Best BFS rod for your budget: What & How to Buy

It's an exciting time to be choosing a BFS rod. Not long ago your only options were super expensive Japanese imports - now there's everything from the most affordable to the most luxurious rods imaginable...

In this article we'll cover the full range so you can be sure of finding the right rod for you - so feel free to click on the headings in the Table of Contents below to jump right to the section you want to check out first:

Support FD: Buying directly through many of the links in this article helps to support Fishing Discoveries without changing the retail price from affiliate partners including Amazon Associates and Aliexpress. Non-affiliate links also appear - since my primary concern is the quality of the information published here.

I've created a separate article to explain details of BFS casting rod features and rod blanks. As a short summary here - this style of fishing uses a baitcasting rod which allows accurate casting with light lures (down to what you could term ultra-light finesse fishing approaches). The reel seats and line guides are compatible with baitcasting reels with special, shallow, very light spools, high performance bearings and magnetic braking systems

This article will concentrate more on what I would recommend (and often what I have actually bought) myself - depending on budget and exactly where you're at with your ultralight bait casting journey.

Because of the wide range of requirements, it's not really possible to name a single, definitive "best bfs fishing rod". That means I'll try to split the information into (hopefully) useful categories from super affordable to premium and even custom-build rods

Let's have a look at low barrier to entry rods that suit anglers just wanting to sample this style of fishing (as well as anyone with a careful eye on their budget).

BFS Budget Rod Recommendations

My own route into sampling Bait Finesse was to explore what felt a bit like the "Wild West" that is AliExpress (due to its reputation over some of the counterfeit clothing sellers on there). However, over time I've now ordered fishing gear extensively off the platform and have always had a good experience. I always try to look for sellers with good ratings and good stock levels and so far this is working well for me.

Further on in the article, I'll give recommendations for ways you might be able to access budget gear that ships inside the UK and USA.

However, for the absolute lowest prices (essentially at wholesale cost and sometimes with free shipping) then Aliexpress is the way to go. Of course, there are balancing factors to that low price - delivery times are often around 2-4 weeks (and occasionally longer). At the checkout, the platform will add on any sales tax - and displays that clearly so you know what that amount is (e.g. VAT, which previously was not charged - but has now been enforced by the UK Government).

Acehawk CU Double BFS Rod: Absolute lowest price with remarkable quality

The Acehawk CU Double certainly owes a lot to the YouTuber "The Reel Test" for popularising this great little rod. I, personally, have the shorter (single-tipped) model - but the best all-round option for performance and budget is the 1.8-m long C602 UL/L since it is a two piece rod that comes with two different rod tips:

1. UL - rated for lures of 0.5g - 4g
2. L - rated for lures of 2g - 6g

The moderate-fast action in a really responsive carbon blank is finished to a really high standard. Reinforcing carbon weaves towards the handle are a nice touch and this rod is amazing for casting lures within the stated ranges of each tip. Just in case it needs saying - it takes an exceptional BFS reel to cast a 0.5-g lure no matter what rod you are using.

The reel seat design is a glossy black plastic - though it looks and works very well (particulary at this price point). The ultralight tip utilises a final 15-cm section of solid carbon, whereas the rest of the tip, the Light-rated tip and butt section of the rod are all hollow graphite. 

One feature which tends to divide anglers is the use of brown EVA for the handle grip material. Personally, I quite like the overall cosmetics of this rod - and the material makes a good quality dense grip (and does not feel at all like a mushy, cheap handle).

In all, this is an excellent trout rod for BFS which, as a result, will do great service for perch, crappie and bluegill fishing also. Outside of light lures, it will begin to feel a bit outgunned - but that is obvious from the ratings displayed clearly on each tip anyway. I've had some wonderful adventures with this rod and, even though I own much more expensive rods too, I can't see myself selling mine.

Kingdom King Pro BFS Rod: Twin-tip versatility covering lures between 1 and 12-g

As well as stepping up the lure-weight compared to the CU Double, the 1.8-m Kingdom King Pro KK602 L/UL sports a matt-finish blank and dark-wood split handle. The blank is hollow graphite throughout for both tips (and the butt section). 

