Does anyone fish BFS?

[keithy]

Some points I'll agree with there, but with the right setup anything is achievable.

I can cast flys on my setup, can probably cast down to micro grams, but its not a cheap rig by any means.

The cheaper baitcasters can be used, but some may require additional work such as ceramic bearings or a lightweight spool to get it going and cast those light weights.

Usually anything down to 2/3g can be cast on a mid range setup, some even do so on budget setups. Tsurinoya is a brand that has been around for a while and is what some go for as a starting point.

I'll argue that with the correct setup, I can cast more accurately and controlled, with overhead obstacles and thick foliage with a bfs setup than I can with any spinning setup (fixed spool) I have yet to own.

Retrieve speeds in different ratios are available to suit the purpose- jigging slow, fast lure etc

If you are talking trout flies you haven't a hope in hell i assume you mean pike flies, you can cast with more accuracy more easily with a bait caster i have one, but its really a nich method not ideal in certain overgrown conditions. like bass fishing with lures the method only works in warmish water conditions, cold water really needs a twitched dead bait, the whole spinning lure industry is a trap for the gullable as alot of the lures are designed to catch anglers not fish!

 

[edbear3]

I'll be honest pal not a clue what your question is about ??

This might help;

Bait Finesse System (BFS) Fishing: The Ultimate Guide

Developed for shy trout, char & bass in Japan - Bait Finesse System fishing has fans everywhere. Check out this awesome article & videos.

fishingdiscoveries.com

Despite the link, the set up looks just like what the yanks have been doing for about half a century or more, small multipliers / sometimes closed face and small rods for streams and hard to access waters, light and easy to cast etc.

I remember laughing at what looked like a weird boy's outfit in the very early 1970's that a tackle shop where I worked owner had bought in the USA while on holiday, usual small rod with the weird offest handle with the thumbhook......and that was 50 years ago!

A browse of USA old adverts and rigs from the late 1940's onwards might suprise some folks who think BFS is all "new"

ATB, Ed

 

[DecaDuo]

If you are talking trout flies you haven't a hope in hell i assume you mean pike flies, you can cast with more accuracy more easily with a bait caster i have one, but its really a nich method not ideal in certain overgrown conditions. like bass fishing with lures the method only works in warmish water conditions, cold water really needs a twitched dead bait, the whole spinning lure industry is a trap for the gullable as alot of the lures are designed to catch anglers not fish!

No I assure you trout flies.

Shimano calcutta conquest bfs hg with avail spool
12lb braid 40yds- 3ft fluro carbon leader 4/6lb

Major craft finetail glass rod 4'10

Range of lures from 1.5g - 5g
Soft plastics on hooks, so just the weight of that (ffs lures 0.04g)
Jig heads from 0.5g to 4g
Trout Flys with beads 0.02g -1.5g

All weighed on scales. Can cast and strip the line off the reel with most of those.

 

[DecaDuo]

For pike and perch I go slightly heavier

Shimano bfs curado reel
20lb braid, leader depending on species (pike or perch)

Major craft benkei 7g-20g rod

Again pretty much same lure range but from 5g upto around 18g.

 

[DecaDuo]

The river I fish for trout is predominantly fished by fly anglers.

I can almost certainly guarantee to get a hit on a soft plastic or rapala cd3 (small I know but bite size and seem to be like a fast food for them) when the going is tough.

I like this method because I can fish a stretch of river precisely, it doesn't matter the obstacle or obstruction because there are many casting methods that are used to take this into account.

Some parts of the river are so overgrown you wouldn't swing a rod, but a flip or pitch cast gets you exactly where you need to be.

I wade and fish. It works for me and produces results.

 

[GUNFUN]

I use some old diawa spincast reels as well as small multipliers with bait casting rods (especially old 'crank handled' ones). The spincast reels are easy to use and work well with very light lures. There's usually a few cheapish second hand on the bay.

Thankyou for opening my eyes to the obvious.

Of course for BFS Spincast reels have all the advantages of a baitcaster (you can thumb the spool to slow/stop the lure, and cast one handed) and yet have all the advantages of a fixed spool reel l (no spool inertia and long casting, low friction line release without any backlashes).

