I don't own bfs, but do own a lot of abus. I have never adjusted my brakes like that, I usually start with the magnetic tighter on smaller lures and then adjust the tension until the lure creeps out of the reel. Every new day out on the water i over adjust the brakes and then loosen them accordingly so i don't backlash on the first cast.
Yeah u don't do that with fishing light lures. The spool must be able to spin freely as possible as it needs to utilize the weight of the lure to spin the spool. This is why this spool is considered too heavy for the light lures.
Thank for the feedback jimbo I knew how this video was gonna go after initially watching the unboxing video. I’m waiting for December to come so I can get the new Daiwa alphas BF TW. I’m looking forward to trying one it looks like it’s gonna be pretty dope. Tight lines bro keep up the amazing work !!!
I was waiting for this video - Thanks Jimbo! I'm definitely sending back my recently ordered Revo X "BFS". If you can't accurately send a light lure then there's NO WAY I'll be able to toss light lures with this monstrosity. The Ark Gravity is gonna be my go to for UL BFS
Oh yeah... The Ark Gravity bfs reel is perfect for the UL game! The Daiwa Alphas SV TW 800S will be a better choice than this at the similar price. Only while yen is down!
Thx. You can definitely use it as a worming rod. Casting weightless worms Texas rigged should be around 4 grams and up. I think I wanna go back to worming with the zoom trick worms now!
The way I calibrate all my BC reels is tying on the lightest weight I'll be throwing on it, then with zero brake release the clutch before easing the tension knob slowly. I want to get the weight to fall to the ground at a steady pace and hit the ground with barely little to no backlash. After I'm comfortable with the tension, it's all about the brake settings. Higher brakes for lighter lures, lower brakes for heavier ones. With this method, I've hardly ever had any trouble with backlashes on the cast. Works even better if you're on a tall building and you can really dial in that tension knob.
Sounds like you configure your reels using legacy method created for centrifugal braking reels. I configure all my magnetic reels like a Daiwa. Loose tension as possible. Then max brakes and see where the sweet spot range for the reel is by lowering brake setting after each cast (basically what I portrayed)
Mathematically, one less variable means it's easier, thus setting the tension one time is technically much more simple! But as long as you find that your method works for you! I have done both and I choose the way as portrayed. Cheers
Thank you for confirming my doubts about this reel, lol. Seems like Abu has a track record of rushing reels to the market to fit a certain price point, just for the cash grab. For what they're considering a "BFS" performance, I think I'm better off relying on my Shimano SLX MGL. It throws 1/8 - 1/4 oz. lures like a dream!
you are welcome! while the SLX can cast 1/8th, you gotta throw less line on, which makes it dispense not much line per rotation. that is okay if you are going to be casting close quarter fishing, but if you need that distance, larger size bait finesse spools will get you the distance :)
This reel will be better for power BFS 7g+ (1/4oz). But there are many cheaper reels and spool mods on the market for that. Thanks for making 2 trips casting the Abu BFS and MGL.
While u can use a MH setup, rod power is still different! You can be using thinner lines and lighter rods like ML. That's the point of power bfs. While u can use bfs to fish those ranges for specific applications, you can also do it going bigger tackle.
Just a thought, but I think this was designed to pair with the Abu Garcia Veritas BFS rod, which is made for more power finesse, with a weight rating of 1/8-3/8 oz, not ultra lite jigs. Again, just my theory.
You are welcome. I mean it's heavy! Heavy Duty feel, so it can be sturdy. I gotta imagine gears have to be really good to handle 20lbs of drag. I returned it after this video was completed so I have not fished it and put it to any sort of real tests!
I had it loose as possible so that It can cast freely. But still not free enough as it's not casting accurately due to spool weight. I got the black max x and I configured it the same way as I portrayed here. It's good.
I think they made more of a "american" version of a bfs reel. It cant throw true ultra light baits. But it can bomb a tiny little popper or square bill on a ultra light rod. If you want to throw tiny bass lures and don't want to use a spinning reel this is a great reel for the price.
It's certainly will work for power finesse side. But there are cheaper and lighter alternatives like the kastking zephyr bfs or Tsurinoya hurricane and those can cast lighter. All abu had to do was port it and reduce a bit of weight and it would been good!