The combination of hollow blank and firm handle creates enhanced sensitivity, while the responsive, progressive action allows good casting distance as well as capable fish-playing qualities.

In the 1.8-m model that I recommend, the two tips are rated (accurately in my experience) as follows:

1. UL - 1g - 8g Lures
2. L - 2 - 12g Lures

When using either tip (according to lure weight), this is another great trout rod and - with the light power (2-12-g) tip can even do good work for small pike and finesse bass fishing. The tip and butt guides are designed with tapered, curved "legs" to reduce the chances of line wrapping around them - which is another nice touch in an affordable rod (as is the use of a matt blank - which can be a great stealth-bonus when wade-fishing on sunny days). Carbon weave in front of the handle should give reinforcement under heavier loads at the point where the rod experiences the greatest lateral forces.

Again, the main point of division would seem to be the combination of wooden handle and holographic-finish winding-check in front of the down-locking reel-seat collar. Also, some anglers may feel that the distance between the line guide on the reel and the butt-guide is too long (fearing this could cause rubbing of the line on the blank). 

Having used mine extensively, I can say that I've never noticed line-guide spacing as a problem and, instead, have experienced good casting distance and accuracy along with great fish-playing ability.

Check out the 1.8m KK602 L/UL on Aliexpress below:

High Quality & Still Budget-Friendly Range of BFS Rods

Kuying Teton "Standard" Range

The Kuying Teton TTC 510S rod in the next category after the "Budget" rods is an ultra-specialised tool (and a lovely rod - perfect for its intended purpose) - but don't overlook the "standard" Kuying Teton range either. Since I first wrote this article I've had a chance to try out my nephew's Teton with some lures in the 3 to 5g range - and I have to say I was really impressed. Very well finished rods, super sensitive and with a lovely smooth recovery during casting. It felt like a rod three or four times the price.

The available range of different lengths and lure-ratings do a good job of covering various preferences for species and fishing styles within the BFS category.

Just make sure to select the "Casting" or "Spinning" versions as required!

BFS Ultra-light Rod

Kuying Teton TTC 510S

Surprisingly, the emerging champion of "super" ultra-light BFS rods is the remarkable Kuying Teton TTC 510S 0.3g - 3g rod. This is a rod made by a Chinese company - using a range of Japanese components including Toray Carbon blanks and Fuji hardware. 

Having a solid tip - but with reinforcing spiral carbon tape wrappings helps to alleviate some of the concern over solid-tip BFS rods snapping (a problem that appears to show up from time to time in rods such as the Tsurinoya Proflex). While the blank rating is based on the same rod when fitted with spinning rod components, I have managed to cast lures (bead head flies from fly fishing actually) down to just over 0.4g with this rod.

I have also caught wild trout up to around 2lbs in weight - and the rod, amazingly, did not feel out-gunned at all. However, the upper lure-weight rating is pretty accurate and throwing something approaching 4.5g and upwards starts to feel a bit sloppy.

This is, after all, the BFS Ultra-light rod category!

Because the Kuying Teton range contains quite a few different models (all great fishing tools by the way), it can sometimes be slightly tricky to get the exact model pictured here. Care should be taken - if you want this S-UL rod - to go for the TTC 510S and double check the lure-weight ratings. The more extreme performance and special construction of this model attracts a slightly higher price than the "regular" Tetons - and the build quality and finish are of an excellent standard. A selection of Kuying rods are imported and sold within the UK by Needhams Specialist Tackle and within the USA by Bait Finesse Empire (where you can also find some of the travel rods mentioned later in the article).

Due to the super-soft tip, this is a pretty fast-action blank - despite the ultra-narrow butt section. Recovery is quick and a fast casting flick is the way to get the best out of this rod with really light lures. Kuying have done a great job to create a great blank for casting that also performs with extreme sensitivity for fishing and is also a surprisingly capable fish-playing tool as well.

They are available straight from Kuying's store on Aliexpress - and make sure to get the TTC (and not TTS) model if you want the BFS model:

BFS Travel Rod

Now, this is a pretty interesting category - bringing multi-section and even telescopic options to the table. You'll probably find a travel rod-option here and there, scattered between many different suppliers. In other words, it might be a category where you'll have to hunt around to find your ideal option (though I've done my best to include a few candidates here).

