By Tackle Warehouse | December 2023
Our goal with Tackle Warehouse Product Reviews is to provide anglers with an honest opinion on the latest bass fishing tackle and equipment, so they can make the most informed purchase possible. We test products by distributing them to a team of trusted Tackle Warehouse employees who have a wide breadth of fishing knowledge and experience. Each reviewer is responsible for field testing and grading the product before and after use. After our reviewers have completed their testing, the grades are averaged, and their notes are compiled to highlight the most important product elements – all to provide as much information as possible for anglers to consider while shopping.
All scores are rated from 1-to-5 with 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest score.
If you've ever tried casting ultra-light lures on a traditional baitcasting reel, then you’ll understand how casting performance steeply drops off when you start using lures less than a quarter ounce. So, you can understand our skepticism about the bait finesse system (BFS) concept, with a few reviewers citing how some finesse tactics simply perform better with spinning tackle, even referring to BFS fishing as ‘just another niche micro-baiting technique’ from Japan.
After Shimano introduced the Curado BFS casting reel the technique became more of a legitimate category among serious bass anglers. We could no longer discount BFS as a niche technique and our curiosity grew when we began thinking about all the spinning rod applications it could replace.
Out of the package, the BFS version carries the same sleek cosmetics found throughout all other Curado K models, and the overall size of the reel provides a similar feel and palmability to the 70 size - not too big or too small. With the ‘BFS’ label, we expect to fling tiny baits with relative ease, broaden our range of lightweight bait sizes, and hope to declutter the boat deck by eliminating some spinning rods in favor of bait finesse setups.
“Even with a high-speed gear ratio, the spool diameter feels very small, and having enough speed on the hookset could be a potential problem. Especially in deeper water situations where you have a lot of line bow.” - Joey
Simply stated, the Curado BFS casting reel does exactly what it's advertised to do, cast lightweight lures effectively, and our team was shocked at the reel’s ability to fire 1/8oz lures into strong headwinds with no issues. What makes the Curado BFS casting reel great for bait finesse applications is Shimano’s Finesse Tuned Brake (FTB) System which greatly improves lightweight casting performance by eliminating the brake unit from the spool.
Unlike traditional magnetic brake systems that only maintain the same spool pressure throughout the cast, the FTB brake system uses centrifugal forces to slow down the spool as needed and prevent backlash with increased braking power. Anglers can add or remove individual brake magnets as needed to fine-tune the reel for various lure sizes, and the audible drag sound is a popular feature to help you gauge how much pressure to apply to the fish when using lightweight fishing line.
When it comes to durability, none of the reviewers cited quality any issues with the Curado BFS casting reel, stating how this model performed on par with previous generations that lasted countless seasons with minimal maintenance. Over the years, Shimano has earned a strong reputation for building rock-solid products with industry-leading technologies that continue to deliver peak performance even if they’re neglected or abused by their owners. In hand, the Curado BFS casting reel feels extremely lightweight yet well-built, giving anglers a feeling that instills confidence when making a cast with an ultra-lightweight lure.
Historically the Curado series hasn’t offered all the bells and whistles of a flagship or high-dollar baitcasting reel, but they always seem to hit the perfect sweet spot in terms of quality, durability, and price point. Considering the high level of ultra-lightweight casting performance, the Curado BFS casting reel ranks as one of the best finesse casting reels currently on the market but doesn’t carry the hefty price tag commonly associated with comparable JDM model options. Value doesn’t always translate to top-notch performance, but we believe the Curado BFS casting reel represents a more affordable option for finesse bass fishing and crappie anglers who want a high-quality bait finesse reel.
There’s no doubt the Curado BFS casting reel provides a wide range of adjustment within the realm of bait finesse lures, but the reel’s utility is obviously limited to micro finesse presentations. During the test period, the product reviewers spooled up the Curado BFS with 4-8lb fluoro and 10-12lb braid, but the consensus among the group confirmed that 6lb fluorocarbon offered the best combination of castability and line management. Our team experimented with a wide variety of compact treble hook baits, micro jigs, and ultra-lightweight jig heads, and after some regular use, it became evident to all of us that this reel excels at flinging around any lure in the 1/16- 1/8oz range. Incredibly specialized, the Curado BFS casting reel provides excellent long-distance castability for lightweight lures, but its super-shallow spool and finesse-tuned braking system limit its functionality strictly to bait finesse applications.
Overall, the Shimano Curado BFS casting reel vastly exceeded our expectations, and the reviewers were amazed at its unique ability to cast ultra-lightweight lures and how fun it was to catch fish of all sizes. Perfect for any angler who has a passion for ultra-light casting but prefers the functionality of a casting reel, we quickly learned how effective bait finesse fishing is for catching highly pressured fish and how it adds to the thrill of any battle.
Our hope was that we could swap some of our spinning rods for bait finesse casting set-ups, and while many of us have, we believe there are plenty of open-water situations where a spinning setup provides superior casting distance and handling. Not to mention, a few of us struggled with casting braided fishing lines using the Curado BFS which ruled out converting our drop shot spinning rods due to the insane amount of twists you often experience when using straight fluorocarbon.
In the past, bait finesse casting reels could only be sourced from overseas markets and the technique was limited in the states by price and availability. With the introduction of the Shimano Curado BFS casting reel, every angler now has a more accessible bait finesse option that won't burn a hole in the bank account. Whether you’re just breaking into bait finesse fishing or building out a full lineup of BFS equipment, the Curado BFS casting reel is a cost-effective addition to any angler’s arsenal and brings the workhorse legacy of the Curado series.
“Ultimately, the Curado BFS casting reel did exactly what it was advertised to do - cast light lures. Are there better reels out there on the market? Yes. At a better price? No.” - Charlie
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