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Post 13 Aug 2020, 16:52 • #26 
Sport
Joined: 06/23/20
Posts: 34
Found this great post and then got lost trying to find Tobin's grasswalkers on line.

Ha, ya got me. Texas small chain stores aren't selling on line.


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Post 13 Aug 2020, 17:46 • #27 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
how about this?
you can buy direct from Tobin
https://troutsupport.com/products/trout-support-lure

List of Retailers Carrying them

Bay City - Salt Swag
Corpus Christi - Fishermans Place (Roy's had them last time I was there)
Clute - Slickwater Tackle (Formerly Rosco's)
Harlingen - Hook Line and Sinker
Katy - Anglers Anonymous
Matagorda - Matagorda Outfitters
Rockport - Tackle Town
San Antonio - Matts Reel Repair
Sargent - EMB East Matagorda Bay Saltwater Gear

and splashing a couple more old Lew's for you, BB-25SW and BB-1N


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 15 Aug 2020, 07:52, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 14 Aug 2020, 08:30 • #28 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Love those old Lews reels.

I've added the ABEC7 ceramics to my Abu Black Max. Got the bearings from SDS Custom Reels. Their prices are better than Boca on the stuff I bought.





Casts like a dream now. Can't wait to see how the lightweight spool I have on order brings further improvement. An upgrade to the mag brake may be in order.

https://www.ebay.com/str/sdscustomreels

Spools can be had for even less money on AliExpress. The wait could be a problem though.

Had to upgrade the handle and knobs too.



Now I need to find an appropriate BFS rod. <rabbit hole>


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Post 14 Aug 2020, 08:47 • #29 
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Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
it looks pretty zippy, and I love the handle


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Post 24 Aug 2020, 16:50 • #30 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Thanks. I have another one I'm going to do up in all black (handle, knobs, spool brake knob and spool). The new name for the reel will be Max Black.

** Update on the Black Max. Installed the lightweight spool. I'm into it for about $100 (including the cost of the original reel). If I got stainless instead of ceramic bearings, and the AliExpress spool (instead of eBay) it would have been $10-15 less. I was throwing 1/16th jigs yesterday and a small spinner (not sure it's weight) with no problem. Might try to 1/32 oz stuff tonight.






Not sure the weight on this baby Kastmaster, but I could sail it 50 yards.




You can achieve BFS for minimal cost.


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Post 25 Aug 2020, 06:50 • #31 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
looks like a great result.
Good aerodynamic lures will usually sail.
The trick, and the real need for mag, is getting good spool response with not-so-aerodynamic light lures.

If you want to buy direct from Japan, here's a very good vendor, also with good English.
I threw up Abu for GP, but he sells parts for Shimano and Daiwa also.
https://japantackle.com/tuning-parts/sp ... s/abu.html

The main thing, he does good business with Avail, who makes the really sweet baitcaster aftermarket parts.
Better prices, better shipping offering DHL, and easier website to navigate than Hedgehog.
Making the DHL cost effective typically means having your needs well organized to get everything you'd want into one order.


Mike's in Canada is also a good source, very tough website to navigate because he tries to cover so much.
His aftermarket parts are really slick, and his single-backed abec7 bearings out-spin any others I've seen - so fast and so long you get the optical illusion of them spinning backwards.
I bought my Mike's bearings from Japan Tackle.


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 26 Aug 2020, 06:41, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 25 Aug 2020, 09:18 • #32 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Threw a 1/32 oz jig last night. Not sure of the total weight with the soft bait on it, but lighter than the 1/16 oz jig I threw the previous night. There was a little pulling to the right on some casts, but as I got more used to the set up and continued to adjust the brake, things got better. Back lashes were most certainly much more likely to occur. I really needed to concentrate, not cast too hard and get my thumb engaged properly. I'm guessing someone with better baitcasting skills than me (almost anyone, lol) would do fine. I think there is some sort of friction occurring on the left hand side plate that I need to track down. If I can eliminate this, 1/32 oz casting should be improved.

I've looked at the stuff on Japan Tackle, MomoStudio, Hedgehog, Mike's Tackle and others. It's rather surprising the amount of items available, even for this cheapo Black Max. More options available on AliExpress. I'm currently using a $20 Shakespeare Micro Series rod. This really is budget BFS. But I would like to try a better or more suitable BFS rod. I would guess that this would improve casting too. Other than that, I'm about done with mods on this reel. Next project is an ABU 2500C.


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Post 25 Aug 2020, 11:52 • #33 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
when I was casting absolutely nothing on my old Daiwa Millionaire 6H - ok, the weight of a shrimp on a bare 2/0 hook - I developed a spiral cast.
Began with the rod straight out, a 270-degree circular arc, slowly feeding line with my thumb, and a speed that kept the weight of the shrimp perfectly centrifugal.
Released just past top dead center. Zero jerk, so no backlash.
A guide one day was going to show me what was wrong with my free shrimp cast, and we soon figured out I was easily doubling him.


