Abstract:
A lure having an elastomeric body is provided. The body defines an aperture structured to retain a replaceable fish attracting article, such as an illuminant, scent packet, rattle, gas emitter, or weight. The body of the lure can be constructed of a crystal gel having improved damage tolerance, crack propagation resistance, tear resistance and fatigue resistance, which greatly minimizes the risk of tearing during insertion, removal and reinsertion of the fish attracting articles. The aperture has an entrance portion and a retaining portion. The entrance portion and retaining portion define at least one shoulder that structured to retain the fish attracting article in the retaining portion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is related to the field of artificial bait used to catch fish, and more particularly, elastomeric lures for retaining fish attracting articles.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Anglers frequently use artificial bait or lures as an alternative to live bait. Among other drawbacks, live bait is perishable, can be difficult to attach to a hook prior to casting and can be prone to loss after casting. In contrast, artificial bait has the advantages of an extended shelf life and of being easily and securely attached to a hook. Despite the advantages of artificial bait, live bait is still widely used due to its effectiveness in attracting fish. It is generally believed that the effectiveness of live bait is due to the difficulty of “fooling” fish, which can have sophisticated visual, aural, olfactory, and/or vibratory sensory capabilities. Such acute sensory capabilities enable the fish to detect even minute differences between live and artificial bait. Further, the increase of catch-and-release fishing has resulted in the released fish becoming increasingly wary of bait not closely resembling their typical food.  
           [0003]    Improvements in artificial bait, therefore, have mainly focused on increasing the attractiveness of artificial bait to the fish. Such improvements have included the use of soft elastomers, such as plastisol, that can be shaped to resemble live bait, as well as the use of glitter, illuminants, such as light sticks, metal spoons and spinners, scent packets and rattles. Soft elastomers have the advantage of giving the fish a tactile sensation similar to the flesh of live bait. Glitter, metal spoons, and illuminants create visual stimuli resembling the flash of sunlight on the scales of moving bait fish. Scent packets replicate the smell of prey or food that the fish finds desirable. Rattles mimic the sounds and vibratory patterns of prey, such as the clicking of a crawfish.  
           [0004]    Recently, efforts have been made to combine various fish attracting characteristics into a single artificial lure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,246 to Sacharnoski, Sr. discloses a rattle comprising a plurality of metal balls enclosed within a glass capsule with crimped, pointed ends to allow its insertion through a slit cut into a soft-bodied lure. Despite combining the feel of a soft plastic lure with the sound enhancement of a rattle, the slit into which the rattle is inserted has a tendency to enlarge through creep. In addition to damaging the lure, enlargement of the slit incurs the risk of losing the rattle during casting or while retrieving a fish. Cutting the soft-bodied lure for insertion of the rattle can also be a difficult and frustrating process to perform in an outdoor environment.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,540 to Potts discloses a soft plastic fishing lure in the shape of a fish having a preformed rattle  21  or scent chamber  12 , which comprises an elongate void space or slot positioned on its dorsal side. The preformed slot allows the angler to alternate between a rattle or a scent packet without having to form a slit in the body of the fishing lure. The rattle or scent packet is held in position by the frictional force exerted by the surrounding soft plastic. However, as with the lure disclosed in the Sacharnoski &#39;246 patent, the rattle or scent packet has a tendency to come loose from the slot  12  of the Potts &#39;540 patent, particularly when the lure is subjected to vigorous casting or the thrashing movement of a hooked fish.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,892 to Gibbs discloses a flexible plastic fishing worm  10  having a cavity  20  in its abdominal region accessible by two pinholes  24  and  26 . A fish-attracting scent gel can be injected into one of the pinholes to fill the cavity, while the other pinhole relieves the pressure increase in the cavity caused by the injection. Advantageously, the small size of the pinholes reduces the rate of leakage of the scent gel from the cavity. In addition to the scent gel, the Gibbs &#39; 892  patent discloses positioning a noise maker in the cavity. However, because the pinholes have relatively small diameters to provide for a slow release of the scent gel, the pinholes are susceptible to tearing when attempting to insert a solid object therethrough.  
