Short BFS rod

How small is your rod and how light is your line? It's not about the size of your tackle, but how you work it. Come share your Ultralight and Bait Finesse System (BFS) fishing success here!
Knotty
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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by Knotty » Wed May 27, 2020 8:20 pm

WisconsinHeat wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 1:12 pm
You got it? Let us know how it is once you've had a chance to fish with it. It looks useful, I'd consider picking one up for myself - looks like it would be nice to shove in a backpack on hiking trips.
Just ordered it. It already shipped but will probably be a month before it arrives.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Thu May 28, 2020 8:20 am

prybis wrote:
Wed May 27, 2020 1:56 pm
Hobie-Wan Kenobi wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 5:29 pm
I got a short 4'7" XUL solid carbon BFS rod I have been using for years.

I have caught MANY stream trout, to pike and everything in between. Durable, light and sensitive. I have no issue casting sub 1gr lures and also being able to boat flip big bluegill and small bass with it. It is my favorite rod and really saved the day when I went out yesterday.

1/32oz jighead and Big Bite Baits cricket demolished gills, crappie and a few other species. I worked in open water as well as around wood and, I never felt outgunned or, overpowered. The tiny fish are fun and the bigger gills and crappie REALLY fight.

I got the rod for like 60 bucks from AliExpress and is my favorite rod. Tsurinoya Ares is the rod. It is purple with a cork handle.
I have this same rod. I thought this rod was a slow action or noodle compared to my other rods. I bought it after watching your youtube videos. It will definitely be a blast to fish for bluegills with. May even take it on my trip to the smokies in a couple weeks.
That is because it is not actually a BFS rod. It is an UL casting rod or trout rod. They are noodles. BFS tapers are actually pretty rare due to the limited appeal of bass fishing globally and then using specialized casting rods that are essentially M or MH like back halves with light or UL tips.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by Knotty » Thu May 28, 2020 9:03 am

Here's what the taper on the 1.8 m, 2-7 g, version looks like. On Aliexpress they list it as "middle slow". The short 1.25 m is rated 1-5 g and simply listed as "soft".

LowRange, I've read conflicting reports on the origins of BFS. At this point I believe most people just accept any baitcasting rod capable of throwing very light lures as BFS. Bass or trout taper. Stiff or noodle.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Thu May 28, 2020 11:21 am

Knotty wrote:
Thu May 28, 2020 9:03 am
Here's what the taper on the 1.8 m, 2-7 g, version looks like. On Aliexpress they list it as "middle slow". The short 1.25 m is rated 1-5 g and simply listed as "soft".

LowRange, I've read conflicting reports on the origins of BFS. At this point I believe most people just accept any baitcasting rod capable of throwing very light lures as BFS. Bass or trout taper. Stiff or noodle.

Image
Pretty much what applies over here. I would like to think it means something in Japan still. I say this based on the rod power and action offered by brands like majorcraft that have separate trout and BFS sticks. There used to be a youtube vid circulating on this site of a guy fishing a L powered BFS stick with a small jig on light fluorocarbon line pitch skipping the bait with an Alphas KTF speaking about the origins and definitions of BFS in Japanese. I would love to watch that one again.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Thu May 28, 2020 11:28 am

Rods with "BFS" have pretty stiff backbones and look like M powered rods from stripper guide to the butt and are often times even more rigid that many M powered rods in the back half of the rod. My L and UL Volkey sure are. Guys will buy BFS sticks thinking that "BFS" just means a casting rod that will cast really light stuff and if they by it for trout fishing are usually disappointed with how stiff a BF UL actually is. There is a difference. If the rod has "BFS" written anywhere on it and it is Japanese then don't expect a noodle even in an UL. If it doesn't have BFS on it then expect it to be a noodle although there may be exceptions. Usually blank diameter near the reel seat is a dead giveaway and evident in pictures. You're at least know what type of animal you are dealing with.