I've just been out in the garden casting a 2.5 gram weight an estimated 25 yards without really trying (and the 10 lb mono on the reels is over 30 years old). I was going to buy a baitcasting reel to give BFS a go but after checking these reels, apart from a crude drag system they seem to do the business, should also be good casting from the kayak towards the shore and other structure with the ability to slow/stop the lure using the thump button. None of the outfits (Zebco 5' and 5' 6" rods and reels 202 and 33) below cost more than £25 -



I did have to repair one of the Zebco's as the T springs rivets had pop off the thumb button (first photo, bottom right) so a couple of small mis-matched self tappers solved the problem nicely (second photo) -

 

[ped]

The river I fish for trout is predominantly fished by fly anglers.

I can almost certainly guarantee to get a hit on a soft plastic or rapala cd3 (small I know but bite size and seem to be like a fast food for them) when the going is tough.

I like this method because I can fish a stretch of river precisely, it doesn't matter the obstacle or obstruction because there are many casting methods that are used to take this into account.

Some parts of the river are so overgrown you wouldn't swing a rod, but a flip or pitch cast gets you exactly where you need to be.

I wade and fish. It works for me and produces results.

each to their own
if i chuck lures out i now just use a 12' 2 1/4tc carp rod 8010 reel same as i use for close to medium live/dead baiting

 

[DecaDuo]

Thankyou for opening my eyes to the obvious.

Of course for BFS Spincast reels have all the advantages of a baitcaster (you can thumb the spool to slow/stop the lure, and cast one handed) and yet have all the advantages of a fixed spoo reel l (no spool inertia and long casting, low friction line release without any backlashes).
I've just been out in the garden casting a 2.5 gram weight an estimated 25 yards without really trying (and the 10 lb mono on the reels is over 30 years old). I was going to buy a baitcasting reel to give BFS a go but after checking these reels, apart from a crude drag system they seem to do the business, should also be good casting from the kayak towards the shore and other structure with the ability to slow/stop the lure using the thump button. None of the outfits (Zebco rods and reels 202 and 33) below cost more than £25 -

View attachment 131617

I did have to repair one of the Zebco's as the T springs rivets had pop off the thumb button (first photo, bottom right) so a couple of small mis-matched self tappers solved the problem nicely (second photo) -

View attachment 131619

View attachment 131620

I follow a fisherman from the US on YouTube who fishes from a kayak and he gets all sorts of species.

I'd like to try it but I havent got the most confidence in the water on a boat, especially if I have to manage myself with a 5lb+ pike on board

I did go on a lake last year on a small boat, but the motion gets to me

 

[DecaDuo]

each to their own
if i chuck lures out i now just use a 12' 2 1/4tc carp rod 8010 reel same as i use for close to medium live/dead baiting

What works for me might not for you, and so forth- as long as your on the bank enjoying it

I do like a session on the deadbaits set up for a day or 2 with good company and listening for the delkims

 

[Frog]

Thankyou for opening my eyes to the obvious.

Of course for BFS Spincast reels have all the advantages of a baitcaster (you can thumb the spool to slow/stop the lure, and cast one handed) and yet have all the advantages of a fixed spool reel l (no spool inertia and long casting, low friction line release without any backlashes).

I've just been out in the garden casting a 2.5 gram weight an estimated 25 yards without really trying (and the 10 lb mono on the reels is over 30 years old). I was going to buy a baitcasting reel to give BFS a go but after checking these reels, apart from a crude drag system they seem to do the business, should also be good casting from the kayak towards the shore and other structure with the ability to slow/stop the lure using the thump button. None of the outfits (Zebco 5' and 5' 6" rods and reels 202 and 33) below cost more than £25 -

View attachment 131617

I did have to repair one of the Zebco's as the T springs rivets had pop off the thumb button (first photo, bottom right) so a couple of small mis-matched self tappers solved the problem nicely (second photo) -

View attachment 131619

View attachment 131620

I use one of these and also have a couple of older versions. They are better quality than most spincast reelsand are nice to fish with. Had a mid double pike when fishing for perch one day and it handled it fine.

 

[GUNFUN]

I follow a fisherman from the US on YouTube who fishes from a kayak and he gets all sorts of species.

