Third summer going into fishing with the Zephyr and i love it more than when i first got it . Its beat to heck , got a bunch of scrapes but it adds character. Im thankful for the strong drag since it's helped me airlift multiple 3's and 4's unto a bridge along with my PB of 5 pounds . Got it paired with a 5ft Ul Ugly stik lite pro . Small fish feel big and big fish feel huge 😅!! I gotta thank you Master Jimbo for putting me on this beautiful bfs journey , i had a blumaxx as my beginner baitcaster ( i didnt even know how to use spinning gear 😅) than i got rid of it , did my research and found you because of the zephyr. Got it left hand retrieve put braid on it thanks to ur vid suggestions and mastered using a baitcaster . I had to do so much research to be able to catch bass . Now i can say i learned to baitcast on a bfs as a know nothing angler . Thanks a ton Master Rawrr ❤
That's awesome. Glad you are enjoying the zephyr bfs. I hope you will explore some other more finesse reels out there as things are getting better and better! Throwing sub 1 gram is insane
The KastKing combo looks like a fine rod and reel for BFS fishing. I believe it takes some time to discover the best setting for any new reel. The brakes appear well suited for light lures. I discovered if you make a few good casts and the brakes are working well and then the reel has a slight backlash I just tighten the spool tension a click and that cures the occasional backlash problem instantly. It is difficult to tell if you have to little spool tension. If you use to little tension the spool will vibrate and cause the line to go between the spool and reel body. When the spool tension is set properly it quiets the reel and it casts more consistently. Most reels fresh out of the box take some time seating the two contact point on the ends of the spool. As they wear in they require adding slightly more tension. Often adding slightly more spool tension enables you to reduce the braking and put more power in your casting stroke which adds distance to you cast and prevents backlashes.
yes too little tension will cause issues on casts. that's why i always check my tension per session. especially newer reels fresh out of the box since it will wear a bit. but so far the reel have been lovely and treated me well when I was fishing on the kayak. got some fish to show off later on this week when i get the chance to edit them.
Glad to see you doing more BFS. I did more light spincast fishing today with my kastking Brutus on a 7' medium rod while using my baitcasters with other heavier rigs. I caught 2 flounder on a beetle spin with the spincaster by bumping the spinnerbait across the bottom with a slow retrieve. Nobody else had anything comparable to try, so I was the only person able to use light tackle and get those extra bites when the popping corks were floating still in the water. Plus the effortless, accurate casting and tangle-proof design of the reel made it easy to juggle multiple rods and keep a lot of hooks in the water. Even without BFS, light fishing is great. I can't wait to get a legit BFS combo so I can take light lures down to a science.
I think i'll be doing MOSTLY BFS stuff for the long run. My goal is to get more folks to use this style. There are only a few folks doing it at the moment on CZcams. So I'll keep the budget stuff going while some other folks have a mix of budget/mid-end/high-end stuff. If i ever pop off and start making ton of ad revenue, I will jump on the mid-end stuff too! lol. I have seen photos of spin cast reels with mega tangles. how does that happen? Is it even possible? i also found a pocket style rod! spin cast! it was tangled up and in the trashcan lOL. I think i wanna clean it up and play with it haha
@@rawrfishing some spincasters have no anti-reverse or they have the bait clicker switch to allow free reverse. If you spin the handle backward on those, they get those backlashes. It mostly happens on cheapo kiddie rods and can't happen with a good anti-reverse as far as I know. I've only seen it happen a couple times in 30 years. They mostly need fresh line and some line conditioner more often than others to help with line memory. I wanna try braid on mime soon . And I'm enjoying your vids. We should convince kastking to make us a hybrid reel with two side covers and two spools. One set would be normal, and the other would be an ultralight, low capacity spool with beefier brakes on the other side cover. I wonder what the price would be... I would totally buy it for $60-$100.
I have thought of asking KastKing to release some of their BC reels with a normal size spool and a mid/shallow spool. This would bring versatility to the reel. I know if we put a mid shallow spool on any of their current line up, it will allow us to cast some light lures up to 1/8th oz. Not shooting for things like 1/16. I love ned rigging on a ML outfit. 1/16 mushroom jig and a zman is deadly! that slow fall caught me ton of fish in the colder season. When I put that Johncoo Shallow spool on my spartacus, it wasn't a super shallow spool, but it's enough to let me do finesse fishing. I wonder if people want to throw crankbaits with that!
It's on my short list get one of these combos. I think I'd like the shorter one. Use for trout and crappie out of my small sit in kayak. Nice job on all yr reviews. Keepem coming!
thanks my man! the shorter one isn't that much shorter. it's 1.53m and 1.68m. which is why I said i'll just take the longer one. but good know! hopefully they bring a bit of both over!
You're definitely sparking my interest in buying one of these micro rod/reels. I can only imagine the fight a 2 or 3lb largemouth would give on one of those! Great videos bro! ✊🏼
I just ordered a Zephyr wheel and a TTC662L UL rod. Here in Denmark, baitcasting is on the rise, also as UL. But many have touch anxiety for no reason. I got started recently with an ABU Garcia combo Pro set and have no regrets. Thanks for a great video.
Many people are scared and also have a bad generalization of BC reels and does not have an understanding of a BFS setup. Hope I can carve some time soon to put a video out to talk more about them and help change the general knowledge and opinions about them. Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy your new setup!
Will do, I actually dedicated 75% of my CZcams earnings to BFS stuff and 25% to snakehead stuff. But i may have to reallocate some for a new kayak soon. that's just too big of an expense to swallow. Time to apply for a sponsorship to a kayak brand LOL
I would ABSOLUTELY love to buy this BFS reel and rod, as would at least 4 other of my relatives that fish with me everyday. Sell them in the US KastKing!
The Reel is coming to Amazon! KastKing mentioned it on this month's newsletter! just dunno which week. Every week they release new stuff and this week is that new Spartacus 2 reel. hopefully soon!!!! If you are subscribed to me, just keep an eye out. I'll post the link on my community tab as soon as I see it up!!!!
Hey bro, just got my zephyr bfs reel delivered and its awesome, has the drag clicker too and I read you are responsible for helping update the instructions etc, good job
Can’t wait to buy this combo. Awesome review bro. I really like how you push the limits and get over runs and back lashes. I never go under 5 lol to nervous.... hope people don’t think your having backlashes because the equipment is bad.... not the case imo your brakes are almost off 😅 crazy!
thanks man! yeah i am all about long distance casting and also I want to show people that if it backlash, does it go into the spool! that is something we all are afraid of when casting thin lines. So far one time in two trips isn't bad! But yeah In real life fishing, I kept it around 3.75 to 4. even with the wind lol.... you will see that video soon
The real secret to the anti-backlash technique here is that a lot of people dont know to use their thumbs to feather the spool when casting. When you start to mess around with your spool tension and your brakes, you'll eventually get it real dialled in but not quite. That _'not quite'_ becomes your thumb and thats what makes the baitcaster so great. And when you get more experienced with the setup. You wont even need the brakes on anymore. Dont watch your lure when your casting. Look at the area your casting too and when you see your lure about to hit the water or the spot you want to cast to, put your thumb on the spool to feather it or stop it spinning. Some spools will stop spinning as soon as the lure hits the water. Some just wont and there is no way to dial it in because the reel just isnt sensitive enough for it. Thats why you use your thumb. Thumbs aint for getting bottle tops off beers. They are for feathering your spool.
My Zephyr comes in tomorrow, I'm pretty dang excited about it. Finding "BFS" rods isn't the easiest thing in the world right now. I ended up getting a cheap Zebco spincast combo that I'm taking the rod from. It looks like it should work pretty well (and it was dirt cheap).
@@rawrfishing I didn't find a single light or ML rod in my area. Only one UL rod, but it was longer than I wanted, and cost more than I wanted to spend. Every other casting rod in my area is M-H. The only reason I went with what I did is because it was the one rod I found that looked like it would work.
You are accurate in saying that these entry level Chinese reels are good finesse bait casters, but one cannot expect too much. I just put new high-speed bearings in my Zephyr and my PW100 and, although the spool speed improvements were very noticeable, they still don't handle "trout magnet" sized lures like the JDM models can. Still, I can cast 1/8 oz lures with decent accuracy and distance but less than that makes the experience deteriorate rapidly. I will have some fun with the Zephyr and who knows, perhaps Kastking technology will be even better on the next iteration!
oh yeah man! you definitely can't compare a 45 dollar (Aliexpress sale price) to a 300 dollar reel. Although the JDM reels can cast the trout magnet, i don't think they are at any great distances. If i ever want to really use trout magnets (which i may) i would do it via a spinning setup.. Potentially a shallow spinning reel setup ;) regardless, these reels here will help change the market in the states! we may see more BFS reels in the near future, especially ones from Japanese brands! Give some micro bearings a try if you want to cast lighter lures down to 1/16th oz. enjoy the reels!
raWr Fishing,, Thank you to The Reel Test for promoting your channel in his recent review. You got another sub and I will be reviewing your past video’s. Please ask KastKing to bring both rods to the U.S. I prefer the longer of the two, stream fishers will probably like the shorter one. There is a review on Amazon not sure if that was you who posted it. The rod and reel look beautiful together. The Reel Test used the word quality to describe some of the features of the reel, visually I would say the same about the rod.
Thx for the kind words and welcome! Yes I saw his latest video and it was awesome for the unboxing video. I did write my review indeed! I am an advocate for a mainstream budget bfs reel sold in the US so that we can grow this niche here. That would likely push more companies such as shimano and daiwa to consider selling bfs gears in the US! Going to fish my OG Zephyr combo now! Just had my coffee and off I go! Chat with later ^_^
@@rawrfishing, Yes I want the BFS offerings to grow in the U.S. I will benefit from the downstream effect. I don’t intend to fish for trout with a trout magnet on a BFS combo. I am sure it is fun. I am a finess bass fisher, with traditional bait cast equipment available in the U.S. it is very hard to throw a 1/16 oz or lighter jig or shaky head lure on that stuff. I can get the reels to work, light line, the rods=no. Too stiff. I can only find 1 or 2 rods in the 2 to 10lbs line class. I hope the manufactures realize they are missing a major market. Finesse is very popular in the bass world and I want to throw every finesse lure on a bait caster, my favorite way of catching a bass, using light line and light lures. Thanks for what you do
It will definitely grow! We got more and more CZcamsrs from the state playing with em. So as long as we can influence more folks to buy em, that just mean more market demand!!! Yeah i don't really care for trout magnet on the BFS setup. I can do that with a spinning reel if i wanted to use it. I often throw 1/16th oz Jigs with plastic, which is my bread and butter technique when I ultralight fish. This reel stock and do it! I would prefer a longer rod than their Zephyr and a stiffer rod to help with the hooksets on bigger fish, but for small fish and close range it is perfectly fine! I just got home and man i landed so many yellow perch! gonna be a good video ;) But i do often fish for bass UL, L and even ML. You will see that most of my fall fishing are going to be BFS!!!
