Hello: I always seem to drop or loose the little beads that are with the stops. My tip to you is to buy the Thill floats that don't need those beads and come with a stop knot right on the stem of the float. You will have to replace the knot once in a while but I think any kind of knot would work. I bought my Thill bobbers from Grizzly Jig. Good Luck this season. O - R