@@rawrfishing yeah that’s crazy I feel like that alone tells you they didn’t put a lot of effort behind making it a bfs reel, I’m more than happy with my curado bfs and Calcutta conquest bfs
LOL, yeah it could be the end! But my honest review will make them better and stronger! I will be happy to discuss with Abu and give them a few pointers if they are open!
It's more of marketingb to american buyers. Abu JDM already has real bfs reels. American Bass pros aren't ready for ul BFS. Americans belive bigger is better and there's no replacement for dispalcment. 😂 Abu should've market this one a Skipping reel especially with 20lbs drag....whos needs 20lbs for BFS. Lol next year they'll release their bfs JDM counter parts.... ICAST 2025.
They already have a skipping reel with a shallow spool... Released last year. Same looking reel, heavy and big. It just doesn't say bfs on it lol. They can do power bfs.. Just don't use the term UL in anything as it's very misleading. It also can't throw the lightest lure in my box! So that's why the box and the reel... Got returned! Lol
Seems like a lazy effort from Abu. Can’t just slap a heavy shallow spool with the same big frame and bearings as a normal baitcaster and have an effective BFS reel. It’s a shame because I like their regular baitcasters
@@rawrfishing It's actually called the Abu Garcia Revo BF8 LTX. It's a higher end version. I believe it has the same size spool, but I'm not sure about the breaking system. It's a JDM model.
It's likely magtrax. All abu bfs reels used magnetic braking instead of centrifugal to reduce spool weight. I think every bfs reel from abu Japan would be able to beat this. But for me... I said... While yen is down... Why abu? Daiwa baby lol
because spinning reels are heavy, inefficient for short distance casting and are line twist generators for some fishing techniques unless you spend an arm and leg for higher end reels or Japanese reels.
@@Hitokiri99 that's what I have heard! Their product description is so misleading. But I guess this reel is okay for some PE BF fishing heavier lures in cover
Probably! I saw that The new Daiwa steez Ltd ct SV TW is power BF specific! It is rated for 5g lures and it is made for thicker PE line! Sounds exciting
@@rawrfishing The people buying Abu Garcia are the same people buying Mach and Lews combos, they do just fine for general lure sizes but they're quite oversaturated in the market and don't have much to offer in terms of luxury.
I don't own bfs, but do own a lot of abus. I have never adjusted my brakes like that, I usually start with the magnetic tighter on smaller lures and then adjust the tension until the lure creeps out of the reel. Every new day out on the water i over adjust the brakes and then loosen them accordingly so i don't backlash on the first cast.
Yeah u don't do that with fishing light lures. The spool must be able to spin freely as possible as it needs to utilize the weight of the lure to spin the spool. This is why this spool is considered too heavy for the light lures.
@@rawrfishingmay i know what the weight of the spool?
Thank for the feedback jimbo I knew how this video was gonna go after initially watching the unboxing video. I’m waiting for December to come so I can get the new Daiwa alphas BF TW. I’m looking forward to trying one it looks like it’s gonna be pretty dope. Tight lines bro keep up the amazing work !!!
Thx man. I saw that reel, can't wait! Size 30mm spool is where the fun begins for L and Up!
I was waiting for this video - Thanks Jimbo! I'm definitely sending back my recently ordered Revo X "BFS". If you can't accurately send a light lure then there's NO WAY I'll be able to toss light lures with this monstrosity. The Ark Gravity is gonna be my go to for UL BFS
Oh yeah... The Ark Gravity bfs reel is perfect for the UL game! The Daiwa Alphas SV TW 800S will be a better choice than this at the similar price. Only while yen is down!
Mine was a gift so I won’t be returning it. It’s my dedicated ned rig and 4” weightless worm reel. Thanks for the review Jimmy.
Thx. You can definitely use it as a worming rod. Casting weightless worms Texas rigged should be around 4 grams and up. I think I wanna go back to worming with the zoom trick worms now!
The way I calibrate all my BC reels is tying on the lightest weight I'll be throwing on it, then with zero brake release the clutch before easing the tension knob slowly. I want to get the weight to fall to the ground at a steady pace and hit the ground with barely little to no backlash.
After I'm comfortable with the tension, it's all about the brake settings. Higher brakes for lighter lures, lower brakes for heavier ones. With this method, I've hardly ever had any trouble with backlashes on the cast. Works even better if you're on a tall building and you can really dial in that tension knob.
