Actually, all of this is quite easy to do and becomes quite redundant very quickly. If you are not accustomed to using a bobber or fishing floater, here is a simple way to tie a stopper to it.
Imagine that the dark rod is the main fishing line from your reel and the yellow cord is to be tied as a stopper. Simply wrap the yellow string loosely over, then under the main line to form a big loop.
When the loop is formed and you are back over and above the main line with the loop below you, you are in excellent position to continue. You will now thread the string through the center of the loop after going up and over the top of the main line.
That, by the way, was the main step. I recommend doing the same step a total of five times. Do not exceed seven, and do not go under the minimum of three times. After that, pull both ends of the string evenly to tighten the knot and complete the stopper.
Do not cut the ends too short. Some excess is needed on both ends to re-tighten later if the knot becomes loose. That's a real tidbit and hopefully a helpful hint for you when bait cast fishing.
In case you wonder what the stopper is for, the answer is that its use is important. Suppose that you have a general idea but not the exact depth of a selected fishing spot. Your hunch is, let's say 25 feet.
The smart thing to do is to tie the stopper at a lower depth, of perhaps 30 feet, attach a sinker equivalent to the weight of your bait cast setup at the end of your line and cast. If your floater lays flat on the water and does not stand up, you were absolutely correct.
The depth is above 30, and is perhaps 25 feet. So you will move the stopper toward you and the reel at depth intervals you select until the fishing floater stands erect and you will know the correct depth. For this example, let's say that it was 23 feet.
Consider your fishing depth next. Does your target fish feed on crustaceans and shellfish near the bottom, or does it go after smaller fish at varying depths? Does it ever show itself near the surface when feeding?
These factors are best known before going after your target fish as they also determine your choice of bait to cast. If my bait cast target fish, red snapper fed in this shallow area, my fishing depth would be 19 and a-half feet.
Your fishing floater is your guide and sentry when bait cast fishing. The ultimate thrill is when it suddenly disappears, not gingerly, but in a jet stream reverse thrust into the water.
Get set for some heavy duty action up ahead. Upon bait cast fishing for a while, you have good insight of what fish is on the line if you watch how the floater enters the water. This inner thrill given to me by the floater may not be partaken on a boat deck.
So you see, that little stopper string tied for the fishing floater plays a major role in this style of fishing. The string should be sturdy, non-synthetic, and thicker than sewing thread. There is a special type of snap with swivel made which works very well with this stopper.
Notice the small hole of the swivel, which is blocked and halted easily by the stopper. Above that is a standard snap and swivel often used to attach the floater. The hole of the swivel is large, and will easily pass over the stopper unless something like a small plastic bead with a small hole through its core is threaded through the main line.
Using this special snap and swivel for bait cast fishing floaters eliminates the need for the beads. The two tapered black rubber tubes with a green center bar form an end stopper to keep the floater away from the bait cast set up.
This can be easily substituted with two sturdy rubber tubes with a round toothpick or a short segment of a bamboo skewer inserted into the tubes instead of the green plastic bar. Another little tidbit is a hint to easily secure your lines to snaps or swivels.
If you happen to use the same loop and thread through style used for the stopper of the bait cast fishing floater, you will be terribly disappointed as the knot will quickly slip and unravel. The reason that it works on the main line is that you evenly tugged at both ends of the string and tightened a knot in the center of the string.
This knot will not hold on a fishing line. An easy solution is to make two or three loops with the line through the loop of the snap or the swivel. The next step resembles what was done with the stopper string, as the line is now threaded through the center of the loops three or four times.
Finally, hold the long end of the line as you pull to tighten the knot on the short end. Before snipping off the excess on the short end, tug firmly on the long end and you should find that the knot is very strong and secure. Yellow string was substituted for translucent fishing line to make the picture easier to see.
A tidbit or two about snaps and swivels as seen in the picture above, there are various types in multiple sizes. The three types on the top may be quite useful, especially the one on the left because it works well with the floater and its stopper.
The type in the middle is quite sturdy and I use it to tie my fish hook onto it. The swivel is useful as fish do change directions, swirl, and rotate before being landed. Without the swivel, the hook line can be easily twisted and damaged by the fish.
On the other hand, the snap without a swivel is my choice for the main line. Having the swivel allows the bait cast set up to rotate and spin, causing problems such as having the bait spill out during casting. As for the bottom two types, I avoid them.
The hint for this is the protruding section which can snag the fishing line. I prefer smooth, trouble-free performance.
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