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Post 25 Aug 2020, 15:08 • #34 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
I've seen people do this. I'm gonna need a LOT of practice. :-)


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Post 26 Aug 2020, 10:08 • #35 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
The spiral cast has the effect of giving you the added 20% release velocity necessary to double cast distance, while keeping your soft bait on the hook. .
It gets the same result as using a 20% longer rod, but it comes from a well-educated thumb.
I should also add the spiral is a two-hand cast, because your grip feels really loose feathering with your thumb during the cast.

Plat has a pretty good fall sale, including 30-40% off rods and reels.
https://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/def ... ale_!.html
If it's showing prices in JPY, there's a click on the left column to get US$.
(They have a few Stradic FL2500 in stock at 30% off)

this Major Craft looks like a nice finesse bait rod (and $18 DHL)
https://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/pro ... 00yen.html


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Post 26 Aug 2020, 10:35 • #36 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Nice stuff and less expensive (on some models) than I expected. I'm probably not gonna go JDM with this reel. This is my low-end setup. Might go for a JDM rod to pair with my 2500C.


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Post 23 Nov 2021, 14:56 • #37 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
had not yet found a trout on the Lews/glass combo. Last week went out one night to see about a walleye, none found but a fat 21" trout grabbed the 4" Mirrolure (not exactly finesse though ;-)

Meantime I'd remodeled the handle of the glass rod. A lot of time I'm fishing a small weightless plastic, and like to hold the line to detect nibbles. The old handle just had a cold metal bit in front of the reelseat. So I tore that down, put in a stent, and built a nice 6" cork in front of a Fuji reelseat for those cold walleye outings..



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Post 24 Nov 2021, 12:17 • #38 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I haven't taken either of my finesse Ambassadeurs out because we're turning to salt here.

Image

Image

But I did get a rat red in a tide pass at the beginning of the month on my shore light game rod.

Image


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Post 06 Dec 2021, 14:53 • #39 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Has anyone tried the Diawa JDM Bass X 642L? Looking for a budget bfs rod that is true to weight


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Post 01 Jan 2022, 13:56 • #40 
New Member
Joined: 12/19/21
Posts: 11
Boca Bearings out of Florida are great to work with and fast.


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Post 02 Jan 2022, 08:32 • #41 
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Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Doug, for spool bearings, especially for lighter lure weights and lower-mass spools, unshielded and especially micro-bearings are a remarkable improvement over shielded bearings including those sold by Boca and VXB.

By keeping the ball diameter, spinning mass and inertia down, they're easier to start and also to brake.
Spools achieve remarkable speed, get equivalent brake response with less brake force, all of which equals greater light lure distance.

You have to keep them oiled, but also lets you pick your favorite low-viscosity bearing oil.
Where I fish them in the salt, they have the advantage of being constantly flushed, and not trapping salt in old lube.
Image



G8trwood wrote:
Has anyone tried the Diawa JDM Bass X 642L? Looking for a budget bfs rod that is true to weight

My only JDM bass rod is a Valleyhill MMM all-range that is anything but budget. 6'7", fishes the full range 1/16 to 5/8 oz, casts the light end just about toe-to-toe with my 8' shore light game rod, and fishes the heavy end including crankbaits without any noodle.
I even did a search on BR, didn't come up with a comment on the rod you mentioned, and can't find the maker on my usual JDM vendors.
Can you share a link?
General thought, an L rating rod ought to shine at light lures, likely won't be a crankbait rod, which ML or MM BFS often will fish as well as light jigs, UL ned and drop shot.


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Post 02 Jan 2022, 09:11 • #42 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
I will get a link to rod. https://jdmtackleheaven.com/products/da ... 4169520246

I have one and a new real coming as a late Christmas gift…. It didn’t ship before a holiday shutdown. The Old Falcon low rider ultimate trout is performing pretty darn good with a Curado BFS.1/16 oz jig and 2” soft plastic. I took an older reel of it that couldn’t perform in the lower range.
My nephew said he has one of the Mojo bass glass rods and doesn’t like it, so he is bringing it by this week for me to try. He said it is way to light for his crankbaits. I will update when the glass is in hand.

The bfs stuff is addicting, what you can easily throw is amazing. The Diawa Gek. Air tw PE is fantastic for close in casting, low line capacity. I have 8lb suffix on it.


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Post 02 Jan 2022, 11:00 • #43 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Daiwa - that's a great working range, and I'm surprised the rod is not rated ML.

