Jimmy I almost wrote off BFS after my experiences with the converted black max and then the GH100 - you single handedly saved it man thank you. This reel with the roro bearings and chameleon spool is AWESOME!
that's awesome man! Yeah BFS are not all equal as the few main thing that controls how light a lure can be casted are the spool (weight and diameter) bearings and brakes. I hope you will enjoy the setup and perhaps explore other reels too! note that even tho the blackmax and GH100 couldn't go as low as you like, you can always go heavier ;) there are a ton of lures you can do power fishing on a L or even ML rod and have a ton of fun!!!
Im a power fisherman and always will be. But BFS is so nice when you love baitcasters and using light lures.plus little baits catch everything from BIG to small fish. Obviously spinning setups will have there place still but Jimbo you definitely got me hooked and i appreciate it. This summer was great so far and trout fishing this fall is going to be epic. God Bless and tight lines everyone.
oh man fall bite will be SOOOO fun doing all light lures. but i'll throw a few big lures for a trophy fish. I think i'll be so hooked on fishing in between tho with my Tatula SV TW103. The Smedium sized lures LOL
it makes alot of sence to convert a reel you end up with 2 reels for the price of one best of both worlds depending on the fishing you do great video mate its full of knowledge the makes plenty of sence
It can definitely make it more fun! Carry both spools. I have the sds aluminum spool container and it keeps it from bring damaged while being carried. The only caveat for conversion is that If you change to micro bearings, your standard spool will likely be impacted from casting distance.
@@rawrfishing 1 week ago i bought an aldebaran 30 mgl trying to have light and normal aplications in just one reel. Im a 1rod1reel guy haha. But if this tatula with chameleon spool performs better than the aldebaran bfs i will use my credit card again... 😄
@@rawrfishing freaking sweet! Last Question. If you are going to be mostly bass fishing and large green sunfish/crappie with mostly small inline spinners, ned rigs, micro jigs, micro jerkbaits and micro buzzbaits would you go with the KastKing Max Steel or Tsurinoya Legend?
Actually is a very good idea since all of those famous rods are out of stock. ( Dobyns for example), and I ended purchasing a Shimano Sensilite for my Curado BFS ) I'm happy with their performance.
I also tried to convert Tatula 100 using the same spool. Unfortunately I noticed that the pull is not even and I can feel some sort of vibration when fishing. That's due to huge holes in the spool, they create uneven leverages. Just like driving on a hexagonal wheel. That drives me crazy.
Also gotta say it's cheaper than 230 for this reel since you won't need special tools to remove bearings. No bearings on the spool!! Just need some wrench and screw drivers... u can opt for fuego too as that is cheaper! No t wing system tho
It will depend on weight. if you can weigh one while it's wet and dry and let me know.. then we can talk :P i have casted Clousers and ton of other streamers. some i have to add weight, like to a cheburaska jig head. distance isn't far for bulky lures. so wet it good and give it a shot!
@@rawrfishing Very informative! It was actually just a question out of curiosity (as I don't have much flies) lol. Another question I have is if you have a BFS reel (I have a Shimano SLX mgl) and you spool it with 40 lb braided line and put it on a regular baitcasting rod, will it retain some of its BFS ability?
gotcha! flies can be fun on casting or even spinning rods! I think MGL is made for versatile finesse fishing, so even if you put heavier line on, if it hits the max capacity, it should still be same weight as if it was thin line max capacity? Maybe? Lol.. maybe that be a cool test for somoene. weighing the spools with max 20 lb braid vs 40lb braid! What u doing with 40 lb braid tho? Snakehead fishing throwing light lures?
I’ve been pursuing this very thing recently. Currently, the lightest that I’ve gone is 0.7 grams. That was a true 1/64 oz(.44 grams) jig head with a micro 1” soft plastic. I said “true” 1/64 oz for a reason because I’ve discovered that there is a LOT of variation in the actual weight vs the advertised weight of a lot of lures, jig heads, and weights from various manufacturers. For example, I’ve discovered that the ever popular 1/64 trout magnet heads consistently weigh between .6-.7 grams; so when you add the plastic body(very close to.35 grams) it gets you very near the 1 gram weight. As I said, I can accurately and consistently cast a .7 gram lure with my current setup….Daiwa Alphas Air TW+Roro Standard spool. For the casting of extreme ultra light lures this setup is KING.