I'd like to try it but I havent got the most confidence in the water on a boat, especially if I have to manage myself with a 5lb+ pike on board

I did go on a lake last year on a small boat, but the motion gets to me

I do my kayak fishing on the sea, most good fishing marks on the coast get hammered by fishermen leaving rubbish and filling the rock pools with pee, getting out on a kayak lets you get to all the places that the boat fishermen are too nervous to go to, and all the places the hoards of shore fishermen can't reach.

If you check the surf report you can just kayak in low wave/surf heights and avoid your sea sickness and enjoy occasional days like this -

.

 

[DecaDuo]

I do my kayak fishing on the sea, most good fishing marks on the coast get hammered by fishermen leaving rubbish and filling the rock pools with pee, getting out on a kayak lets you get to all the places that the boat fishermen are too nervous to go to, and all the places the hoards of shore fishermen can't reach.

If you check the surf report you can just kayak in low wave/surf heights and avoid your sea sickness and enjoy occasional days like this -

View attachment 131639.

That pictures makes me want to go out and try it!!

I'll be the one hugging a rock crying for the coastguard only to find im in 2 inches of water

 

[GUNFUN]

That pictures makes me want to go out and try it!!

I'll be the one hugging a rock crying for the coastguard only to find im in 2 inches of water

On a still day like that with clear water you have to fish the tidal current around peninsulas and submerged structure or wait till you see numbers of birds diving (predator fish making 'bait balls' of bait fish) and paddle over asap before the action stops. Like any fishing it can be very exciting and very frustrating.

Before I realised today about spincasting reels for BFS (Thanks again Frog) I was looking at one of the Shimano Curado K (MGL 70 XG) but nowhere can I find any reference to the lightest lures it will cast (lure, rod, line depending). I was looking for a good Shimano reel that would get down to casting a lure of 5 grams and cast up to, or over, a lure of 30 grams for windy days.

Do you have any idea if the 70 or even the 150 Curado K MGL's can get down to this 5 gram lure casting weight?

 

[edbear3]

Been out, but since back have been looking at USA stuff and found;

"The first commercial spincast reels were introduced by the Denison-Johnson Reel Company and the Zero Hour Bomb Company (ZEBCO) in 1949"

Made loads, look at this one from way back.

And USA

ATB, Ed

 

[DecaDuo]

On a still day like that with clear water you have to fish the tidal current around peninsulas and submerged structure or wait till you see numbers of birds diving (predator fish making 'bait balls' of bait fish) and paddle over asap before the action stops. Like any fishing it can be very exciting and very frustrating.

Before I realised today about spincasting reels for BFS (Thanks again Frog) I was looking at one of the Shimano Curado K (MGL 70 XG) but nowhere can I find any reference to the lightest lures it will cast (lure, rod, line depending). I was looking for a good Shimano reel that would get down to casting a lure of 5 grams and cast up to, or over, a lure of 30 grams for windy days.

Do you have any idea if the 70 or even the 150 Curado K MGL's can get down to this 5 gram lure casting weight?

I'm not sure if the 70 will, take a look at the alderbaran there very well rated and used,it might be fine with 5g, but I would try and go for a 50 size if possible for 5g and lower. I'd use a 70 for anything going 10-30g maybe?
A 150 size I would use for throwing out 40g lures or in that region.
I use a 400 size then for 80g upwards.

All my float/deadbaiting is done on 8k baitrunners then.

 

[GUNFUN]

I'm not sure if the 70 will, take a look at the alderbaran there very well rated and used,it might be fine with 5g, but I would try and go for a 50 size if possible for 5g and lower. I'd use a 70 for anything going 10-30g maybe?
A 150 size I would use for throwing out 40g lures or in that region.
I use a 400 size then for 80g upwards.

All my float/deadbaiting is done on 8k baitrunners then.

I use one of these and also have a couple of older versions. They are better quality than most spincast reelsand are nice to fish with. Had a mid double pike when fishing for perch one day and it handled it fine.

Thanks for that, much appreciated, I'll go with my Zebco rods and 33 reel for this year with some nice new line, and see if I have an affinity and the right locations for BFS, then decide on spending more money on a decent rod and reel if the bug hits.

 

[DecaDuo]

Thanks for that, much appreciated, I'll go with my Zebco rods and 33 reel for this year with some nice new line, and see if I have an affinity and the right locations for BFS, then decide on spending more money on a decent rod and reel if the bug hits.