The thing about BFS reels - they can fish everything up to 3/4 oz - shallow spools and braid just go together.
While you don't always need the extra cast distance, it gives you reliability with lower-effort casting.

And probably no upper weight limit with Avaiil Microcast spool on Ambassadeur with HD spool bearings.

You'll never hear me gripe about Sufix 832 - it's really well-behaved line on spinning and baitcaster.
20-lb and higher gets my recommendation for people wanting braid on deep-spool baitcasters.
The new generation of Japanese X-braids, though, are twice the strength for the same diameter.

I'm fishing Duel X-wire on my salt shore light game, PE#0.8, PE#1 full-time in salt ML, and PE#1.2 on my bass rods.
A cost-effective braid jun Sonada recommends for baitcaster is Yamatoyo Resin Sheller hard coat.
I tried it the first time on my Abu 4600, and really like this line - PE#1.2, 20-lb, is the same diameter as Sufix 832 10-lb.
It will be my frogger for slicing vegetables.


I have a new rod that just parked in Chicago ISC, also. My first MHF for inshore, Valleyhill 7'5" 1/4 to 1 oz.
Going to match it with braid and the ZPI Alcance I've been carrying as back-up for 6 months.

This reel has magnesium spool, titanium spindle, and tuned mag brake cam.


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Post 02 Jan 2022, 19:02 • #44 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
bulldog1935 wrote:
Doug, for spool bearings, especially for lighter lure weights and lower-mass spools, unshielded and especially micro-bearings are a remarkable improvement over shielded bearings including those sold by Boca and VXB.


thanks Ron - do you have a vendor/source that you like ?

I was a bit surprised to find the ceramics in this Lews, had slowed down significantly over the year or so. Cleaned them out and they are better but not as good as new. I'm thinking of pulling the shields off to get a really good clean then running them unshielded.

Trying the Yamamoto Resin Sheller 0.6 PE on my Abu 4600C4 with Momo spool, haven't had much chance to fish it yet. The reel with the same 7ft glass rod as in the pics here, easily throws 2g, I'm very happy with it. The spool was a disappointment though. There's some kind of manufacturing defect so the white nylon gear that clips into the spool, does not sit square to the spool and so it rubs on the spool shaft. It's not noticeable on the retrieve but the spin is slowed. Bought a new nylon gear and experimented on the old one, took a Dremel and opened up the shaft hole. It runs better now with no visible problems on the levelwind or idler. Have my doubts about long-term though, hope to fish some in the spring and will keep checking for odd wear patterns.


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Post 03 Jan 2022, 13:15 • #45 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Best buy on micro spool bearings is rorolure.com
They're in Hong Kong, and post is a couple of weeks and very cost-effective.

Doug, if you find you need a mag brake on that, Avail works great - I had to turn each individual magnet 1/4-turn CW to get the mag to the Momo spool, and the result is splendid.
It will cast 1/16th oz, though I never plan to fish that light, it means I'll never need to set again for wind backlash.

Image


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Post 03 Jan 2022, 21:15 • #46 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
832 is my go to, as I have a big spool. I use the 8 and 10 on a lot of stuff. I have been looking at the jdm braids, but the choices.. oh my…want a bit of abrasion resistance. I also like berkley pro spec 20 metered on casters

On the roro spools, any translation on thickened or senior player:). I only have one abu, an early 80’s 4500c.

Oh my Diawa bass rod and Zillion shipped!


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Post 04 Jan 2022, 08:26 • #47 
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Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
"thickened or senior players" reference on Roro-x spools website listings.
Two different thickness (mass) of brake rotor.
"Thickened" will provide more mag brake response, and is especially the choice on older TDZ reels, which have older, less powerful annular magnets.
Senior players denotes a thinner, lighter brake rotor, which has all the mag response you need on the improved annular magnets in late Daiwa SV TW reels.
They're using "senior player" to imply a difference in casting skill (backlash recovery skill) - some truth to that, as old style baitcasters required complete elimination of jerk from your cast (modern SV and DC brakes invite you to cast like a total jerk).

Stock Steez/Zillion 1016SV spool on the left weighs 12 g, and will cast 1/8 oz, but likely not beyond 90-100'
SV = moving rotor, the latest magforce brake.
With jerk and acceleration, the brake rotor rides a ramp deeper into the mag field against a spring - when forces equalize in the spool, the rotor retracts to linear mag brake.
SV is a "nonlinear" mag brake that duplicates centrifugal brake function at start-up (and costs less distance in the rest of the cast).
Image
The Roro-X spool with titanium spindle and fixed brake rotor weighs 5 g and I'm casting 2 g to 130'
It's not measurably heavier filled with braid, and inertia is so low, it doesn't need SV up to a heavy lure weight limit.
If you add enough jerk to your cast, it's possible to get a start-up backlash, but certainly less likely for a "senior player"

