I’ve been thinking about writing this article for a while as a means of conveying some of the lessons I have learned the hard way and hopefully to save you having to do the same.
The Kuying Teton TTC 662l paired with the Tsurinoya Dark Wolf bending into a nice Chub!
I myself have only been BFS fishing since 2019. I guess like a lot of you I wanted to dip my toes into the sport without spending too much money. I wanted to see if it was for me and whether it was possible to effectively fish with Budget BFS gear. I hoped to be able to easily tame these small baitcasting reels. I did my research, joined the existing Facebook groups and gave it a go. My first outing was a disaster and I almost felt like quitting there and then. To be honest I felt a bit daft asking questions about budget gear in the groups I had joined. They were very welcoming, but there appeared to be a need for a group based around budget tackle. Determined to succeed I set up my own group “BFS Budget Finesse Fishing”, I have since changed this to "BFS Finesse Fishing" and the group has gone from strength to strength, luckily there were others who felt the same. As I have my own YouTube channel I decided I would film my journey; highs and lows. To be honest I thought it would be easy! Well it is easily achievable but you need to consider certain things before you start.
Which reels work?
Which rod?
Your casting style?
Do you use Braid, Fluorocarbon or Mono.
Be realistic about the distances you are able to cast light lures.
The Tsurinoya Spirit Fox a very dependable real and excellent for a beginner
REELS:
There are some very good budget reels on the market, however there are those that are not at all user friendly, especially for beginners. I found this to be the case with the Lurestar C9 Air. Maybe a more experienced angler can tame them, but the last thing we as beginners want is to invest in gear that strips us of confidence and has us leaving the minute we've started. I was given a Tsurinoya SF50 and invested in a Fishband GH100 pro. Suddenly I was enjoying fishing. Check my Budget BFS Battle video out here: https://youtu.be/H-eRUtcctsg This taught me some valuable lessons.
First and foremost your reels must have a good magnetic braking system that can easily cast a range of lures between 2-10 grams. If you're looking to throw lures sub 2 grams or regularly close to 2grams and hope to achieve good control and distances then maybe they are not for you. I’m not saying they won't do it, but you tend to lose accuracy and will need to modify them to have any chance of doing so. With the release of the Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra this has become achievable. With good casting technique, straight out of the box it will cast 2gr lures accurately and possibly even lower, due to its excellent mix of light spool (6.1gr), stock bearings and brakes. Be realistic and ask yourself what lures you will be throwing. I am based in the UK and mainly throw anything from 3gr Crankbaits to 5gr Ned heads; add in the weight of the soft plastic lure and this becomes 8grams. I rarely throw sub 3gr lures. If you do not need to throw lures below these weights, then any of the reels i mention will perform impeccably.
Secondly they need a light shallow spool that doesn’t have a large gap between it and the frame of the reel. The tolerance between the frame and the spool is critical and ideally we do not want our line to be able to get in between the two. They will not be as good as a Shimano Aldebaran or Daiwa Alphas Air, but if your braking system is good enough this will be less of a problem with some than others. We need a light shallow spool so as to generate enough inertia to cast light lures. This is why there is an obsession with light ported (with holes in) spools.
Thirdly they need good bearings so the spool will run smoothly. You don’t want to be switching out bearings straight away before you have decided whether BFS is for you or not.
Lastly they need to be in our price range. I would class a sub £100 pound reel as a budget reel but you do not need to spend this much.
The reels I recommend for a beginner are as follows:
Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra KF-50S
Tsurinoya Spirit Fox SF50
Fishband GH100
Fishband PW100 Pro
Fishband Hyper Micro Clamber
Soloking Acura Hicc - 50
Tsurinoya Hurricane
Haibo Arise Air - shop around and its just under £100
CastFanatic B1
Sheng He Xiao Ju
KastKing Valiant Eagle 2
Kingdom Micro Monster
Pure Lure Silver Feather
There are now several larger BFS reels (100 size reels) and some even come with a shallow and deep spool. These can be excellent if you wish to throw lures down to about 2.5 grams or so but would also like to throw heavier lures. Several of these also have twice the amount of drag; this can be handy when targeting larger fish on BFS gear. As their spools are larger you could add more line so as to enable you to fish for species that may go on long runs at a greater distance; I'm thinking Sokeye and Red Drum. This is basically what we call "Power BFS". We are still using light lines and light lures. Another advantage being that if you decide BFS is not for you it is possible to fit the deep spool turning it into a standard baitcaster and not waisting your money.
Larger BFS reels.
Soloking BMC100 - shallow spool
Seasir Commando - twin spool
Misurelure 500 - shallow spool
Tsurinoya DF50 - shallow spool
N/B If you can afford an expensive reel and are confident BFS is your thing then invest in a top end Shimano or Daiwa, they will not let you down.
The Tsurinoya Dark Wolf, a nice looking and reliable reel for a beginner.
