The story starts in Japan with lockjaw largemouth bass. Japan has a lot of fanatical bass anglers, but the country doesn’t have a lot of bass. That means each bass sees a lot of pressure. To fool these finicky bass, anglers developed tiny lures and lightweight, super-sensitive rods and reels. The concept became Bass Finesse Systems (BFS) and spread across the world as a high-priced niche of freshwater fishing. As the trend continued, mainstream anglers tested the waters and now major tackle manufacturers are getting into the game with fine-tuned rods and reels at a reasonable price.
The Inside Line on a New Generation of BFS Rods & Reels
Shimano Curado BFS
$209.99 | fish.shimano.com
To answer the call for accessible BFS tackle, Shimano released the new Curado BFS casting reel. Designed with a super light frame and whiffled spool, the little reel is backed up by an all-metal body for a smooth and solid performance. The challenge with using a baitcasting reel for finesse fishing is casting a small lure without backlashing the reel. To cast a little lure without causing a big triangle, the Curado BFS uses Shimano’s Super Free spool that eliminates friction on the shaft and magnetic braking tuned to apply more brake pressure at the end of the cast. To further tune the casting brake, add and remove braking magnets.
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Daiwa PX BF70
$349.99 | daiwa.us
How do you reduce weight and increase strength in a casting reel? Daiwa answered the question with a full-aluminum body and aircraft-grade aluminum spool that is 56 percent lighter than the Tatula spool. For super smooth startup on the cast, the spool is supported by tiny ball bearings requiring less energy to engage. Fishing with small lures means constantly dialing in the casting brake to match the lure and conditions. The PX BF70 uses a zero-adjust dial to precisely set the brake for distance and control. To further reduce friction on the line, the BF70 has Daiwa’s T-Wing line guide that opens up on the cast so the line leaves the spool without pressure.
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Shimano Expride B
$279.99 | fish.shimano.com
To complement the Curado BFS reel, Shimano added a BFS rod to their line of premium Expride rods. The Expride B 7’2” Medium Light, X-Fast Action rod is fine-tuned for light lures and super sensitivity. Starting with Shimano’s Hi-Power X blank with cross-wrapped carbon fiber tape to customize the rod action for casting small lures. The X blank also increases the strength-to-weight ratio for fighting big fish with ridiculously light tackle. The Fuji SiC line guides, Ci4+ reel seat and hollow carbon fiber Monocoque rod butt work together to pick up the slightest vibration on the line. The long extra-fast rod produces longer casts without sacrificing control.
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St. Croix Mojo Bass BFS Treble Lite
$175 | stcroixrods.com
Precision and performance are essential when fishing a tiny lure for big fish. Most fishing rod grips are round. The Mojo Bass BFS Treble Lite is designed with a triangular grip for improved ergonomics and more accurate casts. The triangle shape fits the shape of a closed hand and the corner of the triangle is aligned with the spine of the rod to help me index the line guides when I cast. To increase sensitivity, the Mojo Bass uses high-grade carbon fiber blank that maintains even wall thickness throughout the length of the rod. Complementing the sensitive blank, the line guides have titanium frames and aluminum silicate eyes that transfer vibration from the line to the angler’s hand.
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Kistler Hunt BFS
$349.99 | kistlerrods.com
Sensitivity and light weight are ubiquitous in BFS rods, but Kistler focused on the action of the Hunt BFS. At seven feet long, the Hunt series is longer than the average BFS rod. The extra length provides more leverage in a lighter rod. It also offers extra shock absorption when a big bass tries to shake free a small lure. Fuji Alconite line guides and Japanese carbon fiber blanks prove finesse fishing fanatics designed the Hunt BFS.
Cashion Element Bait Finesse System Rod
$129 | cashionrods.com
Cashion goes about sensitivity and durability differently. Their Element Bait Finesse System Rod is built out of carbon fiber with raw epoxy pre-preg fibers. This gives the rod blank a matte finish and increases the strength of the material without sacrificing sensitivity. Adding to the rod’s feel, ceramic line guides, an exposed blank in the reel seat and exposed blank in the reel butt provide more contact points to transfer vibration.
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Less than a handful, these little reels score big bass. | Feature photo: Ric Burnley
