TackleTour

I’ll admit I’m rather quirky and at times may seem disoriented
But I’d also like to believe it’s because i tend to think like a fig
( ships were made for anti submarine warfare. They supposedly travel in a straight line but in a circular manner so that subs couldn’t pin point the ships direction of travel when plotting it. Some people say that’s a myth and rubbish.


Anyways I got this reel, sold it and after talking with my wife I let her know what I had envisioned the reel for. I was able to repurchase the reel prior to shipping and now I’m setting out to see if I can achieve:
Casting small Shad raps
Dropshotting
Light Ned rigs and Ouse jig heads with small keitechs

For those of you who have this reel I’d like to know what’s the lightest line size and type you have used? What’s the lightest weight that you’ve gone down to ? What rod do you have paired with it?
Although it’s labeled BFS I’m not necessarily in that arena. I have a tunned PXTR on the shelf , tunned PX68 airy red spool on an edge black widow rod that I absolutely enjoy using when I do and a aldebaran KTF parts package and spool which was on a h3 Kistler 1/8-1/2 rod.

My number one rod to get is the Phoenix feather Med lite
For now I have to get some things completed before getting this rod.
Outside of that is a poison ultima that no one I know has and I think I’d enjoy but rather than getting it I got another JDM reel. My wife says she’ll get me a P5 that isn’t available yet but I’d rather get more intel before going that direction. If you have this reel and would take the time to answer my questions I’d greatly appreciate it. If you feel that what I’m wanting to do isn’t using the reel to it’s fullest potential please expound. Thanks in advance to all.

Although I do have own the Conquest BFS, I own every other Shimano BFS reel with FTB braking system. I used a Conquest BFS for a short while as well.

The reel will work for what you want it to. Dropshotting can be awkward with a baitcaster because of the weight of the rig being spread. It takes a little getting used to for casting.

The FTB brakes do a good job in the wind and also just all around casting. My Aldebaran and Scorpion go with me when fishing bluegill, trout or bass. Fall time is really windy up where I live and I never felt those reels were unusable, even when throwing cranks for micro jigs.

The rod plays a factor in overall casting. I run my Scorpion on either a custom St Croix Legend Elite 7' lite or on a custom Casket Mark Spider (kinda stiff for a panfish rod). It casts ned rigs with ease. Small swimbaits like those you speak of easy too. You will need more rod than me fishing down south but, you are casting lures heavier than me too.

It will cast the shad raps as well. You will need your thumb with wind gusts (not as much as SVS infinity).

The Conquest BFS is butter smooth and looks nice. I could never bring myself to buy it because of weight and gear ratio.

Hobie-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 6:28 am

Although I do have own the Conquest BFS, I own every other Shimano BFS reel with FTB braking system. I used a Conquest BFS for a short while as well.

The reel will work for what you want it to. Dropshotting can be awkward with a baitcaster because of the weight of the rig being spread. It takes a little getting used to for casting.

The FTB brakes do a good job in the wind and also just all around casting. My Aldebaran and Scorpion go with me when fishing bluegill, trout or bass. Fall time is really windy up where I live and I never felt those reels were unusable, even when throwing cranks for micro jigs.

The rod plays a factor in overall casting. I run my Scorpion on either a custom St Croix Legend Elite 7' lite or on a custom Casket Mark Spider (kinda stiff for a panfish rod). It casts ned rigs with ease. Small swimbaits like those you speak of easy too. You will need more rod than me fishing down south but, you are casting lures heavier than me too.

It will cast the shad raps as well. You will need your thumb with wind gusts (not as much as SVS infinity).

The Conquest BFS is butter smooth and looks nice. I could never bring myself to buy it because of weight and gear ratio.

You didn’t like the 6.8:1 gears?
I can see the dropshot being a challenge but with my alde it’s nothing
Click and the bait is dropping. I may thumb the spool to prevent over runs when the weight hits the bottom.

goldrod wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:01 am

Hobie-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 6:28 am

Although I do have own the Conquest BFS, I own every other Shimano BFS reel with FTB braking system. I used a Conquest BFS for a short while as well.

The reel will work for what you want it to. Dropshotting can be awkward with a baitcaster because of the weight of the rig being spread. It takes a little getting used to for casting.

The FTB brakes do a good job in the wind and also just all around casting. My Aldebaran and Scorpion go with me when fishing bluegill, trout or bass. Fall time is really windy up where I live and I never felt those reels were unusable, even when throwing cranks for micro jigs.

