Since the FNF has become so popular thought I would share the steps necessary in making your own Special Bobbers. It will save you about $2 per bobber or so. The idea is to remove the weight that is located on the bottom and insert it into the middle of the bobber. This way the bobber will lay on its side when it hits the water and will stay on its side until the jigs hangs straight below the bobber in which the bobber will stand up normal. If you make a cast and the bobber never stands up then you are too shallow or your jig is sitting on a piece of grass or a fish has inhaled it on the way down. One thing is for sure if you are in deep enough water and you know there is no grass around and the bobber goes from straight up and dow to laying on its side, SET THE HOOK. The fish has hit the jig and instead of going down, it has risen in the water column which in turns gives slack to the bobber so it will lay on it's side again. If you have on a bottom weighted bobber, you will never know when you are too shallow or a fish has hit for the bobber stays straight up and down no matter what is happening under water. I have so much more confident using the FNF bobbers for they tell me a HUGE amount of information that the normal bottom weighted bobber gives you. Ignore the part descriptions so here goes:

Buy the 1" Styrofoam two toned weighted bobber.

Take a pair of needlenose pliars and bend out one end of the "Hook". This will allow you to remove the center shaft that originally had 2 hooks on both ends that you normally wrapped the line around.

Remove the Plunger and spring from the top half and take the same needlenose and remove the top and bottom plastic inserts along with the weight on the bottom.

Take a ink pen and mark a small mark across the "Equator" of the bobber across the red and white. This is the match up line when you glue it back together at the end.

I use a razor sharp craft knife to cut the bobber in half along the same "Equator" between the red and white.

Take the same razor knife and remove some of the foam material in the center of the bobber off both sides that you just cut in half. I found that if you put back in the top plastic piece you removed (this will be the hollow one that the spring sits inside) and remove only enough that when you put the weight over the plastic shaft on the inside and the weight sits flush with the end of it or a little bit hangs over the end is the perfect amount. If you go too deep into the top (Red) side then the bobber will not sit sideways in the water it will actually sit more Red Side down and when the jig does hang freely below the bobber it will never make it back to the perpendicular position. You could also take a soldering iron and remove the tip and replace with a roofing nail and burn the inside out just as easy as cutting.

Now that both centers is removed, leave the top shaft in the bobber and put the weight over the shaft (If you don't put the top shaft in and only put the weight in and glue it together many times the weight will not end up perfectly in the middle and the top shaft will not go into the bobber thru the weight). Put the bottom half together with the top half and line up the ink pen mark to see if both halfs touch all the way around. If so then time to glue.

I use Silicone Adhesive glue and put a small bead all the way around the weight then press the two side together lining up the ink pen mark. I take a small spring clamp and clamp the two side together and let them sit for several hours to dry, overnight is better.

After dried, take the bottom plastic part and push into the opening at the bottom. You will see that it will not go all the way in now that the weight is not on the outside. Take a pair of wire cutters and cut off part of this plastic insert. Take enough off that it will fit inside the bobber flush. When you cut the tip off make sure to use your needlenose to open up the cut end so their is an opening all the way thru.

Now insert the bottom shaft. Insert the straight part of the Hook up thru the bottom (White Side) so it comes out the top. This will put the curved part that you did not bend on the bottom which is also the same end that will be connected to your line or swivel.

Take the spring and put it over the hook, and move it down into the top plastic part just like it came out in the first place. Take the plunger and put it over the hook and move it down inside the plastic insert compressing the spring slightly.

Here comes the tricky part, you have to re-bend the hook to form another top of a candy cane to go into the one of the holes in the plunger. First you will have to cut off part of the hook since it is not needed to be as long as original since you moved the weight to the insde not on the outside the hook shaft needs to be smaller. I found that you can still see the original bend slightly in the hook. I cut it off right below that bend. Take a pair of needlenose and bend the hook to the same type bend as the one on the bottom and it should fit into the plunger. The amount of the bend will also determine how much the spring is depressed which will give you more or less room to attach your line on the bottom. You will have to just work with it to find out the correct length.

Take a permanent red marker and fill in the top half of the bobber so the entire top half is red. I even color the plastic parts just for some more color contrast.

You can test them in your kitchen sink. Fill it up with water and throw them in. They should float on their sides perfectly. If the weight is too far towards the top (Red Side) the bobber will sit more red side down in the water, weight too far towards the bottom (white side) the bobber sits more white side down. Ideally the bobber will sit dead sideways.

That is it. It took me several attempts before figuring out the right setup. I actually stepped on one of those name brand bobbers in my boat, picked it up and saw how it was assembled on the inside. I probably wasted about 10 or so before figuring it out. Here is my steps to make them and they work just like the packaged brand that is over $4 for 2 bobbers. Hope this helps somebody save a little money. Hope I did not confuse you even more.

Tight Lines