Sounds like you configure your reels using legacy method created for centrifugal braking reels. I configure all my magnetic reels like a Daiwa. Loose tension as possible. Then max brakes and see where the sweet spot range for the reel is by lowering brake setting after each cast (basically what I portrayed)
@@rawrfishing I find that that's the easiest way to tune your BC reel, especially when you're throwing lures from 10g all the way to just 1g.
Mathematically, one less variable means it's easier, thus setting the tension one time is technically much more simple! But as long as you find that your method works for you! I have done both and I choose the way as portrayed. Cheers
@@rawrfishing Likewise, I only calibrate the reel tension once after spooling fresh new line. In the end, all that matters is personal preference.
Thank you for confirming my doubts about this reel, lol. Seems like Abu has a track record of rushing reels to the market to fit a certain price point, just for the cash grab. For what they're considering a "BFS" performance, I think I'm better off relying on my Shimano SLX MGL. It throws 1/8 - 1/4 oz. lures like a dream!
you are welcome! while the SLX can cast 1/8th, you gotta throw less line on, which makes it dispense not much line per rotation. that is okay if you are going to be casting close quarter fishing, but if you need that distance, larger size bait finesse spools will get you the distance :)
This reel will be better for power BFS 7g+ (1/4oz). But there are many cheaper reels and spool mods on the market for that. Thanks for making 2 trips casting the Abu BFS and MGL.
Def for power... But this is a new power... ULTIMATE POWER WITH 20 LBS OF DRAG!
The park is 4 miles away so it's not bad :)
I don't think 1/4oz is considered BFS, you can cast 1/4oz well with a medium-heavy setup..
While u can use a MH setup, rod power is still different! You can be using thinner lines and lighter rods like ML. That's the point of power bfs. While u can use bfs to fish those ranges for specific applications, you can also do it going bigger tackle.
@@ArdeactI say 1/4 is. You can cast 1/4 consistently normally but this way you get extra distance and little less backlash worry
Just a thought, but I think this was designed to pair with the Abu Garcia Veritas BFS rod, which is made for more power finesse, with a weight rating of 1/8-3/8 oz, not ultra lite jigs. Again, just my theory.
@@ScottMillerFishing yes but that's not what it was advertised. I picked up my lightest lure to the most heaviest and was not able to cast it.
Thanks for testing and sharing your opinions. How do you feel about the build quality, light lure performance aside?
You are welcome. I mean it's heavy! Heavy Duty feel, so it can be sturdy. I gotta imagine gears have to be really good to handle 20lbs of drag. I returned it after this video was completed so I have not fished it and put it to any sort of real tests!
@@rawrfishing Thanks for your input!!
u bet! if your throwing 4 grams and up like Ike, he seems to enjoy it!
I've found that with abu's, especially their lower end reels, I have to adjust the spool tension for each lure to work in conjunction with the brakes.
I had it loose as possible so that It can cast freely. But still not free enough as it's not casting accurately due to spool weight. I got the black max x and I configured it the same way as I portrayed here. It's good.
I think they made more of a "american" version of a bfs reel. It cant throw true ultra light baits. But it can bomb a tiny little popper or square bill on a ultra light rod. If you want to throw tiny bass lures and don't want to use a spinning reel this is a great reel for the price.
It's certainly will work for power finesse side. But there are cheaper and lighter alternatives like the kastking zephyr bfs or Tsurinoya hurricane and those can cast lighter. All abu had to do was port it and reduce a bit of weight and it would been good!
This is exactly why I subscribed to you page Jimbo! You always keep it a buck 💯. I love bfs but that was sad to see. What’s the max drag on this reel?
20 pounds
Thx! 20 whopping lbs!
@@rawrfishing 20lb👀 that’s interesting
@@rawrfishing yeah that’s crazy I feel like that alone tells you they didn’t put a lot of effort behind making it a bfs reel, I’m more than happy with my curado bfs and Calcutta conquest bfs
I don't think Abu USA ever really built one. They seem to be disconnected with Abu Japan. Hope this video will help change something!
I'm glad i watched this video before purchase this so called bfs reel..
It is Super power bfs reel!
@@rawrfishing Haha..
I really want to own abu garcia bfs reel..
How about 2024 roxani bf7? Is it good?
I heard it is only slightly better out of the box. But good news... Plenty of aftermarket spools to make it better!
@@rawrfishing Sounds good, but it really worth it compared to stock revo alc bf7?
I only heard. I have not used it.
