If you’re out fishing, it pays well to know the depth you’re hoping to reach. Once you set your bobber at that depth, fishing is as simple as tying the line and letting the fish come to you. However, in some cases, your bobber can go beyond the desired depth or begin to retract and float up the line. With a well-tied Bobber Stop knot, you can avoid that hassle and keep your fishing simple and effective. 

The Process of Tying the Bobber Stopper Knot

This is a rather simple knot to tie and won’t take too long. Many other knots involve complex hand switching, pinches, and intricate loops. As long as you have two lines and can count to five, you should be able to tie with knot without much hassle. It’s one of the easiest knots to tie and one of the most useful additions you can add to your line. Always come prepared with a Bobber Stopper knot — multiple if you can. 

1. Lay the Lines Parallel with Each Other

To start this tying process, you’ll want two different lines — your main line and your Bobber Stopper line. Place these two-line parallel with each other, the stopper line below the main one. The main line will continue to be used as your fishing line where the rest of the tools and baits will be attached, and the stopper line will be solely for tying the stopper knot. Use about 6-inches of stopper line. 

2. Form a Loop with the Bobber Stopper Line

Now that the lines are running parallel with each other, take the stopper line and put it in a loop. Leave some line at each end of the loop for the next few steps. For this step, you’re not tying anything yet, simply placing the Bobber Stopper line in a neat circle. Ensure that the line is still placed below the main line to keep it all organized. 

3. Twist the Stopper Line Around Five Times

Once the circle is formed and there is ample extra line left over, begin to tie this extra line around the above main line and through the loop. This process is allowing you to tie your loop to the main line. Keep tying the stopper line around the main line and through the loop until you’ve done so five times. You should still have extra line left over to grip onto. 

4. Pull the Stopper Line Tight, Trim the Edges

The final step of the process is to take the end of the stopper line and pull it tight until the circle has disappeared. The circle will be pulled tight through the five wraps and the Bobber Stopper line will be affixed to the main line. Once you’ve pulled the line all the way through, there should be no loop left and some extra line left over on either end of the knot. Snip these extra bits off and you’ve got yourself a Bobber Stopper knot.

Why Use a Bobber Stopper Knot?

The point of a bobber is to be able to maneuver along the line and adjust to the depths of where you’re fishing. If you’re reaching for the bottom of your fishing spot, you’ll want a line that can bob and adjust as you go. However, you don’t want to go too far and lose your line or have it not extend to the desired point of depth. Utilizing a Bobber Stopper knot is as simple as tying it to the location on the line that will help you achieve the desired depth for your cast. 

Bobber Stopper knots are very versatile and will rarely get in the way. They help you extend your line to the desired depth of fishing and can be reeled in past the eye of the fishing rod. This way you won’t have to worry about it snagging as you’re reeling in — there’s no point in having a knot that won’t allow you to reel in your catches. The small size is what makes this a preferred method of bobber stopping.

Some Bobber Stopper knots come pre-tied, but these can come undone and will require you to take everything off of your line – jig, lead, bait, etc. By tying your own Bobber Stopper knot, you won’t have to worry about the complexity of redoing the knot. If your hand made knot comes undone, simply tie a new one on. Don’t worry about maneuvering it off the line past the other items, simply get a new line and repeat the tying process. 

Tips and Tricks for Tying a Bobber Stopper Knot Successfully

The type of line you use to tie your Bobber Stopper will make a world of difference in the effectiveness of your knot. Many pro fishers recommend using a monoline or a Dacron line as your stopper. It’s also useful to make a few pre-looped knots before heading out as Bobber Stopper knots are known to come untied when they get wet. By making multiple, you won’t have to spend as much time retying them to your line. 

We recommend around 6-inches of line for tying your Bobber Stopper knot. This will be just enough to tie the perfect knot without wasting too much material. With 6-inches, you’ll have an ample amount of line to work with so that the process doesn’t become too difficult, but you won’t waste an unnecessary amount of line when you snip the ends off. 

Come prepared with the knowledge of how deep your fishing spot will be. You don’t want to be guessing when you apply your Bobber Stopper knot as to how deep it is. The more accurate your calculations, the more effective your Bobber Stopper will be. 

Alternate Types of Knots

There are plenty of other knots that will achieve similar goals to the Bobber Stopper knot. Each of these knots have their own benefits and drawbacks. Here are three of the most popular alternative knots to the Bobber Stopper:

• Non-slip Loop Knot
• Egg Loop Knot
• Drop Shot Rig