           [0007]    Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a soft bodied fishing lure with which can be employed various fish attracting articles, such as illuminants, scent packets or rattles. It would be further advantageous if the angler could easily alternate between fish attracting articles. In addition, it would be advantageous if the fish attracting articles were easily attached to the lure without risking loss of the fish attracting article during casting. It also would be advantageous if attachment of the fish attracting articles to the lure could be accomplished without tearing the soft body of the lure.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a lure having an elastomeric body defining an aperture structured to retain a fish attracting article, such as an illuminant, a scent packet, a rattle, a gas emitter, or a weight. The elastomeric body can comprise a variety of configurations, including a salamander-like configuration or a fish-like configuration. In one embodiment, the elastomeric body defines a plurality of streamers extending therefrom that conceal the aperture. In another embodiment, the elastomeric body of the lure is constructed of a crystal gel having improved properties over conventional soft plastics, including an improved resistance to tearing, which greatly minimizes the risk of damaging the elastomeric body during insertion, removal and reinsertion of fish attracting articles. The aperture defined by the elastomeric body is structured to receive the fish attracting article without tearing and to retain the fish attracting article even during vigorous casting or retrieving a thrashing fish. For elastomeric bodies comprising a fish-like or salamander-like configuration, the aperture can be positioned on the abdomen so that the aperture has an anatomically correct appearance.  
           [0009]    According to one embodiment of the present invention, the elastomeric body defines an aperture having an entrance portion and a retaining portion. The entrance portion has an end coincident with one end of the retaining portion and is structured to allow passage of the fish attracting article therethrough into the retaining portion. The axis of the entrance portion is disposed angularly relative to the axis of the retaining portion to thereby retain the fish attraction article in the retaining portion. In one embodiment, the axis of the entrance portion is disposed at an angle of between about 0° and 90° relative to the axis of the retaining portion.  
           [0010]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, the elastomeric body defines an aperture having an entrance portion and a retaining portion. The entrance portion has a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the retaining portion and is structured to allow passage of the fish attracting article therethrough into the retaining portion. The axis of the entrance portion is disposed angularly relative to the axis of the retaining portion to thereby retain the fish attracting article in the retaining portion. In one embodiment, the axis of the entrance portion is disposed at an angle of between about 0° and 90° relative to the axis of the retaining portion.  
           [0011]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, the lure comprises an elongate elastomeric body defining an aperture having an entrance portion and a retaining portion. The entrance portion of the aperture extends from one end of the elongate elastomeric body to one end of the retaining portion. The diameter of the entrance portion is smaller than the diameter of the retaining portion so as to retain the fish attracting article in the retaining portion.  
           [0012]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the lure comprises an elastomeric body defining an aperture having an entrance portion and a retaining portion. The entrance portion is structured to allow passage of the fish attracting article therethrough into the retaining portion. The entrance portion and the retaining portion intersect to form at least one shoulder structured to retain the at least one fish attracting article in the retaining portion. In one embodiment, the at least one shoulder is formed by the retaining portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of the entrance portion. In another embodiment, the at least one shoulder is formed by an angle between the axis of the retaining portion and the axis of the entrance portion. For example, in one embodiment the axis of the entrance portion is disposed at an angle of between about 0° and 90° relative to the axis of the retaining portion. In still another embodiment, the entrance portion has an end coincident with one end of the retaining portion.  
           [0013]    The present invention also provides a method of constructing a fishing lure. The method includes providing an elastomeric body defining an aperture having an entrance portion and a retaining portion. A fish attracting article is inserted into the entrance portion of the aperture. The fish attracting article is advanced to a shoulder defined at the intersection between the entrance portion and the retaining portion. The fish attracting article is then further advanced past the shoulder and into the retaining portion of the aperture such that the shoulder restricts egress of the fish attracting article into the entrance portion of the aperture. In one embodiment, the orientation of the fish attracting article is modified concurrently with the second advancing step. In another embodiment, the lure is attached to a fishing line. In yet another embodiment, the fish attracting article is removed from the aperture. The inserting and first and second advancing steps can then be repeated to insert a replacement fish attracting article.  