Awesome video man keep up the great videos! I'm definitely wanting this combo and hoping that kastking does sell them in the states. I have alot of kastking rods & reels and have been looking into Bfs rods & reels and would definitely without a doubt get this setup! Fish on and tight lines!
thanks man! I know together we all can have KastKing bring both the reels/rods onto Amazon. not just the reels! I hope to see them sell out as they will be limited only
Sorry but my finance is a bit low after coming back from icast. I budgeted my entire year and will not be spending money on CDM products this year. Icast got a lot of release and I will be focused on the new products here in the US. The zephyr is old as well with plenty of newer and better reels like the Ark Gravity bfs reel!
Nice review.....4lb is fun to fish with but I don't think I'd be able to use it on a bait cast reel...... There's always gonna be rude folks no matter what..... The folks that enjoy fishing will usually always give good feedback.....I don't do much ultra light fishing but enjoy your improving the reels and the testing.....I was looking for you to catch one.....LOL
thanks man! i will show next video with plenty of crappies using this reel! I think you can find this reel pretty good with 6 or 8 lb test line. I may look for a L or ML rod and spool up with 6-8 lbs mono or 10lb braided line and just add leader material. It would make a great crappie reel for how you fish i think! Yeah there will be people who say nasty things on the net, but It's okay, i can handle it! I am making content for those who want to see what i do, not for those to hate! :P
Thx! Depends on your application. Less is better most instances to keep the spool light. If u plan on throwing 2 grams , definitely half. 3 and up can have a bit more!
Hi I live in Rome and I practice trout area in the lake. Ultralight spinning peach with spoon from 2,5g up to 3,5g. I ask you if I can do it with Bfs castig gear. Could I throw the spoon at 30-35 meters? The rods and reels you illustrate in the video dont'look bad to me. Could they possibly fit me? Or can you recommend another combo? Thanks for your patience and professionalism.
Great review! I already have the reel and just ordered the rod in the 1.8M size (would have liked it even longer but that's as long as it gets) and I'm sure it'll do fine after seeing what yours can do in an even shorter length. I'm planning on fishing crappie beds from shore, which I know I can get to now, after watching this , with 4 lb test. Just wondering how it might hold up if a 4 lb smallie hits it. What's the biggest fish you've landed now on this setup?
It's a great setup, I would say u can land a 20 lb fish if u are good at finesse fishing, but we might be a bit low on line capacity lol. Biggest fish I have caught on BFS tackle would be a 8to10 lb carp who hit my chatterbait flashback mini. I have caught plenty of crappies on BFS gears tho. Great way to fish for em!
This combo (kit) is actually pretty good and the price on Aliexpress is acceptable. Tsurinoya got better rods than KastKing and their BFS reels are comparable. I can see that these two brands will be competing side by side for price war and quality compared to other Aliexpress brands.
Great video but man personally I'm one of those guys that have to take off the plastic wrappings off of new rods. By the way, got a link kastking to express interest in bringing their BFS UL rods? I'm always in the market for super light UL casting rods from 4ft-7ft since I'm always breaking them on surprise big fish catches.
Thx man i wish. Computer can't handle that much video scrubbing and editing. I had a hard time making this long video! If I ever get big enough on CZcams, I will build an amazing video editing rig to do anything I need! Right now tho... spending more money on diapers than fishing tackle!
Ultralight baitcaster, I want it. Perfect for NJ or PA Bass and Pickerel. I would be using larger baits to catch bigger fish. I would even use minnows on that to make a decent pickerel fell like a pike. I went fishing today. I caught a decent bass at Wilson Lake. I lost a big bass at New Brooklyn Lake on a whopper plopper. I got a backlash and i was getting it out then I saw the bass take it. I didn't even move it. It jumped and threw the hook. I am 99% It sure that was a bass bc of the shape.
I think you will have a ton of fun with a shallow spool baitcaster. Put on some 15lb braided line and use a ML rod and cast some fluke jrs far using smaller hooks! I haven't fished wilson for a long time. might stop by one of these days to map the lake.
@@rawrfishing The water was really clear today. I saw the bass i caught chillin a the bottom a foot away from the floating dock. He swam away from me and i casted in between some lillies in front of him. He couldn't resist the thrashing minnow. He even ate it while the minnow was chillin in the surface which was really cool. Tbh i hate when people say live bait is cheating. Most of the time i just fish to enjoy a nice fight with a fish. If i'm looking for a challenge i switch to lures. Sometimes I've caught more fish on lures than live bait.
Thanks for the review. Looks mediocre like all of my KastKing reels... backlash galore. The upgraded GH100 is still cheaper than the Zephyr, no? The only advantage of the Zephyr is its looks.
first and foremost, i would like to thank you for stopping by, watching my video and taking the time to ask some questions! Next, I would like to clear up a few things and set it right for the discussion. This is by far no where close to a review of the reel. This was the first time I have taken the reel out as well as the rod. I have portrayed myself testing to find the "Sweet" spot on where to configure the reel, so you will certainly see me over spooling for certain casts and certain lures! So it's incorrect to say this reel is backlash galore! This reel is by far the best CDM BFS Reel that I have conducted a cast test out of the box. If you want to see this reel in more action, there are actually a few more videos that I have published using this rod/reel, but some of them i have upgraded bearings. Can we compare this reel out of the box to an upgraded GH100? Definitely not! But we can compare it to an out of the box GH100. The GH100 was a terrible reel out of the box and for many others, the reel had issues. Although mine does not have any mechanical issues, it was over greased and dirty for the bearings and no grease for everything else other than a tiny bit on the main gear. GH100 was only so popular due to the fact that they were the first to copy off Shimano FTB braking system. But the quality is pretty bad, especially during the launch of the reel. The Zephyr stock bearings were way better than the GH100 out of the box and Zephyr did not over oil/grease their bearing. It was pretty legit. I don't know how you are configuring your other KastKing reels, but I have pretty good experience with all but the 1st generation Speed Demon Reel. Please take the time to watch my other Zephyr videos. I am a bit tied up with other videos and of course, i have to fish based on the fishing calendar. the fish don't wait, but I will likely do a wrap up video for the Zephyr. I will also do a review on the GH100 since i had it for over a year now and it's time to talk all about it in details! But if I were to rate how this compared to the other CDM BFS reels I have used so far.. it's number 1 for 2020! The year is still young and I have another GH100 wanna be reel, the Kyorin Black Knight waiting to be tested. so stay tuned for that!
Thx, I think that will depend on what you are casting and if you are good at controlling the reel from over spooling. Don't want line trapped into the spool. Which is possible even with true 4lb mono. So keep that in mind. I don't use braid on this reel
Ciao! Scusa ma non capisco la lingua...! Vedo che durante i lanci il filo si è aggrovigliato...lo consigli questo mulinello? È migliore dello spiritfox? Quanti grammi riesce a lanciare senza aggrovigliare il filo ? Grazie!
This rod and reel was new to me, i took this combo out first time to do cast testing, so tangles was expected. I was testing the brakes while trying to achieve maximum casting distances per lure. I was casting lures between 1.75 to 3.5 grams in the video. the 1.75 i can cast at short distances no tangles with brake set high. I like this reel more than the SpiritFox because the SpiritFox reel and spool slips for me. I feel like the Brakes on the SpiritFox is a bit stronger, but casting wise, both are equivalent out of the box. I will be fishing the reel and also playing around with other bearings soon to see if any upgrades will make it better. Stick around if you can!
I think if there going to let us have a chance to get the reels they should let us be able to get the rod that goes with it I know I like for my fishing rod in reels to match in I’m not the only one at least I think I’m not the only one
Hey man! Got my first BFS setup! Got the spirit fix w the zephyr rod.. I think the rod I got is too short.. it’s probably 5’ Long. Question do you know how much line to spool? I have on a 1/16 jig w a tail and I birdnest a lot when I pass the 7-8 brake level? What’s your experience w it? Was hoping it will cast as far or further than the spin reel but I think it’s roughly the same
The short rod will cast shorter than a long rod. But let's start by saying BFS wasn't intended to cast long distances. Its for accuracy and efficiency. I put 4lb test line and approximately only half the spool. You can clean the bearings and remove the stock grease and put your own for more distance and to cast lighter lures or upgrade the bearings. I have a video for the rays studio micro bearings if you are interested
Ah forgot about the long short rod distance thing.. duh.. then if that’s the case it does well considering how short the rod is lol Also w the bearing i already ordered first week of July.. just waiting.. :)
definitely on the same lines of a spiritfox out of the box. Blew GH100 out of the water. i guess it's time to do some upgrades. time to order some bearings.
I just received my zephyr rod and reel thru aliexpress. Cannot wait to try it out later this week. I also got the megajaws Bfs reel . I must say the megajaws reel is alot smoother than the zephyr. Also the spool empty on the megajaws rolls freely alot longer. Do you have a review on the Megajaws Bfs? I did order micro bearing for the zephyr reel as recommended by you just need to install them . Great videos by the way.
awesome! i hope you enjoy it. I have played with the Mega Jaws Prototype only. keep in mind rolling longer doesn't really mean anything. if you think about it, more mass (weight) means it can pick up more power when it spins.. thus spins longer. The MJ and Zephyr shares the same bearing sizes!
The rod length and swallow spool tell me that this combo is not for distance and more for accuracy on the small rivers and creeks,if you have the opportunity look for the channel enjoy fishing and see what i mean,this Japanese guy angler Saito is a monster casting on small rivers and creeks and the rod length is perfect for accuracy
Oh I know who he is and he is a legend! But yes its not always about distance but you have to have some distance. We shall see if i will be able to cast like him one day!