The rod plays a factor in overall casting. I run my Scorpion on either a custom St Croix Legend Elite 7' lite or on a custom Casket Mark Spider (kinda stiff for a panfish rod). It casts ned rigs with ease. Small swimbaits like those you speak of easy too. You will need more rod than me fishing down south but, you are casting lures heavier than me too.

It will cast the shad raps as well. You will need your thumb with wind gusts (not as much as SVS infinity).

The Conquest BFS is butter smooth and looks nice. I could never bring myself to buy it because of weight and gear ratio.

You didn’t like the 6.8:1 gears?
I can see the dropshot being a challenge but with my alde it’s nothing
Click and the bait is dropping. I may thumb the spool to prevent over runs when the weight hits the bottom.

Yeah, the drop wouldn't be bad. Casting them is kinda odd with a baitcaster

Pair mine with many different rods for large trout fishing. Rods are from 3’8” to 9’6”.
Lightest line is 7lb FC and 10lb braid.
Lightest lure around 2.5 gram as no need to go lower. Mostly relatively aerodynamic spoons, spinners and sinking minnows.
Have purchased a KTF spool which make light lures even more of a breeze. Also have a DIY spool that I have not used yet...
Love the reel - gear ratio, weight and all.

Hmmmm, I don’t understand how dropshot is an issue for the reel? The majority of use of one of my CNQ BFS reels was for dropshotting, the only issue I had was line capacity but when I filled it with 4lbs Tatsu capacity was fine. It is now filled with 6lbs Tatsu.

Winstondry wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:14 am

Hmmmm, I don’t understand how dropshot is an issue for the reel? The majority of use of one of my CNQ BFS reels was for dropshotting, the only issue I had was line capacity but when I filled it with 4lbs Tatsu capacity was fine. It is now filled with 6lbs Tatsu.

Not unique to the reel. Sometimes drop shot rigs can be awkward to cast with a baitcasting reel. Most likely because the weight isn't all in one spot. Not impossible, may just be odd to some folks

What Got me into it is was my old cork crucial rod that my wife got sucked into to vacuum cleaner..


Anyways I have used that casting rod for drop shots for YEARS and never had and issue from the boat or the bank.
After that incident I went to a kistler H3 medium rod and this alde ktf
have never had any issues and have casted from the bank to the middle of the pund and lake and have caught fish.
I think casting a drop shot is an essential skill and after I saw a guy PITCHING a drop shot rig around docks I knew that I was truly under utilizing the drop shot as whole.

Yepper
The CQ BFS is a winner

Love the cq and I feel it's as capable as a tuned pixy(though I'm bias and love the pixys) when compared to in similar configuration.

I find no limitations on casting techniques if needed when using mine

Took out the aldebaran and it holds less line with the KTF Spool than the bfs Cq which isn’t bad just a reminder to me that the KTF spool is wider but shallower.

Had the reel on a edge black widow rod now one an old cork crucial rod medium and it feels much more at home. More to follow

Disclaimer “I’m not the brightest candle but I’m still lit “


This reel has been a pain in my neck and it is mostly because I was not abreast of the ftb braking system as I should have been and also unsure of exactly what I wanted to do with it. Well today I was in luck and I’m talking about luck. So I finally found a reel for the OSP HPF SPEC 2 silent crank and this is it.
I paired the reel with a cork crucial medium rod and after getting my reel to cooperate I was able to cast Shad raps as well. If you’ve ever tried to cast a spec2 crank you know that it really requires some precision equipment or at least imho.

(I had been looking for a 6’11” ish rod but I think I’m good where I am. The fish can’t even tell that they are being shorted an inch
I moved the TDZ R+ and zpi 002s to the black widow and it’s all good. The 002s is a spool you can cast and turn your back on. It’s that good. Distance with manners )

I think the best pairing for the conquest bfs is the nrx 852!!!! Such a good pairing! It’s the combo I use! Can do everything you mentioned 2.5G+ easily.

What size Shad Raps are you throwing? I built a rod specifically for tossing shallow SR5’s with my Aldebaran bfs, and I can about cast to the arbor with light braid on it. I took that rod to Devil Lake North Dakota, and fished that bait in the constant wind all week. Worked spectacularly.

I have not spent much time drop shooting with it yet, though.