The idea first came to Jim Schumacher 20 years ago while fishing with his kids.

“The bobbers I bought weren’t worth a darn for casting in the wind and they broke when the kids banged them off seawalls and rocks,” he recalled.

So, he did what anyone with an architectural and engineering background would do. He created one that suited his needs.

“We were going through too many bobbers, and after looking at how they were configured, I decided the design was all wrong,” chuckles the ex-marine and Vietnam vet. “So I made my own.”

Word got out that he had built a “better mousetrap.” Friends began requesting them and others wanted to buy them. The Mishawaka resident decided to market his hand-made “Cast Away Bobber” through retailers, at outdoor shows and on-line. That was seven years ago.

He’s sold about 6,000 of the “upside down” slip bobbers since and says demand is growing as fast as he can make them.

“Each bobber is hand-made and takes quite a bit of time,” said the 61-year-old Schumacher. “It’s just my wife and I making them.”

So what makes them different? Well, most bobbers are smaller on the bottom than they are on the top. The Cast Away is the opposite, hence it’s frequently referred to as the “upside down” bobber.

Doesn’t make sense … does it?

“It does with mine,” he insisted. “First, I use materials that give it a heavier base and a lighter top. My base is just buoyant enough to break the surface and is actually easier for a fish to pull under. It’s a lot more sensitive than most bobbers on the market.”

The bottom section is made of an aerated rubber material while the top section is proprietary, he says, and holds the secret to his design. Both pieces are glued together, the stem is bonded through the center so it never comes loose and a glass bead inserted into the top can’t be damaged by braided line.

The bobber weighs more than traditional bobbers of equal size. That, says Schumacher, makes it cast like a dart and for longer distances.

“First, you can stay farther away the fish and not spook them,” he offered. “Secondly, you cast more accurately and don’t have to throw so hard, which keeps your bait from flying off the hook.”

Interestingly, the Cast Away requires less sinker weight to make it stand upright when in the water. Only a small split shot — heavy enough to get the bait to the desired depth — is required.

“A lot of people think my bobbers are too big — until they fish them and find out that they really are more sensitive to light bites than standard bobbers,” Schumacher noted.

Apparently In-Fisherman Magazine thinks so, too. It featured the Cast Away in its August issue and called Schumacher’s creation one of the best slip floats ever made.

However, because the construction is so time-intensive, Cast Away Bobbers are more expensive than most others.

They come in three sizes: small (3/4-inch diameter), medium (7/8 to 1-1/4 inch), and large (2-1/4 inch), for very windy days, fishing muskie and northern pike. The larger sizes are being used by saltwater fishermen as well and he says the smaller one works for ice anglers.

Prices range from $4 to $6 each, depending upon size. He also has added glow-in-the-dark models that run about $1 more.

But because they are so durable, anglers get more value.

“You can drive over mine with a truck and not hurt them,” he joked. “You can bounce them off cement walls and they won’t crack.”

Most are sold by word of mouth.

“A guy named Charlie Jewell of Kokomo bought one, then ordered another 10,” Schumacher recalled. “One of his friends called and wanted 10, and before long, I sold 35 bobbers down there based on one I sold to Charlie.”

His biggest problem, he added, is convincing anglers that his creation really isn’t upside down.

“But I’ve got 25 pages of hand written letters from customers who tell me how it has helped their fishing,” he said. “I won’t get rich off this, but it sure is rewarding knowing that my idea helps people of all ages enjoy fishing more.”

• You can see the Cast Away first hand at Lunker’s or visit www.castawaybobber.net on-line. Or, for more information, call Schumacher at (574) 259-7794.)

• Louie Stout is a nationally recognized outdoors writer who contributes outdoors columns to the Kokomo Tribune. He may be reached by e-mail at stoutoutdoors@comcast.net