There are others but I can only recommend reels I have used and think will be easier for a beginner to control/enjoy fishing with. New reels and updated versions of the above are coming to market every day. Check out Needhams Specialist tackle here in the UK or Bait Finesse Empire in the USA. Of course there is always AliExpress or more recently Temu.
KastKing Zephyr on the left a good reel but the Fishband PW100 pro on the right might be better suited to a beginner.
The latest offering from Tsurinoya appears to have upped the anti somewhat for a sub £100 BFS reel. Able to cast lures down to 1.5gr when using light enough lines and a smooth casting technique, but also able to easily control heavy lures up to 10gr.
If you can afford more then the Haibo Arise Air is some reel. Its equivalent is marketed in the USA as the Ark Gravity BFS reel. I think but cannot confirm the Ark has no drag clicker? I have recently managed to cast a 1gr roughly 44ft when combed with my new Mavllos Plume C602UL. Both were purchased from AliExpress. Checkout the video bellow.
Haibo Arise Air and Mavllos Plume C602UL cast 1gr with ease.
RODS:
There are some fantastic rods out there to suit our pockets. In fact some are so good that experts still use them. For instance the original Kuying Teton range. You can spend a fortune but there really is no need.
The Kingdom Silver Needle Rod paired with the Fishband PW100 a great little combo.
First of all we need a rod with a soft enough tip to load the lure we are using and then release it smoothly so as not to produce a stuttering cast. It needs to have a reasonably fast action so as to throw our lures. The tip needs to have a good recovery time so as to not interfere with the trajectory of our lure. We do not want a rod that is a bit of a "noodle"; by that i mean something that waggles from top to bottom at the slightest movement on our part. The tip of the rod also needs to be sensitive enough to detect the size of the fish you are targeting. If you wish to throw lures of 1gram and below you will need a rod with a tip diameter of less than 1mm. This will allow you to load that lure much easier and thus propel it further. I won’t go into tubular and solid tips now but suffice to say they normally come with a suitable tip. Actions can vary depending on the fish you are targeting. We need a rod with a fast enough action to effectively cast the lure, not pull the hook and easily land the fish we are targeting. A trout rod will usually have a lower lure rating and be soft enough to absorb the violent lunges and head shaking of a Trout. We also need a rod length to suit our needs. If I am wading in a small stream I will need a shorter rod say 5.5ft, but if fishing open water and more distance is required a longer 6.5ft rod is better. If i mostly throw light trout lures, a rod with a lower lure rating is better, say 1-5gr. If I am throwing lures from 2-10gr then a rod with somewhere near this rating will be able to cast these lures without the tip folding over. I am not an expert on BFS rods but will recommend rods that I use or have been recommended by those I trust.
Kuying Teton TTC 662L - great all round rod.
Kingdom Silver Needle KFCS-562UL - great rod for more restricted swims.
Tsurinoya ELF Trout C622UL - ultra light Perch and Trout lures.
Tsurinoya Proflex II or Proflex III UL - great all round rod.
Tsurinoya Dexterity 1 or 2 632UL - great all round rod.
Tsurinoya Trout Master UL - dedicated to casting ultralight lures for trout.
Kuying Freestyle Walker travel Rod - Fantastic Universal 4 piece rod
Mavllos Plume C602UL - Tip diameter 0.75mm allows you to fish the lightest lures
AIOUSHI 1.45m 4-section trout rod - entry level glass rod for trout
See the Kuying Teton in use here: https://youtu.be/jvmj5oS1gYs
And the Kingdom Silver Needle being tested here: https://youtu.be/SfIPGnaXg-k
Most of these rods can be sourced from Needhams Specialist Tackle here in the UK https://www.needhamsst.com/ , Ebay or AliExpress or Bait Finesse Empire in the USA https://baitfinesseempire.com/
The amazing Kuying Freestyle Walker 1-7gr rod, paired with the Acura Hicc - 50 used to catch a 3lb Thin Lipped Mullet on a Mepps No3 spinner baited with Berkley Gulp Sandworm XL.
CASTING STYLE:
Now whichever style of cast you end up performing it needs to be smooth. I can't stress enough how important this is. Whatever you do, do not try to hit the horizon the first time out. I suggest you try a side cast and experiment with your drop. Find what's comfortable for you and the lure you are using. Here I am talking about casting distances over open water. Once you have mastered side casting with various weights of lure you can then try flipping, pitching or skipping your lures (something I am currently learning).
This a simple system that i use first time out with any new rod and reel, it will get you fishing and hopefully catching whilst developing your technique. This is for casting distances, when you get more experienced you can set the reel to have little or no side play and progress to flipping and pitching etc where you need the spool to spin more freely, but for now let's get you some confidence.
Set your magnets to zero (i recommend a magnetic braking system).
Next set your end tension so as your lure drops steadily to the ground without your line frapping up as it hits the deck.
Next turn your brakes up to maximum.
You need to flick the reel behind you with your wrist, wait for the rod to load then bring your arm forward, remembering to feather your line with your thumb and stop it before it hits the water. Don’t worry it probably won’t go far and more than likely will pull to the left if you are right handed or right if left handed. As you have probably already guessed/felt you are over braking.
