You might be wondering if a Bait Finesse System (BFS) fishing is right for you. If you enjoy casting small lures, light line, or spending money, the answer is probably yes. BFS opens a new category of finesse fishing. New rods, reels, lures, and techniques. Below is things that I found to be helpful during my pursuit into BFS fishing.

Through rod building I have had to learn a lot of new fishing techniques. I won’t build a rod I wouldn’t fish and definitely won’t make a rod that I can’t cast. Being an enthusiast of Rebel lures, I found myself having a hard time getting lures like their Cat’R Crawler to cast out a decent distance without having line twists and wind knots with a ultra light spinning rod. This led to some research, and I stumbled upon BFS. After a lot of videos and reading I found a great BFS rod blank that I felt checked all the boxes I needed.

I designed the layout for this rod to have a bit larger of a rear grip section. This allows hook sets that lock into your forearm for added leverage and support.

When I was looking for a rod blank for BFS fishing I knew it had to be light weight, Ultra-light power, and have a fast tip without sacrificing a sturdy backbone. The rod needs to be able to cast down to .8 gram (1/32 ounce) with minimal efforts, while still having enough muscle to hook into bass and fight them. Since the rod I wanted to introduce into the Spring Green Tackle catalog was going to be oriented more towards rivers and ponds versus creeks which BFS was originally designed for, I knew I could get away with a long rod length which I prefer. The rod length that was decided on is 6’6”. This felt like a good length to help get long casts, strong hook sets, and great line control.

Like any fishing, choosing a reel can be difficult. I went with the budget friendly KastKing Zephyr and did the bearing upgrade. The bearings made a huge difference in casting distance. With the stock bearings, 2 gram lures were just about the smallest I could cast with 7lb Samurai fluorocarbon made by Diawa. With the bearing upgrade I am now able to hit that .8 gram weight. Remember to be patient when casting BFS gear, it is not like normal baitcasting.

Choosing lures can become expensive quick. Wanting all the colors, all the shapes, all the techniques. Ask yourself, where am I fishing, what am I fishing for, and how do I enjoy fishing. I am very fond of the Rebel lures like the Tadfry, Cat’rCrawler, and Big Ant. The problem is these were discontinued some time ago so sourcing them can be tough. Their Crickhopper, Teeny Crawfish, Bumble Bug, and Teeny R, are great lures that are still available. Other lures that are good performers are the Scum Frog Tiny Toad, Strike King Bitsy Wiggler, Strike King Bitsy Minnow, Strike King Bitsy Bug (jig), Booyah Micro Pond Magic spinner bait and buzz bait. The soft plastics are endless, but my favorites are hellgrammites, and crawfish by Yum. The Japanese market is flooded with lures for BFS fishing, but my advice is if you are looking for specific lures, reach out to local lure/bait makers (like Limit Out Baits) first. It is amazing to see what they can create.

The big question is why BFS? I choose to use BFS as a primary for ultralight fishing for a few main reasons. Casting only takes one hand to do, which helps add more casts to your entire trip. I get way less line tangles, wind knots, and twists. One of my favorite parts of BFS fishing is when you target bass with small gear, you get surprise hook ups with crappie and big bluegills. I also really enjoy not having the slight inconvenience of opening a spinning bail all day.

BFS Basics

Row vs. Wade