Sheng He Xiao Ju Pony BFS Reel: Brutal Review

Sheng He followed up the success of their Lingl reel with a very interesting family of BFS reels under the brand Sheng He Xiao Ju Pony (or "Foal"). Majoring on light spools, tasteful cosmetics and a choice between metal and carbon frames it's worth taking a closer look at this reel...

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CARBON Versus METAL Body Sheng He Xiao Ju Pony Models

The reel photographed and tested in this review was bought with my own money for the purpose of testing and giving an objective opinion of my experiences. It is the newer and lower priced, carbon-bodied version (called the "Youth" or "Silver" version in product descriptions) - and this flags up the interesting choice that Sheng He made to put the lightest spool in the most affordable model...

The metal-bodied (and significantly higher priced) version is called the "Gold" model and has a larger, heavier spool with a longer spindle - so the spools are not interchangeable between carbon and metal bodies.

As a consequence - and from speaking with my trusted friend (and fellow BFS reel reviewer) Peter Kim - it is actually the more affordable model that is best equipped to cast very light baits (if that is what you're interested in).

• Probably the two most significant PLUS features for me are the inclusion of hybrid ceramic bearings as standard and the extremely light stock spool in the "SILVER" model. This means you don't have to clean OR lube the bearings to get maximum performance - and it also reduces the benefit you might get from installing BFS microbearings (such as those made by Roro).
• The biggest downside is the apparent slight inconsistency in manufacturing - and the associated slightly rougher feel to the reel in use.

Of course BFS (Bait Finesse System) fishing isn't only about casting the very lightest lures possible - but it can give newcomers confidence to leave their spinning reel at home if that ultra lightweight lure casting ability is there for them in their chosen BFS reel.

Before running through the specifications and getting on to my own, personal findings with the reel, here is Peter's initial impressions video to immediately get you right into the workings of this reel.

Peter Kim Video Rundown of the Sheng He Xiao Ju Pony BFS Reel (Silver Model)

Check out Peter's examination of the Sheng He Xiao Ju "Silver" below - do also go ahead and give him a "like" on the video and subscribe to his channel if you find the info useful:

Tale of the Tape for the Sheng He Xiao Ju (Silver AND Gold) Pony (or "Little Foal")

Check Global Price for "Gold" Version Xiao Ju:

Before continuing with extra details, in case you wanted to check out the current situation of price and availability at the cheapest seller I've been able to find for both models, you can click the images or buttons below before deciding if you want to read on further:

Check Global Price for Silver/Youth Version Xiao Ju:

The seller below is currently listing the Silver model at a lower price than was the case when Peter made his unboxing video

Casting Experience with the Sheng He Xiao Ju Pony (Silver)

With the lighter spooled "Silver" model I can confirm that - out of the box - it throws a 1-g Trout magnet very easily and accurately. Although I've not tested it directly against the Soloking Acura yet, my guess is that the Sheng He Xia Ju will at least equal the max distance achieved with the Soloking.

It also throws the 4-g FD Cripple Jerks extremely easily - including very good, flat-trajectory flip casting.

The ceramic hybrid bearings come without grease - which means they give maximum performance straight out of the box (you are meant to run ceramic bearings "dry"). While some anglers dislike the sound of ceramic bearings I personally don't mind that audible feedback of what is going on with the spool while the lure is going out. Yes, it can feel a bit more premium when using the Roro ST (Silent Tune) bearings - but I think with this reel the point is to kind of avoid upgrading bearings and just pick it up out of the box and fish with it.

The radical "pyramid" shape to the line guide (below) combined with the stock ceramic bearings and a very light stock spool in this model seem to combine extremely well to create this excellent casting.

BUT - some anglers may not like the way that this radical line guide projects a little way outside the front "guard" when palming the reel. It is this long forward extension and radical triangular/pyramidal shape which significantly reduces the line angle and friction passing from the spool.