It's worth not ruling out Japanese suppliers here - and there's more information on this in the "JDM" section coming up further on in this article. Most web browsers these days have a "translate" button and Japanese retailers have earned a reputation of being very reliable and professional.

Telescopic BFS Rod Examples

For one example, I turned up a rod on Amazon's Japanese store by Jackson which is offered in multiple configurations (so you need to be careful to click the exact model you want). In this range, it is the KWSM-C47L-T which is the travel option - since the "T" stands for "Telescopic". 

Jackson Kawasemi Rhapsody KWSM-C47L-T

I also included two further telescopic BFS rods (this time from the USA Amazon store) in the FD article on the best telescopic rods which you might want to check out as follows...

For Power BFS check out the Daiwa BBB 636TMLRB along with its full specs and Amazon US store link

Alternatively, for more delicate presentations using smaller lures (particularly with small stream trout fishing in mind) click on the Abu Garcia Troutin Marquis Nano which is covered in detail.

Both those telescopic rods make use of "floating guides" technology to get round the age-old problem of poor guide spacing created when you can only place guides on the actual joint between different rod blank sections.

Multi-piece Bait Finesse Travel Rods

If the idea of telescopic rods leaves you cold, then its a case of finding a multi-section rod with a light power blank (or ultralight) as required. The short length of Bait Finesse rods means that any rod that comes in three or more pieces should be highly portable.

Bone Voyage 4-piece: BVC634L (3-10g lures)

This is a rod that gets a lot of love on the Bait Finesse Facebook Groups...

The mission statement behind this rod by BONE fishing was to be a travel rod which feels and performs just like a single-piece blank. Made with Japanese Toray carbon throughout, the tips are soft enough to promote increased accuracy for casting baits around cover - with a strong butt section to the blanks - reinforced with dual spiral wraps of wide carbon tape. That cross-weave gives authority over fish once hooked as well as providing reassurance about the rod's durability (both important factors in a travel rod). The blanks are beautifully finished and are fitted out with Fuji SIC guides and a Fuji reel seat.

A great detail (particularly for multi-piece rods) is the inclusion of alignment dots at each joint, which ensure your guides are lined up perfecly straight when you fit each rod section together.

Handles are split EVA foam in a mottled grey camo design and the rod is supplied in a sleek, black really well-designed, compartmentalised roll-up bag fitted with a shoulder carry strap.

Again - make sure to get the correct lure-rating and ensure it is a baitcasting (AKA "casting" model) if what you want is a travel bfs rod. Note that several other models spanning a wide range of lure weights and also including models with spinning reel seats and spin-fishing guides are offered on the link below.

Abu Garcia Zoom Safari

This multi-section spigot-joint rod from the Amazon Japan store has several models - so be careful to select the 5'6" (168cm) model rated for lures between 2 and 10g. Its five sections pack down to an incredible 15.4 inches (39cm), has a full (single-hand) cork handle and a total of 8 micro guides (including the tip) and is supplied in a protective, roll-up cloth bag:

Kuying Freestyle Walker (e.g. FWC704L)

Again, available in multiple lure-ratings and lengths. A versatile BFS option to check out would be the 4-piece, 7ft, 2-10g lure option (the FWC704L). This is another of Kuying's rods with an avid following on social media - some of whom would be very upset if I didn't include it here in this article! Given the 46T Toray carbon blanks, Triple-A cork handles, Fuji guides, Fuji reel seats and attractive deep red finish towards the handle - turning to smart grey carbon through the middle and tip - the fact this rod has an avid fanbase is not surprising!

JDM BFS Rod (Japanese Domestic Market)

The term JDM has experienced some "mission creep" from its original meaning of things that were only on sale to enthusiasts who lived in (or travelled to) Japan. Nowadays the term is most often used to separate out Japanese products from those made in and sold from China, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.