@@rawrfishing yeah me to hes awesome, and I don't see any trouble on casting lures on the 2.5 to 5 grams range witch is the perfect range for a variety of species specially trout
Definitely no problems with those weights! Just done editing a kayak fishing vid with this setup and scheduled for Sunday release! Brutal windy day is all I had to say!
no problem! out of the box, Zephyr and SpiritFox will be competing where as GH100 is out of the race! I am sure folks like "TheReelTest" will do a test and do measurements!
@@rawrfishing Thanks James 👍 Your experience is the same experience as I am having with my Zephyr, lots of frustration with how easy it birdnests as well as lack of accuracy on sub 3gm lures... Yes there is operator error but I had way less frustration learning to baitcast on my blackmax than relearning BFS with the Zephyr. Great video thank you sir 😉
@@krustysurfer it's a great reel to get Americans feet wet with BFS. I think out of the box I can get down to 2 grams. But 2.75 and up is where it shines... Which is not bad for KK first official bfs reel. I think folks who fish at the 1 gram level is more of a ultra finesse niche as not all bfs can go that low. Although the rod can go 1 gram, it takes the rod, reel and line all together before you can effectively get that low. I hope you can still use this for other fishing. I often just use it for power bfs now since the spool is pretty strong. I will wait for the Kestrel for the UL stuff!
@@rawrfishing Great observations Jimbo thanks for sharing your time and your wisdom... Kestrel....... Lots of people are awaiting that reel huh? When does it become available? All right changing the subject to Shimano reels, does 'the reel test' get away with throwing one gram baits on the Aldebaran? Maybe I should just return the Zephyr the Piscifun and the Diawa CT and buy a 2018 Aldebaran? I have never ever paid so much for a fishing reel that kind of price buys one a decent used surfboard hahaha! I have decisions to make and expertise is helping me to sort this out thanks again. Aloha 😎
@@krustysurfer it should be available after icast. So likely after this week for the Kestrel. The reel test shown the 2016 casting trout Mag, I have too but the stock reel is a bit heavy. But after market spools can make it do better! The new 2022 Aldebaran BFS can do it out of the box. But the braking is... Tougher to tame for some reason. U can keep the Zephyr if you are planing to use it for power bfs and get the Aldebaran for lighter bfs lures. You will quickly find that when u go into bfs.. U will end up with at least 3 setups. 1 setup for each of the following rods, UL, L and ML. The Zephyr can go on the L or ML :p
raWr Fishing i have my fingers crossed on the GH100 but this will be BFS reel number 2 for my son and I to use when we go out. Thanks for the solid review! Glad I found your channel.
Did you get the GH100 yet? I hope it comes in good condition. if so, just take out the two bearings supporting the spool and take an air gun/can and blast the crap out of the two bearings while it is on a chopstick. let the stock grease come out as it is caked. If you see dirty bearing like mine, you probably have to wash it out and then add your own oil. Otherwise, I am ordering some bearings right now for the GH100 so that I can put back bearings onto my Spartacus. I will likely do a review of them bearings... if they ever come in
eeeps that stinks. no but it blasts excess thick grease they cake it with. if you find it dirty, then you should wash the stock grease out and then add your own oil. Alternatively, just wash it and add your own favorite bearing oil.
I think the Tsurinoya SpiritFox casts are comparable to the Zephyr out of the box. I would want to upgrade the bearings and see how much better it is, but it will take some time to acquire the Micro-Bearings. I can try Ceramic Hybrid Bearings first on the Zephyr and see how it goes. I can't vouch for long term usage on the Zephyr yet since I only have taken it out 3 times so far. But I can tell you that the spool have not slipped for me, which happen quite frequently on the Tsurinoya XF50 and SpiritFox reels.
Drag clicker is a great feature for those who fish noisy waters and like to use light drag. It helps angler determine if they need to change the drag while battling fish. Person preference. Most ppl want it!
potentially if you have the right reel and line, but would it go far? I don't know as I haven't thrown an UL spinning rod like that for a LONG time lol
I got my first baitcaster and it is a Kastking Zephyr. I fish for trout in lakes. People beside me were laughing at me not only for using baitcaster but trying to cast a 3gm crankbait for about 20feet and getting backlashes. I have 4lb trilene XL spooled on the reel. Should I get a regular baitcaster and practice or after a dozen backlashes and respooling I will eventually get it?
Did u also configure the tension and brakes like I did? I recommend you start with Tension loose as possible but with no side to side play and like brake 4 or 4.5
It is not bad of a reel. I would prefer the Zephyr based on the price. Out of the box, the Zephyr is better. Both reels would benefit via bearing upgrades if you want to throw the lightest lures. The rod is good but very subjective question. I can't really answer that for you as I don't know what you are trying to do. www.rorolure.com for mico bearings
A stock GH100 cleaned reel isn't that great because their bearings are low quality. This is better than a cleaned GH100 reel. only way it'll be better if you upgrade the bearings of the GH100
Due to the nature of my content creation... I have stopped using this. But I have used it for a while and there haven't been any issues. I have brought it on tidal areas, so it even was exposed to some salt
The biggest issue is trying to use this for UL. Micro bearings won't make it that much better, but stock or standard size ceramic bearings makes it an amazing for L and ML finesse fishing. Thin lines also might get trapped inside the spool during birds nesting
I think that will depend on one's full setup, which is why i spend the time to talk about my setup for the cast testing video. To be honest. I don't remember the video results lol. But the answer should be in the video :p
True! i think this is more of a trout rod based on how much it bends. If they are limiting the amount of Zephyr reels/rods, i would prefer folks to have the longer one. it would probably be easier for new folks to play with longer rods. at least it is for me. I will let their brand ambassador team come up with their launch videos to market what the Zephyr line up is for.. unless they want me on their channel.. that would be cool eh?
@@rawrfishing this is just my suggestion. what you said can help newbie into this new game, additional info about what i said before maybe could be include in the manual book or boxes
I was just wondering, when I’m spooling up my regular baitcasters with braid, I pack it very tight to avoid line management issues, could I do the same with these bfs reels if I decided to spool one up with 10lb braid?
Not sure what packing it tight means... I generally don't pack none of my reels super tight as that will cause over spooling when it fluff back up. But u should be good on this reel. Just be careful from backlash. Thin lines are hard to fix and they may go into the spool!
Hello, I know this is a year old video, but I ordered the zephyr reel from Amazon, and looking to get the rod from aliexpress (still not on amazon) You have any trouble with customs, or anything. I've never ordered from them? Thanks
@@warriorpatriot1290 oh I work technically for BFE in a way haha. He gives me good discounts and some promotional items and I send ppl over. Together we grow the BFS community and market within the US ;)
hai bro. what do u suggest the best? zephyr, kestrel elite, valiant eagle 2? the best bfs from kastking. probably i havent list all from their bfs line. if theres any i havent listed which is the best. just state it which 1 is the best of all from kastking
The kestrel line up including the Valiant Eagle are over braked. Making it not good for experienced anglers. But those reels should be for UL and L due to spool size. Zephyr is good for L and ML due it size. None of them are really anything extraordinary. Zephyr Is a nice budget reel. Valiant Eagle 2 if u can find on Aliexpress is a budget reel. Kestrel elite is over priced and not recommended. Ark Gravity bfs reel is better than all 3
@@rawrfishing hey mahn! I can’t thank you enough for the response, I’m not the person who have lots of money to throw on reel ..but if i can get a good cheap budget friendly can cast tiny lure easily then it is good enough. I believe fishing is for everyone from poor to rich.. i love ur channel! Keep it up. I love the genuine reviews example the gap on gomexus is quite big u let everyone knows to be aware of it even if its a sponsor item. Keeeeeeeeep it up! We support u
Thx mate! You can try the Haibo Arise as Haibo have acquired the rights from ark to use their braking system. That's why the reels are similar. While I never used Haibo Arise reels, it should be cheaper than the gravity!
Hello Friend, how are you ? Let me ask you something, I bought a spirit fox recently, but I’m noticing a problem with it, the trigger lock sometimes doesn’t go up all the time when I turn the crank, I unlock it and when it’s time to lock with the crank it doesn’t the click, it only goes up to half, then I need to lift it with my finger to lock it. Did this happen to you too?
yeah it happens with some of these CDM reels. especially if your finger is in the way of making it pop all the way up. try not to let your thumb get in the thumb bar and see if it still persists.
@@rawrfishing it happens with or without my thumb in the bar ;/ It seems like something was holding the bar, i dont know, but, if i spin the handle with a little bit of strength the trigger locks
strange... like i said i have noticed it with many of my reels, but after i stopped thumbing the reel in a specific way, it stopped. perhaps something gotten into the reel? try a good cleaning
@@rawrfishing I opened but seems to be clean, i think the problem is the screw in the trigger system, because i loosened the screw and it seems to have improved a little. Maybe it was so tight that was holding the trigger
@@rawrfishing I think I already asked you that, but, does spirit fox and zephyr have the same performance out of the box and tuned? I have the impression that the zephyr is more solid and better built than the spirit. The zephyr arrived in Aliexpress and I'm holding on to buy one kkkkk
No ur not. KastKing is blind for not bringing the rod to Amazon. They made this reel for the Asia market with me. I begged them to bring it to the US... so they only brought the reel... major mistake as they left many potential buyers of their bfs rod and reel. You can find their rod on aliexpress
@@rawrfishing they definitely are missing out on customers especially in the north east US where I’m at. This would be absolutely perfect for small mouth bass, esp if they made a version of the rod in 7’2 light action lol would be nice alternate to spinning gear. Gotta have options :)
@@imotogoon9168 u will like tsurinoya dragon rod! Tsurinoya got plenty of rods to choose from! Check bait finesse empire out too from time to time. They are the only one importing bfs stuff right now to filled the niche
@@rawrfishing oh man ur gonna get me going down a rabbit hole haha tbh I only really found out about BFS fishing recently and the gear is literally perfect for the fish in my area. RIP to my wallet haha
The hard-core bfs folks love the light reels. Generally, BC reels are lighter than Spinning, but the more expensive shimano is more lighter than this reel. Daiwa also. You can try the curado bfs, but that spool is heavy and won't throw as light lures as easy compared to aldebaran or alphas air tw... but still solid. UL fishing should have less fatigue! That's the ideology and I am down for it!
I know... I don't normally measure my distances, but after a few videos people have asked and I bought a Line counter; however, due to covid19... it never came. And i hate casting at a football field...