           [0014]    The present invention has several advantages. Generally, the soft body of the lure gives it an appearance and feel that is more like live bait than rigid artificial lures. These qualities, in combination with a range of selectable fish attracting articles, such as illuminants, scent packets or rattles, increase the attractiveness of the lure to fish. The aperture defined by the elastomeric body effectively retains the fish attracting article even during vigorous casting or retrieving a thrashing fish. In addition, the structure and positioning of the aperture allows for easy insertion and removal of fish attracting articles thereby minimizing tearing of the elastomeric body. The use of a crystal gel to construct the elastomeric body further minimizes the risk of tearing. Accordingly, the lure of the present invention provides the angler with a lure body that is elastic enough to be realistic and that can effectively retain a variety of fish attracting articles, which can be inserted and removed from the body with minimal risk of initiating a tear or other damage. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary embodiments and which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating a fish attracting article and a lure body defining an aperture therein for retaining the fish attracting article, according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view illustrating the lure body of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is an exploded view illustrating a fish attracting article and a lure body defining an aperture therein for retaining the fish attracting article, according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a top plan view illustrating the lure body of FIG. 3;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating a fish attracting article and a lure body defining an aperture therein for retaining the fish attracting article, according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a rattle for attracting fish, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the rattle being adapted for insertion into the aperture of the lure bodies of FIGS.  1 - 5 ; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the operations performed to construct a fishing lure, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0024]    Referring to the drawings, and in particular, to FIGS.  1 - 5 , there are shown fishing lures  10 , according to three embodiments of the present invention. Each lure  10  includes an elastomeric body  11  defining an aperture  12  therein for holding and retaining at least one fish attracting article  18 , such as the rattle  19  illustrated in FIG. 6. Other fish attracting articles  18  include illuminants, such as light sticks or light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”); scent packets or capsules; gas emitters, such as gas emitting, aeration, or effervescent products or devices; or weights. The body  11  can be formed or molded into a variety of configurations in order to customize the lure  10  to the particular bait characteristics of the target fish. For purposes of example only and not limitation, the body  11  can be molded into a fish-like or minnow-like configuration, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; a salamander-like or lizard-like configuration, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4; a worm-like or squid-like configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 5; a crawfish-like configuration (not shown), a frog-like configuration (not shown), or a tube-like configuration (not shown). Other configurations also are possible and considered to be within the scope of the present invention. In addition to the shape and size of the body  11 , the coloring, opacity and texture of the body also can be varied depending on the particular bait characteristics of the target fish.  
         [0025]    According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a body  11  molded into a fish-like or minnow-like configuration can be provided with a head  20  and a tail  21  and can include a pair of eyes  22 , which are molded on opposite sides of the head  20 . As illustrated in FIG. 1, the coloring of the body  11  can be a “two-tone” pattern in which the topside or dorsal surface  24  has a darker color than the underside or abdomen  23 . In other embodiments, the body  11  can be monochromatic or mulitcolored with varying patterns, such as spotted, speckled, mottled, or striped. The body  11  also can be formed of a material having a relatively low opacity. In addition to coloring and opacity, the body  11  can be molded so as to provide any desired texturing. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the topside or dorsal surface  24  has a ribbed texture whereas the underside or abdomen  23  is relatively smooth. Advantageously, the dark patterned dorsal surface  24  of the lure  10  illustrated in FIG. 1 mimics the generally darker scales present on the dorsal surface of many bait fish species. Other types of texturing are also possible. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an optional hook slot  25  and cavity  25   a  can be defined in the abdominal surface  23  and interior of the body  11 , respectively, so as to conceal from the target fish a hook (not shown) inserted therein. Other features can be included on the fish-like body  11  to increase its realism, such as dorsal and tail fins (not shown).  
         [0026]    According to another embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a body  11  molded into a salamander-like configuration can be provided with a head  30  and a tail  31  and can include a pair of eyes  32 , which are molded on top of the head  30 . The tail  31  preferably is relatively thin with an elongate and curvilinear shape allowing it to flutter as the lure  10  is pulled through the water to thereby give the lure the impression of motion. The body  11  can include four legs  36  extending therefrom. As with the tail  31 , each of the legs  36  preferably is relatively thin with an elongate and curvilinear shape allowing it to flutter as the lure  10  is pulled through the water to give the impression of motion. As with the lure  10  in FIG. 1, the coloring of the body  11  illustrated in FIG. 3 is a “two-tone” pattern in which the dorsal surface  34  has a darker color than the abdomen  33 . In other embodiments, the body  11  can be monochromatic or mulitcolored with varying patterns, such as spotted, speckled, mottled, or striped. The body  11  also can be formed of a material having a relatively low opacity. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the dorsal surface  34  has a ribbed texture whereas the abdomen  33  is relatively smooth. Other types of texturing are also possible, for example, both the dorsal surface  34  and abdomen  33  can be relatively smooth or ribbed.  