Also that rod in that pic looks pretty close to a BFS taper with how large the blank appears in the pic near the reel seat and how rigid the back half of the rod remains despite loading the rod deeply.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Fri May 29, 2020 7:25 pm

LowRange wrote:
Thu May 28, 2020 11:28 am
Rods with "BFS" have pretty stiff backbones and look like M powered rods from stripper guide to the butt and are often times even more rigid that many M powered rods in the back half of the rod. My L and UL Volkey sure are. Guys will buy BFS sticks thinking that "BFS" just means a casting rod that will cast really light stuff and if they by it for trout fishing are usually disappointed with how stiff a BF UL actually is. There is a difference. If the rod has "BFS" written anywhere on it and it is Japanese then don't expect a noodle even in an UL. If it doesn't have BFS on it then expect it to be a noodle although there may be exceptions. Usually blank diameter near the reel seat is a dead giveaway and evident in pictures. You're at least know what type of animal you are dealing with.

Also that rod in that pic looks pretty close to a BFS taper with how large the blank appears in the pic near the reel seat and how rigid the back half of the rod remains despite loading the rod deeply.
I agree 100 percent. BFS as a general term is more so a way to have common language. I agree with the true definitions you mention. BFS originated out of anglers using 6-8lb FC doing short casts into clearwater areas with cover on high pressured lakes. Need the light tip and relatively light line to present the lure. The backbone is to "horse" them out of the cover to open water. 6-8lb FC isnt the best on a small sponning reel.

It split into the trout scene for slightly different reasons. Casting into tight pockets with a baitcaster is arguably much more effective that a spinning reel. Bait casting also produces less line twists too. I love "BFS" setups for trout. Wouldnt do it any other way. Functional and fun.
IG @hobie_wan_kenobi_fishing

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by jvelth74 » Sat May 30, 2020 2:58 am

^ That was writen good, thanks!

Thanks for mentioning what BFS was in the beginning. Maybe it's still actually same, but people has expanded BFS equipment use to diffent style of fishing by changing line (and maybe lure). Also equipment has developed, now we have available factory maid 28 mm BFS spools, lighter expensive premium spools and cheap chinese aftermarket spools and light rod's are widely available in the web shops for practically everyone who likes; budget starting from something $15, I bought one, it isn't good, but good ones can be found something $60, and I don't know the most expensive ones.

Heck that Tsurinoya Ares action looks sweet over my current lightest BFS rod, Kying Teton SUL...And I have loved fishing with Kuying SUL...

Me neither wouldn't fish trout in small streams without BFS equipment...

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by borisun » Sat May 30, 2020 9:03 am

are we not supposed to put links in for some reason????

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Sat May 30, 2020 9:09 am

jvelth74 wrote:
Sat May 30, 2020 2:58 am
^ That was writen good, thanks!

Thanks for mentioning what BFS was in the beginning. Maybe it's still actually same, but people has expanded BFS equipment use to diffent style of fishing by changing line (and maybe lure). Also equipment has developed, now we have available factory maid 28 mm BFS spools, lighter expensive premium spools and cheap chinese aftermarket spools and light rod's are widely available in the web shops for practically everyone who likes; budget starting from something $15, I bought one, it isn't good, but good ones can be found something $60, and I don't know the most expensive ones.

Heck that Tsurinoya Ares action looks sweet over my current lightest BFS rod, Kying Teton SUL...And I have loved fishing with Kuying SUL...

Me neither wouldn't fish trout in small streams without BFS equipment...
I don't think that is a Ares shown by Knotty in that pic. I think that is a Dexterity. Which I think is closer to a BFS rod than a trout rod.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by jvelth74 » Sat May 30, 2020 11:09 am

LowRange wrote:
Sat May 30, 2020 9:09 am
I don't think that is a Ares shown by Knotty in that pic.
Probably so. I meant videos in Youtube which curves I meant.

