisible. The catfish's stomach was the size of a

two softball.

1 hour ago, Big Hands said:

I've had the Phenix Classic BFS in 7'4" for close to two years. It's described as an extra fast action. I have caught hundreds of bass up to 4.5 lbs on it, and more using the Karashi than any other bait. I currently have an Aldebaran BFS on it and it's my go-to BFS combo for several different presentations. They offer it in 7'1" and 6'8".

The Dobyns SUF (I have the 7'0" and the 6'9") rods perform similarly, but I feel like the finish on the Phenix is a bit nicer.

Yes I've had both the Dobyns and Phenix Classic BFS and prefer the Phenix hands down..

1 hour ago, FishTank said:

Two others to check out..

Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse 701C. I have the 700C. It has a very fast tip but a soft middle. Sensitivity is not that great though.

Jackall Revoltage II 6'9 Light. This is a slightly stiffer rod but has a sensitive tip. Its great for BFS softplastic and jigs. I have tried hard baits on it and it works but not as well as other rods.

Bonus rod.... Megabass P5 Kasumi Six Eleven. I have two. Best hard bait rod for BFS I have used yet. Great sensitivity but it has a more moderate taper. Works for the Karashi but not the best distance with this rod. It brings in the fish. Caught these two Saturday. Around 4lb Largemouth and 10lb+ Catfish on 6lb Sunline Invisible. The catfish's stomach was the size of a

two softball.

I'd like to get my hands on a Kasumi 6-11 and the Evoluzion North Wall for a comparison, but it might be hard to come back down to earth after that..

14 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Yes I've had both the Dobyns and Phenix Classic BFS and prefer the Phenix hands down..

I'd like to get my hands on a Kasumi 6-11 and the Evoluzion North Wall for a comparison, but it might be hard to come back down to earth after that..

The North Wall looks awesome. I've been tempted but the US price is pretty steep and ordering JDM is questionable. The P5 Kasumi Six Eleven has been my work horse BFS rod. I purchased mine from the Hook Up Tackle when they had gift cards 20% off.

One thing I've noticed, at least for me, when it comes to BFS rods, price and quality are one thing but the action I like may not equate to a high end rod, like the Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse for instance.

2 minutes ago, FishTank said:

The North Wall looks awesome. I've been tempted but the US price is pretty steep and ordering JDM is questionable. The P5 Kasumi Six Eleven has been my work horse BFS rod. I purchased mine from the Hook Up Tackle when they had gift cards 20% off.

One thing I've noticed, at least for me, when comes to BFS rods, price and quality are one thing but the action I like may not equate to a high end rod, like the Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse for instance.

A funny thing - I have 2 rods that I use primarily for spinnerbaits. A $650 NRX 843c MBR and a $50 Daiwa Aird 7 MF. I absolutely love the action of that cheap Aird for spinnerbaits and it probably gets used more for those than the Loomis!

I'm using an Orochi X10 Kirasame for that..

MEGABASS OROCHI X10 F2.1/2st-67XT

MEGABASS OROCHI X10 F2.1/2st-67XT "KIRISAME bait finesse" is a special model that implements a long distance approach with bait finesse. Equipped with Megabass' unique solid tip with a spe

5 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

A funny thing - I have 2 rods that I use primarily for spinnerbaits. A $650 NRX 843c MBR and a $50 Daiwa Aird 7 MF. I absolutely love the action of that cheap Aird for spinnerbaits and it probably gets used more than the Loomis!

Since it is so well liked, I have restrained from saying anything negative about the 843C NRX+ but it is my least favorite of the NRX rods I have. The balance seems off, the handle seems too long and it doesn't load well when casting. It is definitely sensitive and brings in the fish but it has never just wowed me like the other NRX+ rods.

20 minutes ago, Robinhood21 said:

I'm using an Orochi X10 Kirasame for that..

MEGABASS OROCHI X10 F2.1/2st-67XT

MEGABASS OROCHI X10 F2.1/2st-67XT "KIRISAME bait finesse" is a special model that implements a long distance approach with bait finesse. Equipped with Megabass' unique solid tip with a spe

Curious how the action is - can you cast and twitch a Karashi, and pull double duty as a bottom contact Ned rod too?