That depends on your rod, line choice and amount, lure and your skill level. But if I were to say new bfs folks. 2 grams out of the box. A skilled angler... 1.75 likely. Upgraded micro can go to 1 gram for the most skilled but not worth it. This reel excels 2 grams and up in my opinion
@@rawrfishing Yeah I thought Tsurinoya were better. I was looking to maybe get a budget rod for the Zephyr and maybe something a little nicer for the Genius or the Haibu Air Arise….still trying to figure out the budget on that.
unfortunately I don't know. they took down the aliexpress page because it's out of stock. If you see it on Shopee, you might be able to tell me that :P i'll have to send an email to ask
Hi I have the zephyr reel and I was wondering what the best kastking rod to fish with this reel? The max steel, zephyr, or the valiant eagle. I see you have tested all of the rods So I thought that I should ask you’re opinion. The type I Fishing I do is small stream trout fishing in Wisconsin. Also how do you feel about using braided lines. Thank you can’t wait to hear your response.
I would use the Zephyr rod. They released a longer version recently too if you want that. VE rod is a bit too thick and I don't recommend it. Braided line can work but you may risk running into the spool. So if you are new, try 4lb mono. Practice first lol. True 4lb test is thin!
I was looking at the 1.8m long zephyr rod. I thought the max steel would be a good option also, because of the versatility of the 2 tips. I cast 10lb. Braid on it now with a 8 foot ultralight casting rod, but mono will probably be easier. Thank you so much for your help.
That should be fine my typical lures are about 2 to 7 grams (about an 1/16 to 1/4). I’m not gonna try to go lighter than that I might throw a 1/32 panfish magnet with a float though. Thanks again for your help.
@@chadrizzo2838 cool! Then I guess you got a ton of options! Check BPS website. Sort by casting and L and UL. Some cheaper options but they are cheap... for once ppl will say KastKing is good lol...
For this video, everything was stock. For my upgraded/tuned Zephyr, I run them dry with no oil on the bearings as they are micro ceramic hybrids. The gears are still still stock as I haven't had the need to clean them yet. I was thinking of trying something new in the near future. But i have been using Quantum Hot sauce both oil and grease for my reels :)
@@holdem949 gotcha! Note that once u change to micro bearings and use thinner lines, you can cast further than what you see here as this is the stock reel. I got a whole set of videos on those!
Thx, actually they don't have the same specs. it's a bit different although they look similar. From my discussions with other subs, The Zephyr reel would be better! They have said the DMK Alpha SL will need bearing cleaning, but bearing upgrade is a must to achieve good casting distance and light lures.
@@markalcolm1544 no, I have not agreed anything about DMK alpha sl being the best cheap reel. I have not used it nor anyone reputable on CZcams have done a video on it. I can only talk about the reels I have portrayed on my channel.
Sorry to hear that. The brakes works just fine for the few I have owned. Can I ask what is your full setup, what you were trying to throw and was the reel set up properly?
@@rawrfishing Ok I have used braided line 12 lb and lures like 5-10 grams. Magnet only it only stays on 5 . Lower 5 I have birds nest. I have a lot of reels I believe Shimano is the best .
shimano definitely is good. especially their FTB system on their BFS reels. however, their brakes are way too strong. Most people remove the removable brakes so they can use higher brake settings. Note that most people cast too hard on BFS setups. Zephyr is a static magnetic braking system, so it always applied same power that you set it. Yes lowering brakes can allow lighter lures to cast easier, but there will be risk of backlashing. I find that i cast my lures mainly at 3.5 but i sometimes do 4, especially on windy conditions and newer lures that I don't often throw. By any chance you have the left hand Zephyr with the Drag Clicker?
@@rawrfishing I have regular reel left hand. I have Abu Garcia elite 7 with drag clicker . I will ad some more magnets and see how this reel will perform
oh that's good, i heard a few ppl with the left hand reel with the drag clicker (zephyr) and they were having trouble. don't know if it's a production issue or not since I am no longer with KastKing. Try casting with more magnets on indeed and if needed, just cast softer. Something we all must do when using BFS.
@@rawrfishing oh okay, I just assumed the technology from bigger baits was used in the smaller ones. I have a small 3 or 5g Rapala jerkbait and it casts really well
Sorry to hear that. The amount of backlash is not much to me. I only put my brakes at the minimum to see where their brakes stands and cast like a typical American for cast testing purposes. Many folks out side the country would use half the brakes we use and still no backlash. Cultural differences in how we see, utilize and execute I guess! I always suggest folks who feel overwhelmed to stick to their comfort zone. Afterall. Most of us fish to enjoy and escape. Tightlines
@@rawrfishing thats why most fishing companies dont even bother with BFS casting reels. For practicality ppl just stick to a spinning reel when throwing light tackle.
That's a misconception and their loss on a fast and popular growing niche sector. There is a demand if they know where to market it. Obviously the states doesn't have a strong market for it but due to the sheer amount of anglers in this country, it only take a few big folks to trend it and it blows up. The past two years the amount of demand here in the country grew... but only those who are in it knows. Tight lines
Third summer going into fishing with the Zephyr and i love it more than when i first got it . Its beat to heck , got a bunch of scrapes but it adds character. Im thankful for the strong drag since it's helped me airlift multiple 3's and 4's unto a bridge along with my PB of 5 pounds . Got it paired with a 5ft Ul Ugly stik lite pro . Small fish feel big and big fish feel huge 😅!! I gotta thank you Master Jimbo for putting me on this beautiful bfs journey , i had a blumaxx as my beginner baitcaster ( i didnt even know how to use spinning gear 😅) than i got rid of it , did my research and found you because of the zephyr. Got it left hand retrieve put braid on it thanks to ur vid suggestions and mastered using a baitcaster . I had to do so much research to be able to catch bass . Now i can say i learned to baitcast on a bfs as a know nothing angler . Thanks a ton Master Rawrr ❤
That's awesome. Glad you are enjoying the zephyr bfs. I hope you will explore some other more finesse reels out there as things are getting better and better! Throwing sub 1 gram is insane
The KastKing combo looks like a fine rod and reel for BFS fishing. I believe it takes some time to discover the best setting for any new reel. The brakes appear well suited for light lures. I discovered if you make a few good casts and the brakes are working well and then the reel has a slight backlash I just tighten the spool tension a click and that cures the occasional backlash problem instantly. It is difficult to tell if you have to little spool tension. If you use to little tension the spool will vibrate and cause the line to go between the spool and reel body. When the spool tension is set properly it quiets the reel and it casts more consistently. Most reels fresh out of the box take some time seating the two contact point on the ends of the spool. As they wear in they require adding slightly more tension. Often adding slightly more spool tension enables you to reduce the braking and put more power in your casting stroke which adds distance to you cast and prevents backlashes.
yes too little tension will cause issues on casts. that's why i always check my tension per session. especially newer reels fresh out of the box since it will wear a bit. but so far the reel have been lovely and treated me well when I was fishing on the kayak. got some fish to show off later on this week when i get the chance to edit them.
good observation.
Glad to see you doing more BFS. I did more light spincast fishing today with my kastking Brutus on a 7' medium rod while using my baitcasters with other heavier rigs. I caught 2 flounder on a beetle spin with the spincaster by bumping the spinnerbait across the bottom with a slow retrieve. Nobody else had anything comparable to try, so I was the only person able to use light tackle and get those extra bites when the popping corks were floating still in the water. Plus the effortless, accurate casting and tangle-proof design of the reel made it easy to juggle multiple rods and keep a lot of hooks in the water.
Even without BFS, light fishing is great. I can't wait to get a legit BFS combo so I can take light lures down to a science.
I think i'll be doing MOSTLY BFS stuff for the long run. My goal is to get more folks to use this style. There are only a few folks doing it at the moment on CZcams. So I'll keep the budget stuff going while some other folks have a mix of budget/mid-end/high-end stuff. If i ever pop off and start making ton of ad revenue, I will jump on the mid-end stuff too! lol.
I have seen photos of spin cast reels with mega tangles. how does that happen? Is it even possible? i also found a pocket style rod! spin cast! it was tangled up and in the trashcan lOL. I think i wanna clean it up and play with it haha
@@rawrfishing some spincasters have no anti-reverse or they have the bait clicker switch to allow free reverse. If you spin the handle backward on those, they get those backlashes. It mostly happens on cheapo kiddie rods and can't happen with a good anti-reverse as far as I know. I've only seen it happen a couple times in 30 years. They mostly need fresh line and some line conditioner more often than others to help with line memory. I wanna try braid on mime soon .
And I'm enjoying your vids. We should convince kastking to make us a hybrid reel with two side covers and two spools. One set would be normal, and the other would be an ultralight, low capacity spool with beefier brakes on the other side cover. I wonder what the price would be... I would totally buy it for $60-$100.
I have thought of asking KastKing to release some of their BC reels with a normal size spool and a mid/shallow spool. This would bring versatility to the reel. I know if we put a mid shallow spool on any of their current line up, it will allow us to cast some light lures up to 1/8th oz. Not shooting for things like 1/16. I love ned rigging on a ML outfit. 1/16 mushroom jig and a zman is deadly! that slow fall caught me ton of fish in the colder season. When I put that Johncoo Shallow spool on my spartacus, it wasn't a super shallow spool, but it's enough to let me do finesse fishing. I wonder if people want to throw crankbaits with that!
It's on my short list get one of these combos. I think I'd like the shorter one. Use for trout and crappie out of my small sit in kayak. Nice job on all yr reviews. Keepem coming!
thanks my man! the shorter one isn't that much shorter. it's 1.53m and 1.68m. which is why I said i'll just take the longer one. but good know! hopefully they bring a bit of both over!
You're definitely sparking my interest in buying one of these micro rod/reels. I can only imagine the fight a 2 or 3lb largemouth would give on one of those! Great videos bro! ✊🏼
oh heck yeah man! ever seen me pull up 4-5 lb pickerel or bass on this from colder seasons? It's freaking epic fight!
I just ordered a Zephyr wheel and a TTC662L UL rod. Here in Denmark, baitcasting is on the rise, also as UL. But many have touch anxiety for no reason. I got started recently with an ABU Garcia combo Pro set and have no regrets. Thanks for a great video.
