BFS Reel: Complete Owner’s & Buyer’s Guide

Welcome to the insider's guide to buying, maintaining and upgrading a BFS reel.

What is a BFS Reel?

The term BFS (Bait Finesse System) was invented by Shimano when they began to design small baitcasting reels for the emerging market of anglers fishing ultralight lures for finicky fish. Whether targeting spooky trout in mountain rivers or ultra-pressured bass, anglers who preferred a casting reel to spinning reels had been customising their own gear for many years. While a handful of commercially-produced baitcasting reels capable of casting light lures were released over the years, interest really began to build rapidly as people latched onto the label "Bait Finesse". Now, a wide variety of companies are marketing reels in this style - across the full market range from unbelievably affordable prices to super-premium offerings.

Typical characteristics of these reels are shallow, ultralight spools, a high quality braking system, relatively high gear ratio (typically 6.3:1 up to 8.2:1), light drags with around 8lb maximum pressure (to avoid crushing the shallow spool as well as being ideal for light lines) and high performance ball bearings to minimise the resistance of the spool rotation when casting lightweight lures.

As part of the buyer's guidance, this article contains links to suppliers (including Amazon, Rorolure and Aliexpress) who have been kind enough to offer affiliate commissions for any qualifying purchases made. If you do decide to buy after following a link from this article, I really appreciate it as it is an important way to support this and future content. It doesn't change the retail price to you; but it helps keep me going. Very many thanks (you can, of course, search for and navigate directly to those products to prevent commission payments if you prefer).

To be able to cast light lures, spool weights tend to be below 10g (just over 1/3rd oz) - and often below 7g (1/4 oz). The very lightest spools - either stock spools supplied with the reel or special after-market uprgrades - currenly hover around the 4.5g (1/6th oz) mark; with a few radically-light spools down to as little as 3.7g (1/8th oz) - e.g. The Roro AX22 (above) which fits several of Daiwa's most popular BFS Reels released from 2020 onwards.

To put it bluntly, the idea in BFS is to benefit from the great accuracy and control of a baitcasting reel when casting the kind of light lures normally fished using a spinning reel.

BFS Reel Designs

Two fundamental design categories are round and low profile casting reels. For people who enjoy a more classic or retro look, the round reel is very appealing. For ultimate performance and comfort in the hand - with the most modern looks - low profile reels (like the Daiwa Alphas Air at the top of this article) take the cake.

Brake Systems

In modern BFS reels magnetic braking systems rule the day. As we'll see later in this article, modifying older reels may sometimes involve centrifugal brakes - but that is a big exception. When it comes to magnetic brakes there are two main categories:

• Static Brakes - The braking strength is adjustable but that setting applies throughout the whole cast
• Dynamic Brakes - Stronger at the beginning when the spool wants to spin fastest - backing off as the spool slows down

Both styles of brake are found in budget and premium reels. For example, the high ticket Daiwa Air Stream Custom has a static braking system designed to fire highly consistent casts with great accuracy on small streams.

Common designs include:

Shimano FTB (Finesse Tuned Brake) style: Dynamic

Another Shimano creation - the Finesse Tuned Brake features in all their BFS reels including the Aldebaran, Scorpion and Calcutta Conquest models. It is a much-copied design in budget reels simply because it is such a good idea. The magnets are completely separated from the spool - and there is no special spring-loaded inductor. Those two factors make it easier to make ultra light spools. Spring-loaded arms supporting the magnets increase the braking when the spool spins faster. This results from the stronger induction of eddying magnetic fields in response to a faster moving spool surface.

When aftermarket ultralight spools are added to Shimano reels, the thinner spool material can reduce the effect of the casting brakes. This is why additional brake magnets can be bought and added to regain the lost braking power. Extra magnets can be added to some reels to suit personal casting styles.

While the original batches of the Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra and the Kyorim Black Knight II had fully dynamic copies of this braking system, they have (at the time of writing) locked the brake arms in place to create a stronger - but static - braking system. 

Daiwa Air Brake System: Dynamic

Here a cup-shaped inductor is held on the spool shaft by a spring. Faster spool rotation forces the cup to  pull outwards along the shaft against the force of the spring. This puts the inductor cup deeper into the bank of magnets held in the side plat of the casting reel. As the spool is slowed by the brakes, the spring retracts the inductor back - reducing the magnetic force on the spool towards the end of the cast.

This is the system found in the Daiwa Alphas Air TW 20, Steez Air and Gekkabijin Air reels.

MagTrax Style Brake System: Static

MagTrax is a braking system by Abu Garcia though - as with FTB style systems - this style of brake is now also copied by many affordable casting reels. The overall force can be adjusted by a dial which moves the bank of magnets either closer or further away from the inductor plate on the side of the spool. However, once set, that distance does not change according to the speed of the spool.

Upgrading your BFS Reel

As far as casting performance goes, the three main components that make the biggest impact are the spool, casting brakes and the spool bearings. All three of those will interact with each other - making for some interesting results!

BFS Reel Bearing Replacement

The first place I look to improve bait caster performance is the bearings. Whether it is a case of reducing the  start-up inertia at the beginning of the cast or improving the free-running of the spool after it spins up to speed, improved bearings can help.