Hey Jim, question for you: I'm currently looking at buying a Baitcaster for about $200-250 and I definitely want a Daiwa for the ability to mod the spool. I've seen this video as well as the SV TW103 video and I'm wondering: In 2023, what's your recommendation for a sub $250 Daiwa for this purpose? I want to be able to go from BFS to the original spool to have a wide variety of possible applications with the Baitcaster. Would love to hear your thoughts on this, however brief they may be!
This would be a good option for sure! You can also look into the Asia version called Salamandura svtw103. Same thing but red.. Then u will have money to buy a spool of your choice and bearings :)
@@rawrfishing Okay one more question: I think I'm actually leaning towards the SV TWS over the TW. The TWS is a bit heavier but has more drag. Will the spool still be the same as the TW103 video you have? I don't see any spools that say "TWS" and I'm having trouble deciphering if this spool mod would work on the TASV103 model that has higher drag and is a bit heavier Edit: Research via looking at internet photos of the two shoes that the heavier higher drag TASV103 model has a 16lb 40-80m line cap and a 14lb 45-90m line cap with the smaller lighter newer lower drag TUSV103 has the same with 16lb 40-80m line cap and 14lb 45-90m line cap. They're both SV Spools with the same line cap, does that mean they should use the same Chameleon Spool model as the one in your video?
The tw103 and tws are two completely different reels and spool sizes are different. So when you buy spools. Please read carefully what the spools are made for. The chameleon diy spool will not fit the tws
Perhaps? you have to check the spool options on the market. Chameleon DIY became super popular on aliexpress and many folks sells those, mainly for daiwa reels, im sure one will fit!
I would say it's hard to compare two reels th neither are made to cast far. But if I must, the conversion will cast further for heavier lures due to the larger spool diameter
So two questions. For your tatula conversion, are you using the roro micro bearings still? Also in your past vids you mentioned about using mono instead of braid for the chameleon spool due to the possible fragility. Have you noticed any differences after switching to light braid?
Yes to micro bearings. Braid is safer than mono as it doesn't stretch. But it is also dangerous because it doesn't. Especially from snags. Light lines does go further.
@@rawrfishing is that how you were able to cast the trout magnet? By switching to light braid? I know in the initial cast test you were struggling to cast the trout magnet.
Damn I just bought a lingl off aliexpress when I could have just converted one of my tatula cts. Will a fully upgraded lingl with micro bearing keep up with a converted tatula?
I can't say the two will be comparable. Spool sizes are different . I like this Over lingl. In fact, this is my top 3 bfs reel that i own and it's a converted one
@@rawrfishing does the line ever get stuck between the frame and spool when you backlash on the tatula? Thats probably my number one problem with the lingl so far
@@rawrfishing I already have a Curado bfs, but wanted to see how it compares to a customized reel and the type r is one of my favorite regular reels. I'll order a pair of roro bearings to complete the modification, can't wait to get my hands dirty. Really like your videos!
edit : yeah at the last part you mention that it is a sv103 and t32 spool. great choice my friend! i'd like to see how it can perform with a trout magnet , i know you dont usulay fish with that microlures but for testing purposes :) * * * hey jimm is this the popular 2019 tatula sv103 model ( 2nd generation SV concept) ? it can cast light lures quite well (5-10 grs) and i think it is a good candidate for bfs conversion and it might become the ultimate reel for all purposes, japanese even fly large swimbaits with the stock reel lol
i know i want too much but can you make a test comparison video for distance and convenience between alphas air tw bfs + chamelon and tatula sv103 + chamelon ? that would be the most epic video i think.there is quite a good price difference between tatula sv and alphas air and also tatula sv stock model has more range of casting heavier lures.This might prove that buying sv 103 and modifiying it with chamelon might be a better option for starters.
Are you referring to the tatula sv tws? The 2019 model doesn't use the tatula 100 chassis. So this spool probably won't fit it. But I would assume all Daiwa's will perform similarly after swapping micro bearings and to the chameleon spool. I will not be doing a comparison video, people can watch the individual videos to compare. But i may redo some of my older casting videos as I now got a way to measure distance accurately. I also don't intend to change bearings to micro for my tatula sv tw103 as I intend to use the stock spool as well for versatile finesse and your typical bass stuff. Details to come when that video is being produced
Mister, help me to undestand. I saw Daiwa Tatula Elite with additional spool 7.3 gramms. Does that mean that i can cast with that spool 2-3 gramms lures?