Many people are scared and also have a bad generalization of BC reels and does not have an understanding of a BFS setup. Hope I can carve some time soon to put a video out to talk more about them and help change the general knowledge and opinions about them. Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy your new setup!
raWr Fishing What Line do you use for UL fishing?
@@henrylercherasmussen5763 4lb mono or copolymer
Keep up the bfs awareness Jimmy
Will do, I actually dedicated 75% of my CZcams earnings to BFS stuff and 25% to snakehead stuff. But i may have to reallocate some for a new kayak soon. that's just too big of an expense to swallow. Time to apply for a sponsorship to a kayak brand LOL
I would ABSOLUTELY love to buy this BFS reel and rod, as would at least 4 other of my relatives that fish with me everyday. Sell them in the US KastKing!
The Reel is coming to Amazon! KastKing mentioned it on this month's newsletter! just dunno which week. Every week they release new stuff and this week is that new Spartacus 2 reel. hopefully soon!!!! If you are subscribed to me, just keep an eye out. I'll post the link on my community tab as soon as I see it up!!!!
Hey bro, just got my zephyr bfs reel delivered and its awesome, has the drag clicker too and I read you are responsible for helping update the instructions etc, good job
Awesome! Actually I was responsible for kastking jumping into the bfs community in General
I helped test and provide feedback and suggestions and the Zephyr was the end product
@@rawrfishing sweet! I have mine paired with the Tsurinoya dragon 2-10g and 7’ rod with 10lb braid and fluoro leader, casts like a dream
sounds like a good combo indeed! have u tried tsu's reels?
Can't wait to pair this with my Ugly Stik Dockrunner rod.
sounds like you will have some fun with that :)
Can’t wait to buy this combo. Awesome review bro. I really like how you push the limits and get over runs and back lashes. I never go under 5 lol to nervous.... hope people don’t think your having backlashes because the equipment is bad.... not the case imo your brakes are almost off 😅 crazy!
thanks man! yeah i am all about long distance casting and also I want to show people that if it backlash, does it go into the spool! that is something we all are afraid of when casting thin lines. So far one time in two trips isn't bad! But yeah In real life fishing, I kept it around 3.75 to 4. even with the wind lol.... you will see that video soon
The real secret to the anti-backlash technique here is that a lot of people dont know to use their thumbs to feather the spool when casting. When you start to mess around with your spool tension and your brakes, you'll eventually get it real dialled in but not quite. That _'not quite'_ becomes your thumb and thats what makes the baitcaster so great. And when you get more experienced with the setup. You wont even need the brakes on anymore.
Dont watch your lure when your casting. Look at the area your casting too and when you see your lure about to hit the water or the spot you want to cast to, put your thumb on the spool to feather it or stop it spinning.
Some spools will stop spinning as soon as the lure hits the water. Some just wont and there is no way to dial it in because the reel just isnt sensitive enough for it. Thats why you use your thumb.
Thumbs aint for getting bottle tops off beers. They are for feathering your spool.
My Zephyr comes in tomorrow, I'm pretty dang excited about it. Finding "BFS" rods isn't the easiest thing in the world right now. I ended up getting a cheap Zebco spincast combo that I'm taking the rod from. It looks like it should work pretty well (and it was dirt cheap).
Sweet man! Enjoy! Yeah rods are tough to come by. Hope more will come for 2022!
Btw.. try ML rods. Power bfs is amazing.
@@rawrfishing I didn't find a single light or ML rod in my area. Only one UL rod, but it was longer than I wanted, and cost more than I wanted to spend. Every other casting rod in my area is M-H. The only reason I went with what I did is because it was the one rod I found that looked like it would work.
@@Brunnen_Gee I see I see.. welp... I will be ned rigging with a ML rod soon!
You are accurate in saying that these entry level Chinese reels are good finesse bait casters, but one cannot expect too much. I just put new high-speed bearings in my Zephyr and my PW100 and, although the spool speed improvements were very noticeable, they still don't handle "trout magnet" sized lures like the JDM models can. Still, I can cast 1/8 oz lures with decent accuracy and distance but less than that makes the experience deteriorate rapidly. I will have some fun with the Zephyr and who knows, perhaps Kastking technology will be even better on the next iteration!
oh yeah man! you definitely can't compare a 45 dollar (Aliexpress sale price) to a 300 dollar reel. Although the JDM reels can cast the trout magnet, i don't think they are at any great distances. If i ever want to really use trout magnets (which i may) i would do it via a spinning setup.. Potentially a shallow spinning reel setup ;) regardless, these reels here will help change the market in the states! we may see more BFS reels in the near future, especially ones from Japanese brands! Give some micro bearings a try if you want to cast lighter lures down to 1/16th oz. enjoy the reels!
raWr Fishing,,
Thank you to The Reel Test for promoting your channel in his recent review. You got another sub and I will be reviewing your past video’s. Please ask KastKing to bring both rods to the U.S. I prefer the longer of the two, stream fishers will probably like the shorter one. There is a review on Amazon not sure if that was you who posted it. The rod and reel look beautiful together. The Reel Test used the word quality to describe some of the features of the reel, visually I would say the same about the rod.
Thx for the kind words and welcome! Yes I saw his latest video and it was awesome for the unboxing video. I did write my review indeed! I am an advocate for a mainstream budget bfs reel sold in the US so that we can grow this niche here. That would likely push more companies such as shimano and daiwa to consider selling bfs gears in the US! Going to fish my OG Zephyr combo now! Just had my coffee and off I go! Chat with later ^_^
@@rawrfishing,
Yes I want the BFS offerings to grow in the U.S. I will benefit from the downstream effect. I don’t intend to fish for trout with a trout magnet on a BFS combo. I am sure it is fun. I am a finess bass fisher, with traditional bait cast equipment available in the U.S. it is very hard to throw a 1/16 oz or lighter jig or shaky head lure on that stuff. I can get the reels to work, light line, the rods=no. Too stiff. I can only find 1 or 2 rods in the 2 to 10lbs line class. I hope the manufactures realize they are missing a major market. Finesse is very popular in the bass world and I want to throw every finesse lure on a bait caster, my favorite way of catching a bass, using light line and light lures. Thanks for what you do
It will definitely grow! We got more and more CZcamsrs from the state playing with em. So as long as we can influence more folks to buy em, that just mean more market demand!!! Yeah i don't really care for trout magnet on the BFS setup. I can do that with a spinning reel if i wanted to use it. I often throw 1/16th oz Jigs with plastic, which is my bread and butter technique when I ultralight fish. This reel stock and do it! I would prefer a longer rod than their Zephyr and a stiffer rod to help with the hooksets on bigger fish, but for small fish and close range it is perfectly fine! I just got home and man i landed so many yellow perch! gonna be a good video ;) But i do often fish for bass UL, L and even ML. You will see that most of my fall fishing are going to be BFS!!!
Awesome video man keep up the great videos! I'm definitely wanting this combo and hoping that kastking does sell them in the states. I have alot of kastking rods & reels and have been looking into Bfs rods & reels and would definitely without a doubt get this setup! Fish on and tight lines!
thanks man! I know together we all can have KastKing bring both the reels/rods onto Amazon. not just the reels! I hope to see them sell out as they will be limited only
Hi Jimmy i would love to see a cast test with the Zephyr match to the Ace Hawk AG Venom casting rod please do u think u could do that please cheers.
Sorry but my finance is a bit low after coming back from icast. I budgeted my entire year and will not be spending money on CDM products this year. Icast got a lot of release and I will be focused on the new products here in the US. The zephyr is old as well with plenty of newer and better reels like the Ark Gravity bfs reel!
Just ordered this reel with the clicking drag. Excited to get it and use it!
Nice! It will be a nice winter ned rig setup! I am thinking I make my newest Zephyr a dedicated ned rig reel for the winter
@@rawrfishing this is my first BFS setup. I'm going to pair it with the Tsurinoya Dragon. This will start me down the rabbit hole lol.
Awesome my friend! I love it 👏👊👍🎣
Playing with new gears are always fun even if we don't catch fish ;)
Nice review.....4lb is fun to fish with but I don't think I'd be able to use it on a bait cast reel...... There's always gonna be rude folks no matter what..... The folks that enjoy fishing will usually always give good feedback.....I don't do much ultra light fishing but enjoy your improving the reels and the testing.....I was looking for you to catch one.....LOL
thanks man! i will show next video with plenty of crappies using this reel! I think you can find this reel pretty good with 6 or 8 lb test line. I may look for a L or ML rod and spool up with 6-8 lbs mono or 10lb braided line and just add leader material. It would make a great crappie reel for how you fish i think! Yeah there will be people who say nasty things on the net, but It's okay, i can handle it! I am making content for those who want to see what i do, not for those to hate! :P
nice review man, im getting the same rod and reel soon. How much line do you normally spool? halfway?
Thx! Depends on your application. Less is better most instances to keep the spool light. If u plan on throwing 2 grams , definitely half. 3 and up can have a bit more!
Ill definitely try out the reel when it comes on Amazon, just shoot me a message so I can get mine before anyone else lol
You know I got you 100% on that one!
Hi reel test. I messaged you on Instagram on details about mailing you my high end 2017 excsense dc to try out. @coltyn_wright2
Lol u can send it here if he doesn't want it🤣😂
I just got weed u yuy tree
It will come on Amazon within the next month :)
Hi I live in Rome and I practice trout area in the lake. Ultralight spinning peach with spoon from 2,5g up to 3,5g. I ask you if I can do it with Bfs castig gear. Could I throw the spoon at 30-35 meters? The rods and reels you illustrate in the video dont'look bad to me. Could they possibly fit me? Or can you recommend another combo? Thanks for your patience and professionalism.
This reel should be able to do it but you would want a longer rod. i think we went over some options on the other video comments?
Great review! I already have the reel and just ordered the rod in the 1.8M size (would have liked it even longer but that's as long as it gets) and I'm sure it'll do fine after seeing what yours can do in an even shorter length. I'm planning on fishing crappie beds from shore, which I know I can get to now, after watching this , with 4 lb test. Just wondering how it might hold up if a 4 lb smallie hits it. What's the biggest fish you've landed now on this setup?
It's a great setup, I would say u can land a 20 lb fish if u are good at finesse fishing, but we might be a bit low on line capacity lol. Biggest fish I have caught on BFS tackle would be a 8to10 lb carp who hit my chatterbait flashback mini. I have caught plenty of crappies on BFS gears tho. Great way to fish for em!