WIth that said, we've already seen the spirit of going the extra mile to search out Japanese products that aren't so easy to find in countries outside Japan is alive and well. It's true there are now tons of Japanese brands available to buy, locally in many countries around the world. However going onto Japanese-language websites and having them ship overseas to you can be a great way to uncover bargains on top-end products or even to find true "JDM products" that aren't on sale by non-Japanese retailers.

First of all - as an example of a rod that you can sometimes find for sale outside Japan - but which is more reliably found on Japanese retailers' sites is the Tenryu Rays Spectra (range). Tenryu's heritage as a premium Japanese rod-making company is second to none under its president Mr Miyoshi Shiozawa. As you'd expect with this pedigree, these rods are perfect examples of the qualities Japanese headwater and keiryu stream anglers want. Fast-actioned and relatively stiff for their lure rating - to give them accuracy and casting authority with the fast-sinking minnows suited to cutting down through powerful flows right after they land. You can view the rod range at places like JDM Tackle Heaven - https://jdmtackleheaven.com/collections/tenryu-rayz-spectra

Majorcraft Finetail (graphite): Getting the most for your money by going JDM

This range of BFS rods is very well known (particularly for their neat, offset handles - which helps to align your wrist naturally. They are also pretty widely available around the world. However, even when available locally,  depending on currency exchange rates it can be possible to find some attractive pricing by going down the JDM route - as in this Amazon Japan store example:

The above graphite rods have that generally faster, crisper and stiffer action associated with throwing fast sinking minnows to punch down through powerful currents - again highlighting how much of a typical Japanese style of fishing this is. A major reason behind this is the steep gradient of many of their rivers where fish like iwana, amago and yamame live (typical target species of char and trout for mountain-river BFS fishing).

However, there is also another aspect of the Japanese market (and around the world) where easy-loading and smooth flip-casting is a big part of the enjoyment. That's the territory of the high-quality modern glass-fibre BFS rod...

Majorcraft Finetail Glass e.g. FSG-B4102UL

Gorgeous, Custom BFS Rods

I've had so many enquiries from people wanting to know about the custom rods used in our videos - so for all those people, here are the details you've been asking for...

One of the biggest inspirations for my own BFS fishing has been (and continues to be) Angler Saito and his Enjoy Fishing channels on YouTube and Instagram. His mastery of casting, love of stylish vintage gear and dedication to the very best quality in everything he owns and does is really impressive. The product promotion for Anglo & Co rods is a very natural partnership and it certainly made me want to explore the idea of modern, really high-quality glass rods for BFS.

You can definitely see that influence on my fishing here:

As well as having the perfect S-glass blanks to build on - Darren's skills and craftsmanship allow him to create a rod that has top-of-the-range performance while also being gorgeous to look at and feel wonderful in hand too. I firmly believe that they are every bit as good as any of the rods I've tried to source from other companies. Plus, the option for complete personalisation might even make them that bit more special.

I now own two glass rods by Darren (and John Pearson has one)...I think there may be more of his rods making their way into my collection over time too!

However - don't make the mistake of thinking Resilure rods only come in S-Glass. Darren builds on all kinds of blank materials to suit exactly what you want (over multiple styles of fishing). Here's a custom-built graphite perch-fishing BFS rod:

And here is a very special graphite lure rod featuring a handle constructed from polished and dyed actual 10,000-year-old-mammoth tooth!

Or how about this gold-leaf inlay and olive-wood handle with 3-D metal trout - all resin-sealed for protection and gloss finish?

Perhaps this feedback from Ryan Sagisi (creator of the Daiwa Alphas Air TW 20 drag clicker kit and owner of Sagisi Customs) says it better than I can:

Resilure rods are individually-built to your personal specifications and shipped all over the world. Darren consults and collaborates with you to arrive at your final, ideal design. Because of this style of service, all builds need to be scheduled into Darren's timetable - these are not "off the shelf" options and that craftsmanship takes time. I also, personally, feel that Darren under-charges for his work - and perhaps one-day he'll listen to me! 

If you want to discuss your own custom build (and please keep this to serious enquiries only - otherwise it will strain my currently good relationship with Darren!) you can use the email button below as a personal introduction from me:

Enjoy!

Paul                   

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