Take your brakes down one major increment at a time (always remembering to feather the spool with your thumb and stop it before it hits the water) until you sense that you have control and the lure is casting straight.
Now it is a case of dialling the reel in. One small increment (click) at a time down until you feel the reel is on its limits. Don’t push it, remember you are looking to improve your casting technique. Don’t let your ego get the better of you, so turn the magnets back a couple of small increments. This should enable you to confidently put some effort into the cast, whilst keeping it smooth and achieving a reasonable distance. Remember we are not looking to rinse the last inch of distance out of our equipment, but enjoy fishing with it. Don’t forget to feather the line with your thumb and stop the lure before it hits the water.
You will need to adjust your brakes each time you change the weight or profile of your lure, but for now just enjoy being able to cast your chosen lure effectively and perfect your technique.
As you become more proficient you will be able to back the end tension off further and thus gain more distance; but to start of with concentrate on developing a smooth casting style.
Shorter drops from rod tip to lure give more accuracy, especially when casting in confined areas.
You will find the lighter the lure the less end tension you need and you will have to set the spool up with a little side to side play.
The lighter the lure the smoother the cast needs to be. Still concentrate on flicking the wrist back whilst waiting for the rod to load but then flick it forward and follow through with your arm.
You may even need to let go slightly earlier, rather than straight out in front of you as you usually do with heavier lures. This is particularly true with sub 1.5gr lures.
Flipping & Pitching
When it comes to flipping and pitching lures, thumb control becomes even more important as you will want to back your end tension off, to the point where there is very little side to side play. You will then need to carefully lower your magnets so as the lure releases smoothly but doesn't run away from you so much that your thumb cant control it. Once again a smooth casting style is of paramount importance and you will need to adjust the brakes for various lures/profiles of lure.
BRAID OR FLUOROCARBON:
Whatever line you choose make sure to not overfill the spool; 50 meters is about right and will help prevent over runs.
I personally prefer a braided mainline. Should i get a tangle i find it easier to unpick and do not find it kinks like fluorocarbon thus rendering it useless. I do however use a fluorocarbon leader lighter than the braided line I am using. You will therefore need to tie a leader knot. I personally use an FG Knot (passes through the line guides easier) but a Uni to Uni or Albright Knot both work fine if the knot is left outside the rod rings. Some styles of cast require the lure to literally sit just off the rod tip. If this is your preferred technique then fluorocarbon may be a better choice should you struggle with leader knots.Your knot needs to be as small as possible so as to not hinder its passage through the rod rings and possibly cause frap ups. The FG knot takes some learning but it really is time well spent. I do not tie a full FG knot. See here: https://youtu.be/50A7yGaUMgA .
As braided mainline diameters are finer in comparison to fluorocarbons of the same breaking strain, I can use it in higher breaking strains and not affect my casting distance. This is very useful where there is the possibility of larger fish such as Pike. I am currently using I am currently using Daiwa J-Braid X8; 8 strand braid has a rounder profile and doesn’t cut into the braid beneath it as easily as 4 strand. I know plenty of people that happily use 4 strand though. Another good braid is Sunline Small Game. Buy to suit your pocket. You will get tangles so maybe a cheaper but effective braid will not hurt your pocket so much initially.
Fluorocarbon negates the need to tie leader knots, so it does have it’s advantages and as you become more proficient at casting you may well grow to prefer it. Should you get a frap up engage the spool and loosen the drag to peel line off under tension whilst you unpick the tangles. I find 6lb Sunline Basic Flourocarbon to be a good choice because it's cheap and user friendly. You could always use monofilament whilst you are learning.
The problem with using FC is bite detection. It isn’t as good as braid. Lay the line over your finger and watch where it enters the water for flicks as a fish bites. Bite detection is better on a semi slack line though as unlike braid it sinks. Although I don't use it much I do prefer it for flipping and pitching in close quarters.
Mono is great in lighter breaking strains and especially good for beginners as you can buy a cheap bulk spool of 4 - 6lb mono and respool cheaply if you birdsnest.
BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE DISTANCES YOU WILL CAST LIGHT LURES:
If you watch some of my YouTube videos you could be forgiven for thinking I am casting light lures big distances. This is a bit of an illusion as the camera makes it look further. If you watch my latest BFS video https://youtu.be/WQCCvFv0HzM you will see I include an aerial distance shot at the start. See Fig 6. I have used Google Earth's measurement tool to give an idea of the width of the canal and therefore the distances achieved. You can quite easily do the same for your venue and make a comparison. Remember I am a relative newcomer to the sport myself and others can cast further. Focus more on your technique and distance will come.
Google earth aerial distance measuring image.
So thats about it for the minute.This article is only a reflection of the things I have learn’t and work for me; others do things differently. I hope this helps any of you struggling with BFS or considering taking it up. Practice the basics using the gear above and i am sure like me it will become an obsession. Thanks for reading this, enjoy your fishing but more importantly stay safe.
The Constant Angler