I shortly tested / bended my lightest baitcasting rods (All are Kuying's so far, excluding one very cheap which I didn't even remember to test):
1. Teton TTC 522SUL
2. Teton TTC 632UL
3. Superlite Ajing SAC762S
Testing weight is 110 g for all of them, but Ajing is also tested with 175 g and 217 g:

https://aijaa.com/eR80Dz
Kuying Teton TTC522SUL_weight=110g.JPG
Kuying Teton TTC522SUL_weight=110g.JPG (41.76 KiB) Viewed 8685 times
Kuying Teton TTC632UL_weight=110g.JPG
Kuying Teton TTC632UL_weight=110g.JPG (42.15 KiB) Viewed 8685 times
Kuying Super Lite Ajing SAC 762S_weight=110g.JPG
Kuying Super Lite Ajing SAC 762S_weight=110g.JPG (26.18 KiB) Viewed 8685 times
Kuying Super Lite Ajing SAC 762S_weight=175g.JPG
Kuying Super Lite Ajing SAC 762S_weight=175g.JPG (29.78 KiB) Viewed 8685 times
Kuying Super Lite Ajing SAC 762S_weight=217 g .JPG
Kuying Super Lite Ajing SAC 762S_weight=217 g .JPG (35.17 KiB) Viewed 8685 times

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Sat May 30, 2020 11:41 am

Yeah Tetons are very noodle like and are definitely not BFS sticks. They are more of a trout rod or more broadly, simply UL casting rods. Even the TTC662L is an UL. Power and taper of that rod is almost identical to a Bass Pro Shops UL spinning rod. It's an F1 power at max.

Ajing rods look to be somewhat similar to BFS rods in their powers. I'll have to check those out. I like the idea of a solid carbon tip and rigid lifting section of the rod. Not that great for trout but bass fishing requires crushig fiber weed guards to get hooksets with small jigs and the ability to move fish away from cover. This is why BFS rods are BFS rods and not trout rods.
Last edited by LowRange on Sat May 30, 2020 11:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Sat May 30, 2020 11:55 am

Two UL solid carbon tip rods. One is a BFS rod and the other is not. Notice how large the blank diameter is on the back half of the BFS rod. The trickster is a monster or power compared to the Lurekiller but the Lurekiller loads much more deeply on the cast and actually casts UL a bit better.

Jackson Super Trickster STC-63UL-ST "The Ultra Light Bait Finesse"

Lurekiller 562C-UL "36+40T CARBON FROM JAPAN"
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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by jvelth74 » Sat May 30, 2020 12:03 pm

Tetons are very nice and easy to cast but casting distance is short. With fish, after hooked, which is not issue with trout or perch, Tetons are extremely fun and good. With Teton SUL I have cast lures from 1 g to 15 g. 15 g is really too much but still it can be cast... In this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5C-lRtsAJI&t=335s
I was casting 7.8 g shad (for pike). Without 0.5 g Cheburashka weight shad was not practically castable, but after adding that little weight it was castable enough. But I didn't catch decent pike, which actually was goal of video. Actually I catch nothing.
jvelth74 wrote:
Sat May 30, 2020 11:09 am
Probably so. I meant videos in Youtube which curves I meant.
This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R9s_x5uX8I Looks neat!

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by Knotty » Sat May 30, 2020 2:40 pm

Great discussion going on here. Thanks for all the comments.

The rod I'm bending in the pic is the longer version of the short telescopic I just ordered.

Ajing rods have a strong butt section, much like the bass BFS rods you describe LowRange, but the super thin and sensitive solid tips makes them a whole different animal in my opinion. I probably own 5 of them but tend not to use them too much for stream fishing where casting accuracy is important, unless I'm only fishing the bottom end of their weight range. I usually use them from a kayak when I want one rod that can work a trout magnet one minute and then fish a Ned rig the next. They're rated from .6 g to anywhere from 6 to 10 g. Unlike an area rod which can cast light weight, and more accurately, but may top out at 3.5 g.

My UL and SUL Kuying Tetons are very much trout rods. Sometimes they have trouble setting the hook on a 1/15 oz Ned rig jig head. Something an ajing rod has no trouble with.

Hobie-Wan, I'm trying to follow your path using BFS in small streams for the reasons you state. Always amazes me that you can cast from the bank, amid brush, which is always the case where I'm at, and not blow up the reel.

jvelth74, looks like we own a few of the same Kuyings.

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Re: Short BFS rod

Post by LowRange » Sat May 30, 2020 3:23 pm

This definitely turned into a great discussion. I would like an Ajing casing rod. It sounds sort of similar to my UL solid tip trickster but more forgiving overall taper. The solid tip on my Trickster is actually fairly stiff compared to the Lurekiller solid tip.

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