Interestingly - the line guide on the GOLD model is parallel-sided and not sited as far forwards (as noted in Peter Kim's side-by-side comparison video below). Note that Peter has replaced the stock cork handles on his Gold model with the standard handle and knobs from the SILVER model:

Fishing Experience

Throwing both 4-g and 1.4-g minnow baits, the reel cast extremely well and the clicking drag was also good during the playing of fish. The reel foot was a little too small to be an ideal fit for the rod I have used most with the Xia Ju (The Kingdom King Pro 1.8-m UL). I had to screw the reel seat down very tightly to prevent the reel from shifting slightly when playing any fish that pulled hard - and the reel foot would probably benefit from a few wraps of electrician's tape to create a more snug fit with that rod.

Before I took the reel fishing, I noticed that when turning the handle one of the handle knobs seemed to "bind" a little bit through part of the rotation. This was annoying enough for me to take a sharp blade (a scalpel but a craft knife or similar would also work) and turned the knob while I held the blade in the gap between the reel handle and the knob (below):

This soon shaved off the offending plastic and made my fishing experience much better. The clutch engaged and disengaged positively and the reel retrieved well enough.

There is a slight geary feeling - which is broadly appropriate to the budget price-point of the "SILVER" - but it would be something I'd be less happy with in the "GOLD" model. It also feels a little less premium in the retrieve than the Soloking ACURA, which is probably my current favourite of the low to mid budget BFS reels (particularly with the dual spool option).

Who Might Find the Xiao Ju a Good Buy? (PLUS alternatives that might suit you better)

These reels are quite difficult to classify - they do certain things very well (including very nice cosmetics and excellent casting performance). Out of the two, my recommendation would - surprisingly - be the cheaper "SILVER/YOUTH" model. However, being priced in the same bracket as the Soloking ACURA could make it difficult to choose the Sheng He Xiao Ju...

The Soloking feels more premium in the retrieve, has a dual spool (deep and shallow) option as well as a choice of gear ratios. It also seems to have more consistent manufacturing tolerances and quality control.

Similarly, while a larger/slightly less palmable reel, the CastFanatic B1 may also be worth considering if a dual spool is not a primary consideration.

This reel has a comparably light spool to the Xiao Ju BUT it is also a larger diameter spool which gives more inches per turn line recovery and may also help it cope with long casts using heavier lures. 

Once again, though, the bearings need to be flushed or upgraded to bring it in line with the "out of the box" casting performance of the hybrid ceramic bearings of the Xiao Ju.

If throwing the very lightest lures (and a much more premium feel/higher tolerances) are your priority - and you want to achieve that at a price that is still lower than Japanese brand prices; the QingYu Kingfisher Flight Feather FF01 30S has the world's lightest stock spool and is probably impossible to beat - particularly now that it is available with a drag clicker kit and comes with a removable spool bearing when you buy through Dankung (Use the Code ReelPG to get $5 discount off the Kingfisher from the Dankung site).

Kit List Used in the Fishing Experience Test Section

If you want to recreate my experience in the fishing test, here's what I was using and where you migth be able to get it (note, the 38-mm minnows I was using were samples, I'll get links to them as soon as I can);

Reel: Sheng He Xiao Ju Pony "Silver/Youth"

Here is the lowest priced option I've found (badged in the description as "MASCOTTE"; with product photos showing that it is the Xiao Ju "SILVER"):

Rod: Kingdom King Pro 1.8m UL/L (Casting model) - twin tip (UL 1-8g and L 2-12g)

Make sure to select the "C" (for "Casting") version of this rod in the 1.8m option.

Lures

FD Cripple Jerks

BLUX Jack Claw 70S

Line

The line I used for both the casting and the fishing was simply 30-m of 4lb Berkley Trilene Fluorocarbon (straight through to the lure). You will probably already have your preferred BFS reel line (whether that is braid, fluoro or nylon/copolymer).

Local and temporary deals for the best price on Berkley Trilene will vary on a week-by-week basis; so that is best searched for as and when you need it.

Closing Comments & Further Discussion

Let me know in the comments what your experiences have been with this reel and any of the gear mentioned in this review.

PLUS - to extend the discussion further - join the conversation in Adrian Evans' BFS Budget Finesse Fishing group on Facebook.

Paul