The fixed Roro brake rotor turns the Daiwa SV into a simple linear mag brake. I also have the Ray's Studio Honeycomb SV spool, which adds the start-up jerk forgiveness, and raises the lure weight top end. The SV complication adds 2 g to the Ray's spool, but also turns it into an All-range braid spool, effectively without an upper lure weight limit.
Side-by-side casting in the back acre, the honeycomb SV costs just a slight distance on the low-weight end.
Image

I got here by no one making a BFS (microcast) aftermarket spool for Lew's, and also not wanting the small spool diameter that's typical in off-the-shelf BFS-ready reels. After research, and seeing all the wonderful aftermarket spools out there, I chose the Daiwa Steez/Zillion route. My niche was not really stream trout, or even bass fishing, but distance casting tide passes to imitate winter glass minnows. Stock varies with batch manufacturing, but both Roro and Ray's, also Momo (AMO) offer BFS spools for Daiwa Tatula and Abu Revo.

The way they do linear mag brake on Lew's and Revo, the magnets are in the palm plate, and act on the flange face of a deep spool.
Aftermarket BFS spools are also out there for Abu Revo - they keep enough differences in spool design that none will swap into Lew's. With the basic Revo mag brake, the BFS spools add a brake-face partial flange. These are ZPI Alcance spools, 7 and 11 g, machined magnesium plus titanium spindle.
Image Image


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Post 04 Jan 2022, 11:37 • #48 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/12/18
Posts: 457
A very informative post, as usual Ron. Thanks!

My new Daiwa 20 Alphas Air Tw is probably the first reel I've purchased with BFS in mind that I didn't feel needed a lighter spool and new bearings to perform as well as I'd like it to. Reports of the difficulty/damage potential of replacing the spool bearings shies me away from ordering ceramic micro bearings from Roro (which are currently out of stock). No worries though, as the premium OEM bearings and the KTF spool fitted to the stock reel work very well.

I've always been a bit paranoid about damaging these ultra-lightweight spools. Other than when dealing with a snagged lure, is there any realistic concern about tweaking them by using heavy drag settings, for instance? Not that I do, but don't many folks buy these shallow/light spools for flipping/pitching use? The spools sure seem fragile...


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Post 04 Jan 2022, 12:35 • #49 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Great question Bob - your reel, of course is off-the-shelf BFS (bait finesse system = shallow lightweight spool and low-inertia spool bearings), ready to go stream trout or bass finesse fishing. You could gain a light lure edge with swap-in Roro-X spool, and of course, no need to change a bearing - it comes with a Roro spool bearing installed.

Daiwa uses their version of sealed microbearings even on their big reels - they've bought into the low inertia concept.
You might feel a speed improvement with Roro bearings, which are going to be lower mass by at least the seals, and give you ultra-slick bearing oil option.

But you're right, it takes special tools to change the spool bearing - Roro sells the right tool at the right price.
This is the spendier Daiwa SLP Works version.
To change the bearing, you have to remove and reinstall the spindle pin, which is usually tapered, and only goes one way.
A good time to have an Ott magnifier.
Image

The crush question. Only AMO specifically states not to use mono or fluorocarbon on their spools.
The relaxation of loaded stretch in mono/fc can potentially crush the spool, but none of the other makers warn against it.
They are fairly stiff from the spool center, and flanged rings on the edges.

I run 3 lbs drag full time on my Zillion/Ray's, and 2 to 2-1/2 lbs on my Steez/Roro-X.
I'm fishing X-braid, so i'm not spooling stretch.


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Post 04 Jan 2022, 16:55 • #50 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Wow! Thanks for the informative reply. The fixed rotor vs moving would have been my next question, lol, I did notice that the Ray’s seem to be unubtainium (Zillion)

I mostly fish SW (reds, flatties, sheep) with an occasional jaunt to the mountains for trout. I came to the bfs as I fish out of a yak too, creeks and backcountry flats off of the ICW. I throw light or weightless the majority of the time. I switch hands a lot depending on yak position, shoulder pain, etc. Once I tried the bfs types with magnets (no centrifugal) I was sold. The effortless casting of the small baits is amazing. Almost thumb free unless I am living in the brake danger zone. I did try a DC SLX, gave it to nephew. It really needs double the brake settings. I do suffer from a splitting wood casting stroke if I lose focus….
The Curado bfs is pretty darn nice with a decent line capacity and reasonable price. This Diawa reel, https://www.digitaka.com/item/4/4/2/4550133149009 is pretty amazing . Low line cap, but brake tuned for braid and saltwater version.
This led me to ordering the Zillion based on reviews with the internet of looking for a bfs spare spool. A lot of my older reels are going to be dropping bait next to a pilling ;)


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