Ciao amico, come primo kit da bfs su Aliexpress, lo consigli questo? O i kit tsurinoya sono migliori? Mi dai un consiglio amico?
This combo (kit) is actually pretty good and the price on Aliexpress is acceptable. Tsurinoya got better rods than KastKing and their BFS reels are comparable. I can see that these two brands will be competing side by side for price war and quality compared to other Aliexpress brands.
Tank's u informastion 👍😊
You are welcome!
Great video but man personally I'm one of those guys that have to take off the plastic wrappings off of new rods. By the way, got a link kastking to express interest in bringing their BFS UL rods? I'm always in the market for super light UL casting rods from 4ft-7ft since I'm always breaking them on surprise big fish catches.
It will be taken off! the U40 Cork Sealer just came in the mail literally after I got home from recording the video.
Nice video. I'm thinking of getting the zephyr If I was to spool it with a light braided line what lb test would you recommend?
Thinking 10 lbs would suffice. Don't go too thin as a con of BC reels is that it may go under the spool and into the reel.
Very nice content. Could you edit an arrow on where the lure dropped?
Thx man i wish. Computer can't handle that much video scrubbing and editing. I had a hard time making this long video! If I ever get big enough on CZcams, I will build an amazing video editing rig to do anything I need! Right now tho... spending more money on diapers than fishing tackle!
Ultralight baitcaster, I want it. Perfect for NJ or PA Bass and Pickerel. I would be using larger baits to catch bigger fish. I would even use minnows on that to make a decent pickerel fell like a pike.
I went fishing today. I caught a decent bass at Wilson Lake. I lost a big bass at New Brooklyn Lake on a whopper plopper. I got a backlash and i was getting it out then I saw the bass take it. I didn't even move it. It jumped and threw the hook. I am 99% It sure that was a bass bc of the shape.
I think you will have a ton of fun with a shallow spool baitcaster. Put on some 15lb braided line and use a ML rod and cast some fluke jrs far using smaller hooks! I haven't fished wilson for a long time. might stop by one of these days to map the lake.
@@rawrfishing The water was really clear today. I saw the bass i caught chillin a the bottom a foot away from the floating dock. He swam away from me and i casted in between some lillies in front of him. He couldn't resist the thrashing minnow. He even ate it while the minnow was chillin in the surface which was really cool.
Tbh i hate when people say live bait is cheating. Most of the time i just fish to enjoy a nice fight with a fish. If i'm looking for a challenge i switch to lures. Sometimes I've caught more fish on lures than live bait.
clear water eh? the lake i went to yesterday was chocolate!
i can careless how people fish as long as they do it legally.
Thanks for the review. Looks mediocre like all of my KastKing reels... backlash galore. The upgraded GH100 is still cheaper than the Zephyr, no? The only advantage of the Zephyr is its looks.
first and foremost, i would like to thank you for stopping by, watching my video and taking the time to ask some questions! Next, I would like to clear up a few things and set it right for the discussion. This is by far no where close to a review of the reel. This was the first time I have taken the reel out as well as the rod. I have portrayed myself testing to find the "Sweet" spot on where to configure the reel, so you will certainly see me over spooling for certain casts and certain lures! So it's incorrect to say this reel is backlash galore! This reel is by far the best CDM BFS Reel that I have conducted a cast test out of the box. If you want to see this reel in more action, there are actually a few more videos that I have published using this rod/reel, but some of them i have upgraded bearings.
Can we compare this reel out of the box to an upgraded GH100? Definitely not! But we can compare it to an out of the box GH100. The GH100 was a terrible reel out of the box and for many others, the reel had issues. Although mine does not have any mechanical issues, it was over greased and dirty for the bearings and no grease for everything else other than a tiny bit on the main gear. GH100 was only so popular due to the fact that they were the first to copy off Shimano FTB braking system. But the quality is pretty bad, especially during the launch of the reel. The Zephyr stock bearings were way better than the GH100 out of the box and Zephyr did not over oil/grease their bearing. It was pretty legit.
I don't know how you are configuring your other KastKing reels, but I have pretty good experience with all but the 1st generation Speed Demon Reel.
Please take the time to watch my other Zephyr videos. I am a bit tied up with other videos and of course, i have to fish based on the fishing calendar. the fish don't wait, but I will likely do a wrap up video for the Zephyr. I will also do a review on the GH100 since i had it for over a year now and it's time to talk all about it in details! But if I were to rate how this compared to the other CDM BFS reels I have used so far.. it's number 1 for 2020! The year is still young and I have another GH100 wanna be reel, the Kyorin Black Knight waiting to be tested. so stay tuned for that!
The reels just showed up on Amazon again!
Sweet! Click my link in my desc so I get some affiliate sales haha 😄 😆 😜 😅
Great video ! What braid size do you recommend with this reel ?
Thx, I think that will depend on what you are casting and if you are good at controlling the reel from over spooling. Don't want line trapped into the spool. Which is possible even with true 4lb mono. So keep that in mind. I don't use braid on this reel
Ciao! Scusa ma non capisco la lingua...! Vedo che durante i lanci il filo si è aggrovigliato...lo consigli questo mulinello? È migliore dello spiritfox? Quanti grammi riesce a lanciare senza aggrovigliare il filo ? Grazie!
This rod and reel was new to me, i took this combo out first time to do cast testing, so tangles was expected. I was testing the brakes while trying to achieve maximum casting distances per lure. I was casting lures between 1.75 to 3.5 grams in the video. the 1.75 i can cast at short distances no tangles with brake set high. I like this reel more than the SpiritFox because the SpiritFox reel and spool slips for me. I feel like the Brakes on the SpiritFox is a bit stronger, but casting wise, both are equivalent out of the box. I will be fishing the reel and also playing around with other bearings soon to see if any upgrades will make it better. Stick around if you can!
The only thing I don't like about that rod is the short handle. I'm used to cast with two hands so I like rods with long handles.
Me too... get the max steel!
I think if there going to let us have a chance to get the reels they should let us be able to get the rod that goes with it I know I like for my fishing rod in reels to match in I’m not the only one at least I think I’m not the only one
right i agree and which is why i am bringing it up on the video. I hope you guys will agree via in the comments as they will read it!
So I just grabbed this reel. What do you think is the ideal setup for it? I dont think anything under 1/8th oz is gonna be easy to cast accurately .
Check out my other videos with reel bearing upgrades ;) you will be surprised!
Hey man! Got my first BFS setup! Got the spirit fix w the zephyr rod.. I think the rod I got is too short.. it’s probably 5’ Long.
Question do you know how much line to spool? I have on a 1/16 jig w a tail and I birdnest a lot when I pass the 7-8 brake level? What’s your experience w it? Was hoping it will cast as far or further than the spin reel but I think it’s roughly the same
The short rod will cast shorter than a long rod. But let's start by saying BFS wasn't intended to cast long distances. Its for accuracy and efficiency. I put 4lb test line and approximately only half the spool. You can clean the bearings and remove the stock grease and put your own for more distance and to cast lighter lures or upgrade the bearings. I have a video for the rays studio micro bearings if you are interested
Ah forgot about the long short rod distance thing.. duh.. then if that’s the case it does well considering how short the rod is lol
Also w the bearing i already ordered first week of July.. just waiting.. :)
Cool beans! In the mean time... wash out stock thick junk and relube and try again ;)
Looks good
definitely on the same lines of a spiritfox out of the box. Blew GH100 out of the water. i guess it's time to do some upgrades. time to order some bearings.
I just received my zephyr rod and reel thru aliexpress. Cannot wait to try it out later this week. I also got the megajaws Bfs reel . I must say the megajaws reel is alot smoother than the zephyr. Also the spool empty on the megajaws rolls freely alot longer. Do you have a review on the Megajaws Bfs? I did order micro bearing for the zephyr reel as recommended by you just need to install them . Great videos by the way.
awesome! i hope you enjoy it. I have played with the Mega Jaws Prototype only. keep in mind rolling longer doesn't really mean anything. if you think about it, more mass (weight) means it can pick up more power when it spins.. thus spins longer. The MJ and Zephyr shares the same bearing sizes!
Thanks for the info.
@@damiangonzalez615 any time!
The rod length and swallow spool tell me that this combo is not for distance and more for accuracy on the small rivers and creeks,if you have the opportunity look for the channel enjoy fishing and see what i mean,this Japanese guy angler Saito is a monster casting on small rivers and creeks and the rod length is perfect for accuracy
Oh I know who he is and he is a legend! But yes its not always about distance but you have to have some distance. We shall see if i will be able to cast like him one day!
@@rawrfishing yeah me to hes awesome, and I don't see any trouble on casting lures on the 2.5 to 5 grams range witch is the perfect range for a variety of species specially trout
Definitely no problems with those weights! Just done editing a kayak fishing vid with this setup and scheduled for Sunday release! Brutal windy day is all I had to say!
hello bro, just wondering..does this bc suitable for saltwater fishing?
Yep, rinse well and go. I have taken it out a few times. Fun as heck
@@rawrfishing nicee..thanks bro..keep up the good videos🔥
No problem, dropping a surf fishing trip with the zephyr shortly
@@rawrfishing awesome.. can't wait to watch it🔥
Dropped :)
WITHOUT UPGRADES, WHICH FLOWS FARER? ZEPHYR, SPIRITFOX OR GH100?
that question is answered at the end of the video :P
@@rawrfishing
thanks ️, I'll see again, my English is bad, so I didn't see
no problem! out of the box, Zephyr and SpiritFox will be competing where as GH100 is out of the race! I am sure folks like "TheReelTest" will do a test and do measurements!
Got my Zephyr today!
What lb. test should I spool the reel with?
Will be used for small bass and trout on micro lures.
Thanks, great video.
If you are new.. I would suggest 4lb mono before going to braid. Saves a lot of money that way
@@rawrfishing Thanks James 👍
Your experience is the same experience as I am having with my Zephyr, lots of frustration with how easy it birdnests as well as lack of accuracy on sub 3gm lures... Yes there is operator error but I had way less frustration learning to baitcast on my blackmax than relearning BFS with the Zephyr.
