I’m a fan of NFC’s soft touch grips, I haven’t used any cork or EVA after using my first set.

I’ve been building and using BFS rods since the beginning of eShopping made it possible to bring in the reels in from Japan. I don’t think there was even this term and acronym back then. Here are a few thoughts. I find that the action angles at the lower end of the “fast action” rod range work really well. The lighter lures cast better when the rod loads amply but still rebounds quickly. Along with this concept is picking blanks that are light enough to load well with reduced lure weights. A 703 is heavier than my BFS builds. The parameters I build them for max out at 1/4 ounce lures on 8lb fluorocarbon.

There are still many more BFS reels available from the non-USA Warranted Asian vendors. If you find a reel that really works for you, I recommend buying extra wear parts and keeping it in service for as long as you can. I’ve got one that is going on 20 years old that casts crazy well for me. I also own its current generation equivalent. It’s a very good reel, but it’s not yet working quite as well as the original. I’ve experimented with a variety of braided lines and find dig-in with these tiny diameters to be universally problematic.

Just concurring with the comments about a bit more moderate action. The light to medlight CB blanks hit my sweet spot for inshore. I also enjoy glass or combo blanks. Especially in small streams. My first “bfs” rod was a Falcon Ultimate trout rod, which I loved. Either the reels got a lot better or just my disposable income did. I really like the Diawa Silver Wolf for all around use and the Gek for smaller streams.

Thank you Patrick

Kendall that all makes complete sense i’m just now starting to get into the JDM market for reels i’m primarily at bass fisherman that does kayak tournaments for largemouth and smallmouth my fun fishing there’s river fishing for smallmouth bottom bouncing or jerk bait crank bait what blank would you recommend for just starting out getting into BFS

Tim the diawa Silverwolf has been on my radar for a while

The Silver Wolf will be my next reel purchase as I’m interested in its line lay system configured for braid. I’m using Sufix 131 with really good success on an Alphas SV TW in the weight class slightly heavier than finesse. The Wolf with 131 might get me all the way down to finesse with braid.

I’m a big fan of the St. Croix/Rod Geeks SCV/C5 series, but the SCIV/C4 series works a little better overall for me in finesse rods. The C470MLF and C466MLF models are slightly less fast with their 4.5 tips than the 4.0 tipped C5 counterparts. Saving about 50% of the cost and only gaining .1 ounce is pretty nice, too. I’ve got two rods built on the first generation SCIV material that go back about 17 years. The new generation are very sophisticated blanks for under $100.

The RX10 Eternity ETES68ML-SS is a very nice finesse blank, as well. My build on this blank is probably where the Silver Wolf will first land as the Curado 70 sitting on it doesn’t cast 1/4 ounce lures with some wind resistance as well as a couple of the Daiwa reels I own. The following Batson company video covers this blank at pretty good depth at the 16:00 mark. I didn’t see the length and weight range I prefer in the NFC line. Maybe they will do a C6O2 in this range before long.

[www.youtube.com]

NFC did come out with a bfs blank that I’m interested in
I love my jdm slx xt 70 but I have yet to cast anything really light with it

I don’t know how to post pictures on here. If you have an email or way to dm I can send videos or pics on the P700 X-ray. Great blank and I use it exclusively for sight fishing slot reds on the FL gulf coast. Great blank.

I went down to 6lb varvivas braid on the Gek, but didn’t care for it. Much like using the sub 2 gram lures, you really have to pay attention. 8/10 suffix has been my go to. The different line lay on the Wolf is a bit overhyped, imho, but it is a great reel.
On reels, the Curado is a great reel for the money. I also used a roro spool in a Zillion and it is very nice. I imagine if you have otherBass reels, you could give that a shot.
On rod actions, a clarification. I don’t mind fast rods in the ultralight rods as they still have plenty of flex. The NFC P700 is a great example. And if throwing hair jigs on 1/32-1/16 jig heads, that is what I grab. I will also mention that the lightest APFG is also very nice for this. Then as I step up, The CB in a 2/3 power that can still cast a combined max of 4.4grams 1/16 jig and zman trd are great for sight casting reds in shallow water. The rods will toss a bit heavier nicely if you don’t power cast.
Ill order a P702 in my next round. I have a couple SJ803 and a bunch of fly rods to finish first.

Good luck with your build

I figured I should document my claim from above. I built this in about 2005. It's functioned very well catching many smallmouths and walleyes. It is on an SCIV Legend blank (SCIV66LF), which was state of the art. For some reason the integrity of the thread finish on the hoop keeper looks compromised in the photo. That's not the case. The AT micro-click reel seat no longer works, so I need to replace.



[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2023 12:45PM by Kendall Cikanek.

Thanks, that was/ is a great blank. My wife’s favorite spinner for trout.

I always struggled finding blanks that would load easily and yet have junk in the trunk for redfish

Tim Scott Wrote:
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> Thanks, that was/ is a great blank. My wife’s
> favorite spinner for trout.
>
> I always struggled finding blanks that would load
> easily and yet have junk in the trunk for redfish


If my memory is correct, the SCIV, brown-colored Legend Elite blanks were the first to feature both Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) and Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART). I can verify with a search that they had both, but couldn’t confirm which series had it first. A lot of experience, time, and testing went into these tapers. I lived in Duluth then and traveled over to Park Falls a few times to take the tour and buy blanks. There is a noticeable difference in the balanced performance elements you mentioned between nicely designed and refined blanks and the commodity level of stuff.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2023 06:13PM by Kendall Cikanek.

P700 build

Robert, Have you had a chance to fish the IS 703 xray? I am looking at the IS 693 but I haven't seen much on these blanks in my searches. I mainly throw 1/8 oz jig heads with a soft plastic to slot reds on shallow grass/sand flats so no need to really put a lot of pressure on the fish other than to release them before they wear out. If you don't mind sharing your thoughts on the rod I would appreciate it.

thanks- eric

Nice build Robert! A stealth bomber!

Eric,

I have quite a few trips and plenty of reds and trout with the IS703. I use it primarily for light lure sight fishing on the flats like you’ve mentioned, Neds, buggs, jigs and small Texas rigs 1/8 up to 1/4. I’ve also been throwing MR 17s on it in the creeks lately. It’s a great rod if you trend towards light tackle inshore and honestly one of my favorite builds to date.

Thanks Michael! I just built a second P700 with a spiral wrap. The one in the picture was my very first build and admittedly not the cleanest cosmetic wise. Thanks to places like this forum I’ve learned a ton and made strides when it comes to aesthetics and finish, but it still fishes great!

Robert Henry Wrote:
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> P700 build


What rod guides did you end up using? I’m building on that same blank and I’m at a loss as to what guides to choose…

I'm building the P700 right now and went with a Fuji RV6 butt guide and then Fuji Alconite size 4 kb and kts.