Shimano SLX BFS Baitcasting Reel

Description

The Shimano SLX BFS XG is a left-hand baitcasting reel built for the Bait Finesse System approach, casting ultra-light lures down to around 1g. It offers a high-performance alternative to a traditional spinning reel for finesse applications. The extra-high 8.2:1 gear ratio gives rapid line pick-up, which helps maintain contact with tiny lures and set the hook instantly when targeting wary trout, perch or chub. Finesse Tune Braking (FTB) is central to the BFS design. The braking unit sits in the side plate rather than on the spool, with adjustable magnets, producing one of Shimano's lightest spools. The reduced inertia lets the spool start turning with almost no resistance. Unlike most baitcasters, which run silent when a fish takes line, the SLX BFS has an audible clicker drag, giving the same feedback a spinning reel provides when playing a hard-fighting fish on light line. The aluminium HAGANE body keeps the 170g frame rigid and resistant to flexing, while X-SHIP supports the pinion gear at both ends to hold alignment under load. The Cross Carbon drag is smooth and consistent, protecting the light fluorocarbon or braid typically used in BFS fishing. In practice, on a canal or small river where fish have seen every large lure, the reel can flick a 2g micro-jig or 3g crankbait into far-bank margins with a low, flat trajectory that spinning reels often struggle to achieve. A quick flick of the rod tip sends the lure out on the FTB system, and the light spool stops instantly when the lure lands, limiting overruns. The 8.2:1 ratio keeps slack out of the line on the retrieve, and the drag sound alerts you the moment a fish hits. - Model: SLX BFS XG (Left Hand) - Weight: 170g - Gear Ratio: 8.2:1 (Extra High Gear) - Line Retrieve: 82cm per handle turn - Max Drag: 3.5kg - Bearings: 5 S A-RB + 1 Roller Bearing - Line Capacity (Mono/Fluoro): 0.23mm – 50m (approx. 6lb – 45m / 8lb – 45m) - Line Capacity (PE/Braid): #0.6 – 150m / #0.8 – 130m / #1.0 – 100m - Braking System: FTB (Finesse Tune Brake) - Body Material: Aluminium HAGANE Body - Spool: S3D Balanced Spool