Great video thank you sir 😉
@@krustysurfer it's a great reel to get Americans feet wet with BFS. I think out of the box I can get down to 2 grams. But 2.75 and up is where it shines... Which is not bad for KK first official bfs reel. I think folks who fish at the 1 gram level is more of a ultra finesse niche as not all bfs can go that low. Although the rod can go 1 gram, it takes the rod, reel and line all together before you can effectively get that low. I hope you can still use this for other fishing. I often just use it for power bfs now since the spool is pretty strong. I will wait for the Kestrel for the UL stuff!
@@rawrfishing Great observations Jimbo thanks for sharing your time and your wisdom... Kestrel....... Lots of people are awaiting that reel huh? When does it become available?
All right changing the subject to Shimano reels, does 'the reel test' get away with throwing one gram baits on the Aldebaran?
Maybe I should just return the Zephyr the Piscifun and the Diawa CT and buy a 2018 Aldebaran? I have never ever paid so much for a fishing reel that kind of price buys one a decent used surfboard hahaha! I have decisions to make and expertise is helping me to sort this out thanks again.
Aloha 😎
@@krustysurfer it should be available after icast. So likely after this week for the Kestrel. The reel test shown the 2016 casting trout Mag, I have too but the stock reel is a bit heavy. But after market spools can make it do better! The new 2022 Aldebaran BFS can do it out of the box. But the braking is... Tougher to tame for some reason. U can keep the Zephyr if you are planing to use it for power bfs and get the Aldebaran for lighter bfs lures. You will quickly find that when u go into bfs.. U will end up with at least 3 setups. 1 setup for each of the following rods, UL, L and ML. The Zephyr can go on the L or ML :p
You have me hungry for this reel. I wish I could get it now. I will have to be patient I guess.
it shouldn't be too much longer. and I was waiting longer than you since i Knew it was in the works lol
raWr Fishing i have my fingers crossed on the GH100 but this will be BFS reel number 2 for my son and I to use when we go out. Thanks for the solid review! Glad I found your channel.
Did you get the GH100 yet? I hope it comes in good condition. if so, just take out the two bearings supporting the spool and take an air gun/can and blast the crap out of the two bearings while it is on a chopstick. let the stock grease come out as it is caked. If you see dirty bearing like mine, you probably have to wash it out and then add your own oil. Otherwise, I am ordering some bearings right now for the GH100 so that I can put back bearings onto my Spartacus. I will likely do a review of them bearings... if they ever come in
raWr Fishing hasn’t even hit shipping faze yet. Supposedly hear by July 1st. Does blasting the bearings help clean dust off?
eeeps that stinks. no but it blasts excess thick grease they cake it with. if you find it dirty, then you should wash the stock grease out and then add your own oil. Alternatively, just wash it and add your own favorite bearing oil.
i love your channel and i hope i get to meet you one day
thx! I am in the Philadelphia region! i meet some of my fans/viewers here and there :)
Ciao secondo te quale è il migliore lo tsurinoya o lo zephir? Che differenze ci sono?
I think the Tsurinoya SpiritFox casts are comparable to the Zephyr out of the box. I would want to upgrade the bearings and see how much better it is, but it will take some time to acquire the Micro-Bearings. I can try Ceramic Hybrid Bearings first on the Zephyr and see how it goes. I can't vouch for long term usage on the Zephyr yet since I only have taken it out 3 times so far. But I can tell you that the spool have not slipped for me, which happen quite frequently on the Tsurinoya XF50 and SpiritFox reels.
when buying this reel it has a clicker version and a silent version, what one would you recommend?
Drag clicker is a great feature for those who fish noisy waters and like to use light drag. It helps angler determine if they need to change the drag while battling fish. Person preference. Most ppl want it!
I am considering purchasing the Kastking Zephyr spinning rod version from Ali Express, do you think it is capable of casting lures less than 1 gram?
potentially if you have the right reel and line, but would it go far? I don't know as I haven't thrown an UL spinning rod like that for a LONG time lol
I got my first baitcaster and it is a Kastking Zephyr. I fish for trout in lakes. People beside me were laughing at me not only for using baitcaster but trying to cast a 3gm crankbait for about 20feet and getting backlashes. I have 4lb trilene XL spooled on the reel. Should I get a regular baitcaster and practice or after a dozen backlashes and respooling I will eventually get it?
U should throw easier lures first. Try lipless crank and maybe one at 1/8th oz or a tad bit heavier.
Did u also configure the tension and brakes like I did? I recommend you start with Tension loose as possible but with no side to side play and like brake 4 or 4.5
@@rawrfishing thank you, I will try this on the weekend. I appreciate your response :)
@@crankbaiter_fishing pls check my updated response. I left out a word lol
@@rawrfishing i am sure this is what I read, what it is right now. Lol and i have it set accordingly. I appreciate your help really
Bonsoir pourriez vous me conseillé est ce que le moulinet spirit fox est un bon BFS ? Et la canne dragon BFS ? Merci d avance Cordialement
It is not bad of a reel. I would prefer the Zephyr based on the price. Out of the box, the Zephyr is better. Both reels would benefit via bearing upgrades if you want to throw the lightest lures. The rod is good but very subjective question. I can't really answer that for you as I don't know what you are trying to do. www.rorolure.com for mico bearings
@@rawrfishing merci beaucoup
How does this feel compare to a stock gh100 with clean bearings? I’m considering picking one up just not sure if it’s much of an upgrade.
A stock GH100 cleaned reel isn't that great because their bearings are low quality. This is better than a cleaned GH100 reel. only way it'll be better if you upgrade the bearings of the GH100
Still using it? How's it holding up? Any issues with the reel?
Due to the nature of my content creation... I have stopped using this. But I have used it for a while and there haven't been any issues. I have brought it on tidal areas, so it even was exposed to some salt
The biggest issue is trying to use this for UL. Micro bearings won't make it that much better, but stock or standard size ceramic bearings makes it an amazing for L and ML finesse fishing. Thin lines also might get trapped inside the spool during birds nesting
How light or heavy of a lure can tjis throw comfortably.
I think that will depend on one's full setup, which is why i spend the time to talk about my setup for the cast testing video. To be honest. I don't remember the video results lol. But the answer should be in the video :p
can you show us how you upgraded and tuned the GH100?
check out like 3-4 videos before this one! I have upgraded it's bearing
they should bring both rod to the states.. a little bit of " what to use with this spec " could introduce to this kind of game.
True! i think this is more of a trout rod based on how much it bends. If they are limiting the amount of Zephyr reels/rods, i would prefer folks to have the longer one. it would probably be easier for new folks to play with longer rods. at least it is for me. I will let their brand ambassador team come up with their launch videos to market what the Zephyr line up is for.. unless they want me on their channel.. that would be cool eh?
Definitely @Vire! I'm waiting for the reel to show up here too since I can't seem to find it on Aliexpress (sold out)
I got lucky! i had good subscribers who informed me that it was up for sale lol
@@rawrfishing
this is just my suggestion. what you said can help newbie into this new game, additional info about what i said before maybe could be include in the manual book or boxes
it's an awesome one! I have added it to my notes! :)
Does it have drag clicker?? It sound if fish pull the line??
nope it does not. quite and smooth!
I was just wondering, when I’m spooling up my regular baitcasters with braid, I pack it very tight to avoid line management issues, could I do the same with these bfs reels if I decided to spool one up with 10lb braid?
Not sure what packing it tight means... I generally don't pack none of my reels super tight as that will cause over spooling when it fluff back up. But u should be good on this reel. Just be careful from backlash. Thin lines are hard to fix and they may go into the spool!
Hi, do you think this reel would work for stock trout?
Yes! I have every intention to use it for trout!
Hello, I know this is a year old video, but I ordered the zephyr reel from Amazon, and looking to get the rod from aliexpress (still not on amazon)
You have any trouble with customs, or anything. I've never ordered from them? Thanks
You can get the rod at www.baitfinesseempire.com. it is the only US store authorized to sell the zephyr bfs rod and reels.
@@rawrfishing
Awesome, thanks that👍
@@rawrfishing I bought the rod, and some lures from BFE, feel like you should have got some credit for it, since you sent me their way! Thanks again 👍
@@warriorpatriot1290 oh I work technically for BFE in a way haha. He gives me good discounts and some promotional items and I send ppl over. Together we grow the BFS community and market within the US ;)
hai bro. what do u suggest the best? zephyr, kestrel elite, valiant eagle 2? the best bfs from kastking. probably i havent list all from their bfs line. if theres any i havent listed which is the best. just state it which 1 is the best of all from kastking
The kestrel line up including the Valiant Eagle are over braked. Making it not good for experienced anglers. But those reels should be for UL and L due to spool size.
Zephyr is good for L and ML due it size.
None of them are really anything extraordinary. Zephyr Is a nice budget reel. Valiant Eagle 2 if u can find on Aliexpress is a budget reel.
Kestrel elite is over priced and not recommended.
Ark Gravity bfs reel is better than all 3
@@rawrfishing hey mahn! I can’t thank you enough for the response, I’m not the person who have lots of money to throw on reel ..but if i can get a good cheap budget friendly can cast tiny lure easily then it is good enough. I believe fishing is for everyone from poor to rich.. i love ur channel! Keep it up. I love the genuine reviews example the gap on gomexus is quite big u let everyone knows to be aware of it even if its a sponsor item. Keeeeeeeeep it up! We support u
Thx mate! You can try the Haibo Arise as Haibo have acquired the rights from ark to use their braking system. That's why the reels are similar. While I never used Haibo Arise reels, it should be cheaper than the gravity!
Can I use that reel to drop shot a 1/4 oz weight or is 1/4 oz too heavy?
That's fine. Use a ML rod.
Is that reel on kastking site or Amazon yet
not yet! they estimated 2 months since my unboxing video
I am really interested in getting into bfs fishing. I would prefer the longer rod. Is Amazon selling them yet?
Not on amazon yet. But hopefully soon. U can get the reel first and bearings if you like
Hello Friend, how are you ? Let me ask you something, I bought a spirit fox recently, but I’m noticing a problem with it, the trigger lock sometimes doesn’t go up all the time when I turn the crank, I unlock it and when it’s time to lock with the crank it doesn’t the click, it only goes up to half, then I need to lift it with my finger to lock it. Did this happen to you too?
yeah it happens with some of these CDM reels. especially if your finger is in the way of making it pop all the way up. try not to let your thumb get in the thumb bar and see if it still persists.