@@rawrfishing Mister, now you have a new follower from Ukraine. What would you recommend for novice on casting Daiwa Tatula Elite longcast or Daiwa Tatula SV TW? I want to fish on pike.
Jimmy I almost wrote off BFS after my experiences with the converted black max and then the GH100 - you single handedly saved it man thank you. This reel with the roro bearings and chameleon spool is AWESOME!
that's awesome man! Yeah BFS are not all equal as the few main thing that controls how light a lure can be casted are the spool (weight and diameter) bearings and brakes. I hope you will enjoy the setup and perhaps explore other reels too! note that even tho the blackmax and GH100 couldn't go as low as you like, you can always go heavier ;) there are a ton of lures you can do power fishing on a L or even ML rod and have a ton of fun!!!
Man, you teach us so much and you do such a great job on these tutorials. We greatly appreciate you!
I feel that the best way to grow the niche is to share my knowledge that I have learned in my BFS journey;). Glad you have found this video useful!
Im a power fisherman and always will be. But BFS is so nice when you love baitcasters and using light lures.plus little baits catch everything from BIG to small fish. Obviously spinning setups will have there place still but Jimbo you definitely got me hooked and i appreciate it. This summer was great so far and trout fishing this fall is going to be epic. God Bless and tight lines everyone.
oh man fall bite will be SOOOO fun doing all light lures. but i'll throw a few big lures for a trophy fish. I think i'll be so hooked on fishing in between tho with my Tatula SV TW103. The Smedium sized lures LOL
it makes alot of sence to convert a reel you end up with 2 reels for the price of one best of both worlds depending on the fishing you do great video mate its full of knowledge the makes plenty of sence
It can definitely make it more fun! Carry both spools. I have the sds aluminum spool container and it keeps it from bring damaged while being carried. The only caveat for conversion is that If you change to micro bearings, your standard spool will likely be impacted from casting distance.
Great video by the way, your teaching everyone useful info on every video.
Thx man! That's the goal! To shed my knowledge before I get too busy! Man babies grow so fast lol
Great video. Nice to know your thoughts on best stock and converted BFS reels.
Thanks! When i say best, I think it will be subjective. I am a guy who wanna throw the lightest lure furthers lol :P Alphas Air TW ftw!
The video i was waiting for! Many thanks!!!
Glad it was useful for ya! What are you planning to do now? :p
@@rawrfishing 1 week ago i bought an aldebaran 30 mgl trying to have light and normal aplications in just one reel. Im a 1rod1reel guy haha. But if this tatula with chameleon spool performs better than the aldebaran bfs i will use my credit card again... 😄
@@valencia_m__ lol well i should say that aldebaran bfs does have a shallow spool too. So who knows which will be better after u swap spools lol
Thanks for the info! Just found out about bfs fishing and was interested in buying a spool for my Tatula SV TW.
If u got the tw103... u are gonna be in for a treat! I got the spool and will be making a video soon on stock bearings performance!
@@rawrfishing This is what I'm leaning towards. Is it still the best option for this application around $250ish?
This is the exact same conversion I am ordering parts for right now. I love a Tatula 100
It's a good spool! Especially after the bearing upgrade
@@rawrfishing With some spool speed XCR Ultras or Roro Micro Bearings and this spool what lure weights do you think this reel is capable of throwing?
@@TimHaunFishing I have thrown the 0.8 gram papinka frog on it :)
@@rawrfishing freaking sweet! Last Question. If you are going to be mostly bass fishing and large green sunfish/crappie with mostly small inline spinners, ned rigs, micro jigs, micro jerkbaits and micro buzzbaits would you go with the KastKing Max Steel or Tsurinoya Legend?
These are the tips I needed thanks so much!!!
Glad to help! Let me know what other questions you may have!
@@rawrfishing will do
I would like to see video on your best BFS rods. Or recommended rods for light lures and power BFS lures.
I hate making rod videos cuz my house sucks on space lol. but i'll make one soon... :)
Actually is a very good idea since all of those famous rods are out of stock. ( Dobyns for example), and I ended purchasing a Shimano Sensilite for my Curado BFS ) I'm happy with their performance.
I know it is too... but the the don't wait! Lol... I gotta go fish too!