I rather spend my money else where with dynamic braking over the mag Trax style
Thanks for keeping it reel. Even if your breakdance vid collab with IKE may be the last collab. 😅
Abu for life. 😂
LOL, yeah it could be the end! But my honest review will make them better and stronger! I will be happy to discuss with Abu and give them a few pointers if they are open!
It's more of marketingb to american buyers. Abu JDM already has real bfs reels. American Bass pros aren't ready for ul BFS. Americans belive bigger is better and there's no replacement for dispalcment. 😂 Abu should've market this one a Skipping reel especially with 20lbs drag....whos needs 20lbs for BFS. Lol next year they'll release their bfs JDM counter parts.... ICAST 2025.
They already have a skipping reel with a shallow spool... Released last year. Same looking reel, heavy and big. It just doesn't say bfs on it lol.
They can do power bfs.. Just don't use the term UL in anything as it's very misleading. It also can't throw the lightest lure in my box! So that's why the box and the reel... Got returned! Lol
it might work for small crankbaits
@@bigmikefishingchonicles9950 as long as it is heavy enough, most cranks are likely 1/8th Oz or higher.
@rawrfishing yes I didn't say it but that is what a was referring to
:P Be interesting to see if they cut some weight off that spool. Drill some holes Abu!
for the asking price id rather get a TSURINOYA hurricane or a dark wolf ultra
The dwu and hurricane will out perform casting lighter lures for sure.
Have you ever considered collabing with EPF? Maybe you can introduce BFS to him.
You are many years late lol! We have many collaboration videos before our schedule never seems to work out. And I have asked, but He chooses spinning
Okay gotta go back and check it out.
Search for EPF off my channel! Will see a few!
How well does this reel go casting diving harbody lures?
Didn't try. Returned for a refund
Seems like a lazy effort from Abu. Can’t just slap a heavy shallow spool with the same big frame and bearings as a normal baitcaster and have an effective BFS reel. It’s a shame because I like their regular baitcasters
I hope abu will see this video and either come talk to Jimbo or... Do their homework! They certainly can learn a lot from Abu Japan!
Looking for dedicated panfish setup any budget suggestions?
The portrayed rod is pretty good and I love it even for larger Panfish such as crappies!
Reel, I would go with the Ark Gravity bfs!
All my abu garcia revo stx throw 3/16oz
Is that the Jig only? Or total weight of everything?
@@rawrfishing everything med action 6'6 Falcon rod
Cool beans!
Wow... That was disappointing! I almost bought a Revo LTX, and now I'm glad I didn't! Ugh.
While this reel is certainly a let down... I have no comments about the Revo LTX. Not sure what it even is lol...
@@rawrfishing It's actually called the Abu Garcia Revo BF8 LTX. It's a higher end version. I believe it has the same size spool, but I'm not sure about the breaking system. It's a JDM model.
It's likely magtrax. All abu bfs reels used magnetic braking instead of centrifugal to reduce spool weight. I think every bfs reel from abu Japan would be able to beat this. But for me... I said... While yen is down... Why abu? Daiwa baby lol
Why not just use ultralight spin?
because spinning reels are heavy, inefficient for short distance casting and are line twist generators for some fishing techniques unless you spend an arm and leg for higher end reels or Japanese reels.
My revo slc-ib8 from 2016 can beat these in casting performance with light to ul lure..
@@Hitokiri99 that's what I have heard! Their product description is so misleading. But I guess this reel is okay for some PE BF fishing heavier lures in cover
@@rawrfishing yup I think they design this bfs reel for western user unlike their asian particularly their jdm model the slc,alc and elite model..
Probably! I saw that The new Daiwa steez Ltd ct SV TW is power BF specific! It is rated for 5g lures and it is made for thicker PE line! Sounds exciting
Have you ever heard of the SPOOL TENSION KNOB? That is what you adjust first, then fine tune with magnetic or centrifugal brakes.
@@shanesims4632 already done. Watch the video one more time.
See what did I say lol. I don't like Abu Garcia
They definitely won't like me after this video lol
@@rawrfishing The people buying Abu Garcia are the same people buying Mach and Lews combos, they do just fine for general lure sizes but they're quite oversaturated in the market and don't have much to offer in terms of luxury.
Are they good work horses tho?
@@rawrfishing They are, they perform well with power fishing
Could be enough for some folks. I know many folks say Japanese reels are too weak... But the fact is they over power everything lol