The best bearings for BFS reels tend to be produced by dedicated studios in small batches - since the requirements are very specific. This means you sometimes need to wait for a batch to be completed before they can be re-stocked.

If you've seen any of my videos on reel upgrades, you'll know that I have had a lot of success with Roro bearings - which have done a great job at combining great performance with amazing affordability. Over time, Roro have been kind enough to make me an affiliate and I've also created

This guide to match reels to bearings

Be aware that overall casting distance isn't the only performance factor - increased accuracy at short range and a flatter cast profile when flip-casting are two other factors you might want to improve.

Micro Bearings (AKA BFS Bearings)

These have smaller "balls" inside the bearing races and create a big advantage for casting light lures - say below 2.5g. This is because the smaller the ball bearings, the lighter they are and the easier it is to start them moving. Making those balls out of a ceramic material also minimises weight while also providing high durability (and do not corrode).

Ceramic micro bearings - made from Silicon Carbide (SiC) - tend to perform best when dry (i.e. without added lubrication) - but traditionally this has made them quite loud which some anglers find annoying.

Following the inclusion of flexible O-rings into the bearing housing of some top end reels (like the Aldebaran 22), Roro lure have now created a range of aftermarket Ceramic (SiC) bearings for BFS with "Silent Tune" technology. In my tests with the Alphas Air TW, the Roro ceramic BFS bearings cast a 1-g trout magnet consistently longer distances than Daiwa stock bearings.

However, the Roro BFS ST bearings achieved that greater distance with WAY less noise. Be aware that the O-ring will make the bearings sit very snugly into the recesses in your reel. You'll need a bearing puller tool (or something similar) to get them out again! Use the button below to check out availability of SiC bearings (including ST options) for your reel:

Regular Bearings

Both steel and SiC bearings with "normal" diameter balls (used in regular bait casting reels) are also available. You might wonder why these would be useful in a BFS casting reel? The answer is, as you go up in lure weight it becomes much easier to overcome the initial resistance to start the spool spinning - even with larger ball bearings (since they are still really tiny - even when not "BFS" or "micro" bearings). On the flip side, the lower diameter of micro bearing "balls", means that they have to complete more full rotations to pay out a given amount of line compared to larger diameter balls. With a lure that is capable of being thrown a long way, those extra rotations can create friction that actually reduces the casting distance during the middle and later parts of a cast. 

This means that for larger lures of maybe 5-g and above, overall distance could be longer when using regular-diameter ball bearings. Don't fall into the trap of only looking at maximum casting distance though - unless accuracy is much less important to the venue you are fishing.

Aftermarket BFS Spools

If you want to specialise in really light baits (say 1.5g down to maybe even 0.5g), then a radically light spool will be needed. This is where the "duraluminum" or aircraft aluminum spool comes in. Again, Roro lure have carved out a unique reputation for the wide range of baitcasting reel options they service with their custom spools.

A great example is the next generation developments of "standard" versus "thicken" braking inductor on the Roro aftermarket spools for the Alphas Air and Steez Air.

Previously, the standard thickness inductor (labelled for expert anglers only) prioritized spool lightness above everything else. This made it incredible for throwing flat, accurate casts with very light lures - BUT, it also means that throwing, say, a 1-g lure as hard as you can (for maximum distance) would completely overpower the brakes. 

NOW - with the advent of, for instance, the AX22 for 2020, 2021 and 2022 Daiwa BFS reels; new aluminum alloys, the use of titanium in the shaft and an SiC bearing in the tip of the spool shaft which fits into the brake-plate have transformed that performance. The braking is way stronger - yet the spool is even lighter than ever at just 3.68g. It's quite an achievement.

Choosing the Thicken inductor on the AX22 spool will very slightly increase the spool weight to 3.9g  - while giving even just a little something extra for the brake magnets to work on; helping it to be more forgiving of even beginner casters' technique. You can check the availability of both "Standard" and "Thicken" models using the button below:

Other famous aftermarket spool studios for BFS reel upgrades include Avail and Amo.

Upgrade via Maintainence

Another route to both improving (and retaining that improvement during use) performance of casting, braking and also the feel while winding is to apply modern, high-tech lubricants of the correct types to different components.

Drag grease can help to protect ultralight spools from being deformed (by reducing any tendency for the drag to "grab" when it starts up) - while high quality gear grease that doesn't easily get spun off those gears during use can prolong the life of the reel and greatly improve the smooth feeling when reeling ing.

Water repellent and dust-shield qualities in bearing lubricants can help to maintain high performance by protecting bearings from water and dirt.

Click here for a blog post on my favourite reel lube

I've been really impressed by the full range of specialist casting reel lubricants from Deuthlon - which is why I recommend them and have also agreed to be an affiliate for their stuff.

Buying a BFS Reel: Affordable Bait Finesse Reel Options

Finding your perfect reel is the balancing act between your budget, performance and durability. For many years, this style of fishing meant you needed deep pockets because the specialised casting rods and advanced reels were only available from top-end Japanese manufacturers at a high premium. Even modifying reels with aftermarket components was very expensive to do.