I only have 1 river that allows the lures and spinners on a particular stretch, so it's worth looking to see what the waters are like near you before splashing out or changing what you have too. I know the other clubs on the same river further down then are fly exclusive.

The only reason I started this particular style was because it gives me more confidence instead of feeling quite clumsy with a fixed spool, and a shoulder injury meant casting heavier all day was giving me grief for the next few days after so the lighter approach means everything I need fits into a small tackle box in my vest and I'm not moving my shoulder as much or aggrevating it.

I did try to learn how to properly use a fly setup (4weight), but I need to spend more time with it, im not quite there yet.

 

[GUNFUN]

I only have 1 river that allows the lures and spinners on a particular stretch, so it's worth looking to see what the waters are like near you before splashing out or changing what you have too. I know the other clubs on the same river further down then are fly exclusive.

The only reason I started this particular style was because it gives me more confidence instead of feeling quite clumsy with a fixed spool, and a shoulder injury meant casting heavier all day was giving me grief for the next few days after so the lighter approach means everything I need fits into a small tackle box in my vest and I'm not moving my shoulder as much or aggrevating it.

I did try to learn how to properly use a fly setup (4weight), but I need to spend more time with it, im not quite there yet.

Thanks, ultimately I'm looking for that single rod and reel outfit that will allow me to fish lures with weights from 5 to 30 grams for shore and kayak bass/pollock fishing, with the ability to stop the lure mid cast such as a baitcaster/spincast reel set up.
At the moment I use two reels/rods to cover this range of lure weights a Shimano Calcutta 250 (14 to 30 plus grams) baitcaster with a Shimano 9' and 14 to 45 gram lure capacity which is an outfit I've been using for 25 years, and then I use a new(ish) Shimano Stradic 2500 for the lighter stuff (10 to 20 grams at the moment).

I started using baitcasters, spincast, soft plastics, topwater lures, spinbaits and short rods about 25 years ago in the States, generally using the baitcasters for bass and catfish, fixed spool reels for Bass, Catfish, Gar, Sauger and Walleyes and the spincast reels for sunfish like Bluegills and Crappie. I'm generally very naïve about UK freshwater fishing, I have done quiet a bit of it in terms of 'hours on the water' but not to any great technical depth with regard to the knowledge and experience compared to most anglers. So I used what I learnt about fishing for Large and Smallmouth Bass abroad and applied the same techniques over here to target our sea Bass as I have been sea fishing, on and off now, since I was a nipper. At the moment I'm just curious about BFS and seeing if there will be much response from the fish to 2 to 7g lures on the part of the coast where I fish.

As @edbear3 says in his earlier post, none of this LRF or BFS is new, the rods, reels, tackle and technics are just repackaged forms of fishing developed and used in the USA for many, many decades.
Good luck with the fly fishing too

 

[Iceni]

So I used what I learnt about fishing for Large and Smallmouth Bass abroad and applied the same techniques over here to target our sea Bass as I have been sea fishing, on and off now, since I was a nipper. At the moment I'm just curious about BFS and seeing if there will be much response from the fish to 2 to 7g lures on the part of the coast where I fish.

Have a look at your local canal's and the clubs that run them bud. Perch and Pike are all freshwater species that can be fished with US style methods. If you want to watch video's of this style of fishing in Europe then have a look at Perch pro, and Pike pro on the you tubes. UK fish are identical in size and feeding habits. It may also be worth having a chat to your local tackle shops to see if any Zander have got that far up the canal system. Zander and Walleye are the same family of fish, with Zed's been a little larger.
It's suprising at just how alive the canal network is when it comes to fish. There often cheap to fish with year tickets under £30 for huge sections of water that are often very easy to get to and have a bank that already has a footpath on it.

 

[Steve sxs 1;]

All these new names just to hook people into buying new gear. Fishing is either ledgering,fly,float or freelining.
I still freshwater as I did in the 70's & sea fish as I did in the 80's

Yep, in the 60s we had fresh trout on a regular basis, no fancy rigs a worm, hook and line tyed to a suitable branch and sometimes a rod, this is how I was taught to fish and the rest is history