@@rawrfishing it happens with or without my thumb in the bar ;/ It seems like something was holding the bar, i dont know, but, if i spin the handle with a little bit of strength the trigger locks
strange... like i said i have noticed it with many of my reels, but after i stopped thumbing the reel in a specific way, it stopped. perhaps something gotten into the reel? try a good cleaning
@@rawrfishing I opened but seems to be clean, i think the problem is the screw in the trigger system, because i loosened the screw and it seems to have improved a little. Maybe it was so tight that was holding the trigger
@@rawrfishing
I think I already asked you that, but, does spirit fox and zephyr have the same performance out of the box and tuned?
I have the impression that the zephyr is more solid and better built than the spirit. The zephyr arrived in Aliexpress and
I'm holding on to buy one kkkkk
ooo nice...
Thanks, it's pretttttttty awesome man!
@@rawrfishing nice to meet u... indonesia here
that's awesome! i know BFS and snakehead fishing is popular down there! hope you are here for the long run!
Can’t find the rod on Amazon or their website I must be blind lol
No ur not. KastKing is blind for not bringing the rod to Amazon. They made this reel for the Asia market with me. I begged them to bring it to the US... so they only brought the reel... major mistake as they left many potential buyers of their bfs rod and reel. You can find their rod on aliexpress
@@rawrfishing they definitely are missing out on customers especially in the north east US where I’m at. This would be absolutely perfect for small mouth bass, esp if they made a version of the rod in 7’2 light action lol would be nice alternate to spinning gear. Gotta have options :)
@@imotogoon9168 u will like tsurinoya dragon rod! Tsurinoya got plenty of rods to choose from! Check bait finesse empire out too from time to time. They are the only one importing bfs stuff right now to filled the niche
@@rawrfishing oh man ur gonna get me going down a rabbit hole haha tbh I only really found out about BFS fishing recently and the gear is literally perfect for the fish in my area. RIP to my wallet haha
dont like how this rod reel combo feels kinda feels like a toy. glad i tried it though but maybe bfs isnt for me
The hard-core bfs folks love the light reels. Generally, BC reels are lighter than Spinning, but the more expensive shimano is more lighter than this reel. Daiwa also. You can try the curado bfs, but that spool is heavy and won't throw as light lures as easy compared to aldebaran or alphas air tw... but still solid. UL fishing should have less fatigue! That's the ideology and I am down for it!
How far is it from you to the water fountain you keep saying 70 percent but we don’t know how far that is
I know... I don't normally measure my distances, but after a few videos people have asked and I bought a Line counter; however, due to covid19... it never came. And i hate casting at a football field...
What’s the minimum and maximum grams the reel casts without backlashing?
That depends on your rod, line choice and amount, lure and your skill level. But if I were to say new bfs folks. 2 grams out of the box. A skilled angler... 1.75 likely. Upgraded micro can go to 1 gram for the most skilled but not worth it. This reel excels 2 grams and up in my opinion
not sure if i should use mono or braid 6lb for this .... any suggestion?
If ur new and using zephyr... 4lb mono!
@@rawrfishing thx, I don't have any 4lb, so let's go 6lb mono :)). Big jump for me, from 60lb baitcaster to 6lb
@@HarryDK should be fine if ur throwing heavier lures on a L or ML rod. I say 1/8oz lures and up on 6lb line should be okay
What is the length of the rod? Maybe I missed it.
To be honest. I don't remember lol. I retired most of My KK stuff already. But I can't dig one out if needed!
Oh just an FYI... Tsurinoya rods are way better ;)
@@rawrfishing Yeah I thought Tsurinoya were better. I was looking to maybe get a budget rod for the Zephyr and maybe something a little nicer for the Genius or the Haibu Air Arise….still trying to figure out the budget on that.
Dragon is a rod hard to beat. Even Gary dobyns said it should be sold a lot higher price
Just looked. This is the 1.68 meter one. Or 5ft6in
Is it saltwater proof?
unfortunately I don't know. they took down the aliexpress page because it's out of stock. If you see it on Shopee, you might be able to tell me that :P i'll have to send an email to ask
Hi I have the zephyr reel and I was wondering what the best kastking rod to fish with this reel? The max steel, zephyr, or the valiant eagle. I see you have tested all of the rods So I thought that I should ask you’re opinion. The type I Fishing I do is small stream trout fishing in Wisconsin. Also how do you feel about using braided lines. Thank you can’t wait to hear your response.
I would use the Zephyr rod. They released a longer version recently too if you want that. VE rod is a bit too thick and I don't recommend it. Braided line can work but you may risk running into the spool. So if you are new, try 4lb mono. Practice first lol. True 4lb test is thin!
I was looking at the 1.8m long zephyr rod. I thought the max steel would be a good option also, because of the versatility of the 2 tips. I cast 10lb. Braid on it now with a 8 foot ultralight casting rod, but mono will probably be easier. Thank you so much for your help.
@@chadrizzo2838 the Zephyr did better on lighter lures for me. But if you plan on 3 grams and up, u should be good on either
That should be fine my typical lures are about 2 to 7 grams (about an 1/16 to 1/4). I’m not gonna try to go lighter than that I might throw a 1/32 panfish magnet with a float though. Thanks again for your help.
@@chadrizzo2838 cool! Then I guess you got a ton of options! Check BPS website. Sort by casting and L and UL. Some cheaper options but they are cheap... for once ppl will say KastKing is good lol...
qual óleo e graxa vc usa nela?
For this video, everything was stock. For my upgraded/tuned Zephyr, I run them dry with no oil on the bearings as they are micro ceramic hybrids. The gears are still still stock as I haven't had the need to clean them yet. I was thinking of trying something new in the near future. But i have been using Quantum Hot sauce both oil and grease for my reels :)
When you say your percentage to the fountain, what is the actual distance to the fountain?
84.6 ft per Google earth
@@rawrfishing thanks, I have the reel and wanted to compare my distance to yours.
@@holdem949 gotcha! Note that once u change to micro bearings and use thinner lines, you can cast further than what you see here as this is the stock reel. I got a whole set of videos on those!
@@rawrfishing awesome i will watch those
Okay very nice video! You should check on aliexpress this reel :"DMK alpha sl"
This reel have the same speck of the zephyr!
Thx, actually they don't have the same specs. it's a bit different although they look similar. From my discussions with other subs, The Zephyr reel would be better! They have said the DMK Alpha SL will need bearing cleaning, but bearing upgrade is a must to achieve good casting distance and light lures.
@@rawrfishing which reel
I have edited my response to you so it's more clear\
@@rawrfishing okay thanks so much! But we are agreed the DMK and the zephyr reel are the two best reels of cheap market?
@@markalcolm1544 no, I have not agreed anything about DMK alpha sl being the best cheap reel. I have not used it nor anyone reputable on CZcams have done a video on it. I can only talk about the reels I have portrayed on my channel.
What is the best BFS reel for saltwater with affordable price ?
I dont fish salt so it don't really know... but you could likely get a scorpion bfs cheap these days under 275 maybe even 250
@@rawrfishing Thanks for your replied
Is this reel suitable for saltwater?
Doesn't say on product page!
I have purchased this reel couple weeks ago. Really don’t like it. It didn’t perform as I expected. Magnetic systems is not working properly
Sorry to hear that. The brakes works just fine for the few I have owned. Can I ask what is your full setup, what you were trying to throw and was the reel set up properly?
@@rawrfishing Ok I have used braided line 12 lb and lures like 5-10 grams. Magnet only it only stays on 5 . Lower 5 I have birds nest. I have a lot of reels I believe Shimano is the best .
shimano definitely is good. especially their FTB system on their BFS reels. however, their brakes are way too strong. Most people remove the removable brakes so they can use higher brake settings.
Note that most people cast too hard on BFS setups. Zephyr is a static magnetic braking system, so it always applied same power that you set it. Yes lowering brakes can allow lighter lures to cast easier, but there will be risk of backlashing. I find that i cast my lures mainly at 3.5 but i sometimes do 4, especially on windy conditions and newer lures that I don't often throw.
By any chance you have the left hand Zephyr with the Drag Clicker?
@@rawrfishing I have regular reel left hand. I have Abu Garcia elite 7 with drag clicker . I will ad some more magnets and see how this reel will perform
oh that's good, i heard a few ppl with the left hand reel with the drag clicker (zephyr) and they were having trouble. don't know if it's a production issue or not since I am no longer with KastKing.
Try casting with more magnets on indeed and if needed, just cast softer. Something we all must do when using BFS.
How many long rod??
you mean how long? i have the 1.68m UL one
What the F is BFS?
Bait finesse system. Aka Ultralight Baitcasting setup.
Rapala make very good micro jerkbaits
yeah but their micro stuff doesn't have weight chamber systems either.
@@rawrfishing oh okay, I just assumed the technology from bigger baits was used in the smaller ones. I have a small 3 or 5g Rapala jerkbait and it casts really well
could you send me the link of the line
Sorry this video was made long ago. I don't remember much of it. But have u Read the description? Should have enough info there.
@@rawrfishing it's not in the description but no problems buddy
I checked it and I stated that the line used is 4lb Kastking Fluorokote.
@@rawrfishing obrigado
The amount of a backlash in a baitcasting reel is bad enough. Not worth getting a BFS casting reel. Just leave it to spinning reel.
Sorry to hear that. The amount of backlash is not much to me. I only put my brakes at the minimum to see where their brakes stands and cast like a typical American for cast testing purposes. Many folks out side the country would use half the brakes we use and still no backlash. Cultural differences in how we see, utilize and execute I guess! I always suggest folks who feel overwhelmed to stick to their comfort zone. Afterall. Most of us fish to enjoy and escape. Tightlines
@@rawrfishing thats why most fishing companies dont even bother with BFS casting reels. For practicality ppl just stick to a spinning reel when throwing light tackle.
That's a misconception and their loss on a fast and popular growing niche sector. There is a demand if they know where to market it. Obviously the states doesn't have a strong market for it but due to the sheer amount of anglers in this country, it only take a few big folks to trend it and it blows up. The past two years the amount of demand here in the country grew... but only those who are in it knows. Tight lines
Ciao amico la consigli questa canna per bfs casting in torrente per le trote? O hai qualche altra canna da bfs low cost su aliexpress da consigliarmi?
this is a great rod. specs are pretty accurate on weight ranges. other ones could be Tsurinoya Ares..