Now, there is a wide range of affordable reels on the market.

This is also matched by equally affordable options for rods - making BFS one of the most affordable forms of angling to get started in. It's quite amazing what a reversal has happened.

What  I'd buy under $50

To get below this pricepoint on a practical and enjoyable fishing reel you need to order from Aliexpress. To date I've always had good experiences ordering fishing gear from this site (some other retail areas on Ali like clothing have more of a "wild west" reputation). Shopping with official fishing brand stores or well-established sellers with lots of reviews seems like the way to go. To take advantage of the cost saving, longer delivery times will apply (with the range 2 to 8 weeks seeming to be normal). Depending where you are in the world, sales tax may apply - though free shipping is often offered.

In my 5-way cast battle the KastKing Zephyr BFS came out well (beating the Fishband GH100 and edging ahead of the Fishband PW100). It was the flip casting performance that edged the difference with the PW100 - though both will give a genuine BFS experience with lures of 2.5g (1/11th oz).

If you prefer the shipping times and trust of Amazon (and have access to the USA store), then the price will go up a little bit:

Best BFS Reel Under $100

The original version of the Dark Wolf Ultra needed a (cheap and easy) brake upgrade by simply placing a couple of self-adhesive small magnets on each brake shoe to turn it into an absolute BFS monster of a reel. After June 2022, though, the manufacturer modified the braking system to make it static - but strong enough without the extra magnets. Users report that it's difficult to tell the two versions apart (e.g. Charlie from Bass n Bonsai on Youtube casting with a 1.7g crank bait).

This reel will handle lures even as light as 1-g and up to 10-g. It's one of the best reels across ALL price points for casting ultralight lures like Trout Magnets - especially with a cast bearing upgrade. The cheapest retail prices for this reel are available on Aliexpress:

Up to $200 (Ultralight Bass Fishing Reel)

While the Dark Wolf Ultra still wins out for casting down to 1-g (unless you get an aftermarket spool), the build quality and casting performance offered by Shimano in their Curado BFS is fantastic for bass fishing applications and larger lures over 2.5g. It also has a reputation of improved durability over the slightly cheaper Shimano SLX BFS.

Buying a BFS Reel: Mid-range to Premium Prices

$200 to $300 (Great 1-g Casting out of the box)

The Daiwa Alphas Air TW 20 is an aluminium-bodied reel which is both fantastic out of the box and is also highly customisable - giving access to increased performance via aftermarket components. Daiwa's collaboration with tuning studio "KTF", lead to highly innovative spool design. While there is no drag clicker in the stock version, aftermarket kits are available from people like Sagisi Customs.

It's available for a great price on Amazon in the USA (about $15 more than the Curado above) - via a fast import direct from Japan:

$300 to $400 (Current "Hot" Baitcaster for Bait Finesse)

The Shimano Aldebaran BFS 22 XG is Shimano's response to Daiwa's Alphas Air TW 20 - in terms of 1-g casting capability out of the box. It features their Hagane concept metal body and renowned buttery-smooth gearing.

My advice is to go for the XG model for the higher speed retrieve - ideal for fishing upstream - and the associated cost saving on Amazon:

$400++ (JDM super premium)

While the Alphas Air manufacturing is outsourced to Korea, the Daiwa Steez Air TW 20 is a magnesium bodied reel fully produced in Japan. This is a reel for serious afficionados and a bit like the supercar option compared to the GT (tuned for extreme performance, but also perhaps slightly less forgiving).

Again, it's available on Amazon USA via direct import from Japan:

Collectors' Territory ($1000+++)

The classic small baitcasting reel models made by Abu (Ambassadeur 1500C, 1501C, 2500C and  2501C) in Sweden are now highly sought after. A few years ago you could buy these for $50 to $100 depending on condition and clean them up. Now you're fairly lucky if you can find decent renovation project Ambassadeurs for under $200.

Because of a fanatical Japanese fan-base for these well-engineered classics there is a thriving BFS tuning parts industry. Studios such as Avail, Valleyhill, Amo, Simon Shimomura and more create amazing, ultralight components to transform the original reels into BFS options. The cost of parts to do a complete overhaul rapidly add up - so it's easy to spend a total of over $1000 on an original reel plus all the tuning parts.

Either original reels, or super-tuned versions in pristine condition will normally cost you upwards of $2000. Depending on the rarity of the color-scheme, era, serial number and things like left-hand wind (the 1501C and 2501C models) that figure can go up considerably.

The guide book "Small Ambassadeurs" is an invaluable road-map to all the different models, variations and internal schematics for components.

BFS Reel Round Up

I hope that the above information proves useful to you and please do feel free to ask questions or leave feedback in the comments below. I've certainly found it fascinating and rewarding to jump down the rabbit hole of BFS fishing and everything that goes along with it. So much so, I've even been inspired to write a book on the subject as you'll see on the top link in the selection below:

Want More like this?

BFS - The Book

Best BFS Rods for your Budget

BFS Casting Rod Guide 

BFS Fishing

Lure Fishing Hub

Paul