New Finesse/BFS reel for salt water

[DrSteveBrule]

I sent a PM jvelth74

[DrSteveBrule]

Wouldnt a Curado BFS fit the bill for power BFS and for lures from 5 to 10g?

[hoohoorjoo]

Wouldnt a Curado BFS fit the bill for power BFS and for lures from 5 to 10g?

Yes, but there have been issues with the gear longevity of the current-gen curado reels.

[dragon1]

Wouldnt a Curado BFS fit the bill for power BFS and for lures from 5 to 10g?

Yes, but there have been issues with the gear longevity of the current-gen curado reels.

Yeppers... although the Aldebaran MM gears have faired very well. Weird.

[Dalleinf]

Welcome.
For saltwater fishing mostly 5-10 gram lures - and in order of preference with ties, I would be happy with:

Round reels:
1. Shimano Conquest bfs (perhaps with deep Avail spool)
1. Shimano Conquest 101 DC (if 5+ gram)
2. Daiwa Millionaire CT with aftermarket spool (e.g. Ktf, hard to get).
2. ABU Ambassadeur 1601/2601 with high gear ratio set and aftermarket spool
3. ABU Ambassadeur 4601 with Aftermarket/Avail Spool

Low profile:
1. Shimano Aldebaran bfs 22
1. Daiwa Alphas Air TW
1. Daiwa Gekkabijin
1. Almost any 34 mm Daiwa, e.g. 21 Zillion with aftermarket spool, preferably zpi or ktf
2. ABU Alc BF7
- for all low profile reels you can get nice aftermarket spools, but they are not mandatory for what you want to do.

These are all reels that I own

[DrSteveBrule]

Thank you Dalleif.
Would line capacity be an issue with the 3 first low profile reels you listed for inshore use? I would imagine line str of around 7-8kg to be sufficient but as far as I know the spool size can not be fully trusted and you cant fit as much. I'd think I would need closer to 100m than 50m.

[Dalleinf]

Depends on line choice. If you go with thin braid then you will get >50 meters and I do not see much issue with perch or zander. They will not run far. You will probably cast ~ 30 meters with a 5 gram lure.

For the Alphas and Gekkabijin you can get the deep aftermarket spool from Aliexpress.

You need less line than you think
-unless you target other species, e.g. Atlantic salmon.
Line adds weight and “plenty of line” will not help you cast light lures.

[DrSteveBrule]

I suppose the Zillion would be best for a wider range of use. Not optimal for BFS but doable to give it a go.

[Dalleinf]

I suppose the Zillion would be best for a wider range of use. Not optimal for BFS but doable to give it a go.

Very nice reel. I love the 34 mm Daiwas. If you find difficulty in casting your lighter lures then you can get one of many aftermarket spools.

[DrSteveBrule]

Do you have the JDM version?

[jvelth74]

I suppose the Zillion would be best for a wider range of use. Not optimal for BFS but doable to give it a go.

I have tried BFS with Zillion. It's doable, but I cant say it was enjoyable. In my opinion it's just too big reel for light one hand rod.

Zillion BFS.JPG (55 KiB) Viewed 1825 times

[DrSteveBrule]

Yes but I am not on the look for a pure 100% BFS reel either and the weight difference between JDM Zillion and Alphas AIR is 15g? Also using a one handed rod for special casts isn't necessary when fishing from a boat especially when I'll be doing just regular old fashioned casting. The Zillion you have used is the older, bulkier model. It is not optimal for BFS no, but thinking it could be the best compromise. Also getting an aftermarket spool for the Zillion I don't have to worry about durability when casting heavier lures. Been reading it is not recommended to cast 10g lures with AIR reels.
But also I am clueless about this all. Just understand I am not looking for an optimal BFS reel, but for a reel I can try it with and see if it is something for me. A Zillion I can use for general fishing if I find myself not liking casting ~5g lures and it isn't a good fit for my most visited fishing spots. If I'd be looking for a reel to fish streams/rivers and smaller waters it would be a lot easier.
I ofcourse value your input and I hope my reply does not come out as rude. Just realized this is a lot harder of a mission than I thought and it is getting frustrating.

[jvelth74]

Yes, you can try BFS with Zillion, and surely better with new lighter Zillion than old bulkier Zillion. But it's likely that you don't get same image of BFS fishing with mid-size reel of 34 mm spool than smaller reel with spool of 28...32 mm. If you try BFS with 34 mm spool, I suggest you to buy at least lightest available spool, which is Roro, I think...Actually in my opinion better to buy Chinese $100 BFS reel if you want to try BFS. Those are worth of money and meant to BFS.

[Slary]

If I found correct info, 21 JDM Zillion SV TW is same weight as 21 Alphas SV TW 800. Both are 175 gram.

When you buy aftermarket spool, look that spool it is with moving inductor. That is the best way to try out BFS.

[Craiger12]

I can't speak from experience, but it seems like the best compromise here would be the Alphas SV TW 800/800S with a 32mm spool. Also, you're not breaking the bank should you decide that you either need a reel more dedicated toward BFS or heavier presentations. If you're anything like the rest of us, you will immediately start looking for the next purchase to perfect your techniques