I also tried to convert Tatula 100 using the same spool. Unfortunately I noticed that the pull is not even and I can feel some sort of vibration when fishing. That's due to huge holes in the spool, they create uneven leverages. Just like driving on a hexagonal wheel. That drives me crazy.
It's a fragile spool, is yours warped by any chance?
Great info. Are there any upgrades that you would recommend for the Kast King Zephyr? I've just bought the new version with the clicker. Tight lines
Bearings! Check my videos for details on Zephyr bearing upgrades. I did two different kinds! Cheers
230 for a reel that you can swap the spools for multiple applications and you think it casts farther than the curado bfs. Great video!
It can for sure but when u put the micro bearings in... the stock spool may not work as original anymore. Gotta keep that in mind!
Also gotta say it's cheaper than 230 for this reel since you won't need special tools to remove bearings. No bearings on the spool!! Just need some wrench and screw drivers... u can opt for fuego too as that is cheaper! No t wing system tho
Great video! Do you think it's possible to throw something as light as a fly (like maybe a weighted one or a saltwater fly) on BFS gear?
It will depend on weight. if you can weigh one while it's wet and dry and let me know.. then we can talk :P i have casted Clousers and ton of other streamers. some i have to add weight, like to a cheburaska jig head. distance isn't far for bulky lures. so wet it good and give it a shot!
@@rawrfishing Very informative! It was actually just a question out of curiosity (as I don't have much flies) lol.
Another question I have is if you have a BFS reel (I have a Shimano SLX mgl) and you spool it with 40 lb braided line and put it on a regular baitcasting rod, will it retain some of its BFS ability?
gotcha! flies can be fun on casting or even spinning rods!
I think MGL is made for versatile finesse fishing, so even if you put heavier line on, if it hits the max capacity, it should still be same weight as if it was thin line max capacity? Maybe? Lol.. maybe that be a cool test for somoene. weighing the spools with max 20 lb braid vs 40lb braid! What u doing with 40 lb braid tho? Snakehead fishing throwing light lures?
@@rawrfishing I honestly don't know lol; my dad spooled it. And I'm on the west coast so no snakeheads
I’ve been pursuing this very thing recently. Currently, the lightest that I’ve gone is 0.7 grams. That was a true 1/64 oz(.44 grams) jig head with a micro 1” soft plastic. I said “true” 1/64 oz for a reason because I’ve discovered that there is a LOT of variation in the actual weight vs the advertised weight of a lot of lures, jig heads, and weights from various manufacturers. For example, I’ve discovered that the ever popular 1/64 trout magnet heads consistently weigh between .6-.7 grams; so when you add the plastic body(very close to.35 grams) it gets you very near the 1 gram weight. As I said, I can accurately and consistently cast a .7 gram lure with my current setup….Daiwa Alphas Air TW+Roro Standard spool. For the casting of extreme ultra light lures this setup is KING.
Hey Jim, question for you: I'm currently looking at buying a Baitcaster for about $200-250 and I definitely want a Daiwa for the ability to mod the spool. I've seen this video as well as the SV TW103 video and I'm wondering: In 2023, what's your recommendation for a sub $250 Daiwa for this purpose? I want to be able to go from BFS to the original spool to have a wide variety of possible applications with the Baitcaster. Would love to hear your thoughts on this, however brief they may be!
This would be a good option for sure! You can also look into the Asia version called Salamandura svtw103. Same thing but red.. Then u will have money to buy a spool of your choice and bearings :)
Note the Tatula 100 is still nice, but the 103 spool stock is better than the 100.
@@rawrfishing Okay one more question: I think I'm actually leaning towards the SV TWS over the TW. The TWS is a bit heavier but has more drag. Will the spool still be the same as the TW103 video you have? I don't see any spools that say "TWS" and I'm having trouble deciphering if this spool mod would work on the TASV103 model that has higher drag and is a bit heavier
Edit: Research via looking at internet photos of the two shoes that the heavier higher drag TASV103 model has a 16lb 40-80m line cap and a 14lb 45-90m line cap with the smaller lighter newer lower drag TUSV103 has the same with 16lb 40-80m line cap and 14lb 45-90m line cap. They're both SV Spools with the same line cap, does that mean they should use the same Chameleon Spool model as the one in your video?
The tw103 and tws are two completely different reels and spool sizes are different. So when you buy spools. Please read carefully what the spools are made for. The chameleon diy spool will not fit the tws
Daiwa Tatula CT Type-R 100HL 6.3:1 Left Hand Baitcast can i convert this one
Perhaps? you have to check the spool options on the market. Chameleon DIY became super popular on aliexpress and many folks sells those, mainly for daiwa reels, im sure one will fit!
Great video. Thanks 😎
thx, i appreciate it :)
Which cast farther: your tatula conversation or the entry level dedicated Daiwa BFS reels (alphas air/ gekka)
I would say it's hard to compare two reels th neither are made to cast far. But if I must, the conversion will cast further for heavier lures due to the larger spool diameter
So two questions. For your tatula conversion, are you using the roro micro bearings still? Also in your past vids you mentioned about using mono instead of braid for the chameleon spool due to the possible fragility. Have you noticed any differences after switching to light braid?
Yes to micro bearings. Braid is safer than mono as it doesn't stretch. But it is also dangerous because it doesn't. Especially from snags. Light lines does go further.
@@rawrfishing is that how you were able to cast the trout magnet? By switching to light braid? I know in the initial cast test you were struggling to cast the trout magnet.
@@lw7128 yeah because I rarely throw line this thin. BFE gave me some to test so I had to just spool it up on everything haha
Damn I just bought a lingl off aliexpress when I could have just converted one of my tatula cts. Will a fully upgraded lingl with micro bearing keep up with a converted tatula?
I can't say the two will be comparable. Spool sizes are different . I like this Over lingl. In fact, this is my top 3 bfs reel that i own and it's a converted one
@@rawrfishing does the line ever get stuck between the frame and spool when you backlash on the tatula? Thats probably my number one problem with the lingl so far
@stan barely on thin varivas braid! Probably 3 times last year which means it's fantastic
Just the other day I ordered a 7 gram spool for my Tatula CT Type R, so glad you uploaded this video. What micro bearings are you using?
Very nice man! You will have fun. I am using roro bearings... ceramic hybrid micros of course
@@rawrfishing I already have a Curado bfs, but wanted to see how it compares to a customized reel and the type r is one of my favorite regular reels. I'll order a pair of roro bearings to complete the modification, can't wait to get my hands dirty. Really like your videos!
@@paxmowa sweet! Let us know how it turns out! Thx I appreciate the kind words and support a
edit : yeah at the last part you mention that it is a sv103 and t32 spool. great choice my friend! i'd like to see how it can perform with a trout magnet , i know you dont usulay fish with that microlures but for testing purposes :) * * * hey jimm is this the popular 2019 tatula sv103 model ( 2nd generation SV concept) ? it can cast light lures quite well (5-10 grs) and i think it is a good candidate for bfs conversion and it might become the ultimate reel for all purposes, japanese even fly large swimbaits with the stock reel lol
i know i want too much but can you make a test comparison video for distance and convenience between alphas air tw bfs + chamelon and tatula sv103 + chamelon ? that would be the most epic video i think.there is quite a good price difference between tatula sv and alphas air and also tatula sv stock model has more range of casting heavier lures.This might prove that buying sv 103 and modifiying it with chamelon might be a better option for starters.
Are you referring to the tatula sv tws? The 2019 model doesn't use the tatula 100 chassis. So this spool probably won't fit it. But I would assume all Daiwa's will perform similarly after swapping micro bearings and to the chameleon spool. I will not be doing a comparison video, people can watch the individual videos to compare. But i may redo some of my older casting videos as I now got a way to measure distance accurately. I also don't intend to change bearings to micro for my tatula sv tw103 as I intend to use the stock spool as well for versatile finesse and your typical bass stuff. Details to come when that video is being produced
@@rawrfishing sorry it is 2020 TATULA SV TW 103 model..
@@InfinityFishing ah so its the same one I have!
Mister, help me to undestand. I saw Daiwa Tatula Elite with additional spool 7.3 gramms. Does that mean that i can cast with that spool 2-3 gramms lures?
I don't know what spool you are referring to, but I also have done a video on the tatula elite with a chameleon diy spool
@@rawrfishing please give me a link of this video
@@asaoppenheimer6944 oh i have done it but not processed. Been busy as a Tornado went through my area. Soon!
@@asaoppenheimer6944 note it uses the same spool as this reel
@@rawrfishing Mister, now you have a new follower from Ukraine. What would you recommend for novice on casting Daiwa Tatula Elite longcast or Daiwa Tatula SV TW? I want to fish on pike.