         [0027]    According to yet another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the body  11  of the lure  10  has a worm-like or squid-like configuration, including a head  40  and a tail  41 . A plurality of streamers  42  preferably extend from the tail  41 , which flutter as the lure  10  is pulled through the water to give the lure the impression of motion. As with the lures  10  in FIGS. 1 and 3, the coloring of the body  11  illustrated in FIG. 5 is a “two-tone” pattern in which the dorsal surface  44  has a darker color than the abdomen  43 . In other embodiments, the body  11  can be monochromatic or mulitcolored with varying patterns, such as spotted, speckled, mottled, or striped. The body  11  can also be formed of a material having a relatively low opacity. The dorsal surface  44  has a ribbed texture whereas the abdomen  43  is relatively smooth. Other types of texturing are also possible, for example, both the dorsal surface  44  and abdomen  43  can be relatively smooth or ribbed.  
         [0028]    It should be noted that the aforementioned body  11  configurations are meant to be illustrative of the range of body configurations possible according to the present invention and are not meant to be limiting. For instance, various other configurations, colors, patterns, textures and/or appendages could be used to create different effects that imitate natural bait. The body  11  of the lure  10  also may only be a portion of the entire lure. More specifically, a soft elastomeric body  11  or “tail” could be used with a hard plastic, wood or metal head. In addition, various colors, pigments, metal flakes, scents and other additives can be added to the elastomeric material of the body  11  so as to increase its attractiveness to fish.  
         [0029]    The elastomeric materials used to form the body  11  of the present invention are preferably comprised of styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (“SEBS”) triblock copolymer gels. More specifically, the body is preferably constructed from SEBS triblock and (SEB) n , radial copolymers with crystalline ethylene-butylene elastomer midblock segments referred to as “crystalline midblock gels” or “crystal gels,” as described more fully in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,884,639; 6,117,176; 6,148,830 and 6,161,555 all to Chen and all of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. The improved properties of the crystal gels over amorphous gels include improved damage tolerance, crack propagation resistance, tear resistance and fatigue resistance. For example, the crystal gels can exhibit an elongation at failure of between about 1,600% and 3,000% and higher, an ultimate tensile strength of about 8×10 5  dyne/cm 2 , and substantial shape memory even when subjected to an elongation of approximately 1,200%. While not intending to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the improved properties of crystal gels over amorphous gels are a result of the cross-linking crystalline structures inhibiting crack or tear propagation.  
         [0030]    The crystal gels can also be modified to have different properties, many of them useful for increasing the attractiveness of lures. For instance, the crystal gels can contain useful amounts of conventionally employed additives such as colorants, fragrances, flavors or other polymers in minor amounts without affecting or substantially decreasing the desired properties. Further, the crystal gels can contain metallic pigments, such as aluminum and brass flakes, and fluorescent dyes or pigments. As a result, the crystal gels can have most, if not all, of the desirable characteristics of elastomers previously used to construct soft bodied fishing lures, but with improved tear, fatigue, crack and general damage resistance. It should be noted, however, that although crystal gels are preferred for constructing the body  11  of the lure  11  due to the above-mentioned properties, other elastomeric materials and polymers could also be used in lieu of the crystal gels.  
         [0031]    As illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 5 , the aperture  12  defined by the body  11  for retaining the fish attracting articles  18  includes an entrance portion  14  and a retaining portion  15 . The entrance portion  14  of the aperture  12  preferably has an end coincident with one end of the retaining portion  15 . However, the entrance portion  14  also can intersect the retaining portion  15  at the midpoint of the retaining portion or at another point along the length of the retaining portion. The entrance portion  14  of the aperture  12  is structured for receiving and passing the fish attracting article  18  therethrough and into the retaining portion  15 . More specifically, the entrance portion  14  preferably has a diameter sufficiently large to allow the fish attracting article  18  to pass through without tearing the body  11 . The size and shape of the retaining portion is likewise structured for receiving the fish attracting article  18 . Where the body  11  is molded into a configuration of prey, such as the fish-like or minnow-like configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, or the salamander-like configuration illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the entrance portion  14  of the aperture  12  can be positioned on the abdomen of the body  11  so that the aperture will have an anatomically correct appearance.  
         [0032]    Advantageously, the aperture  12  defines one or more shoulders  16  at the intersection of the entrance portion  14  and the retaining portion  15  to retain the fish attracting article  18  in the retaining portion and restrict egress of the article back into the entrance portion. In one embodiment, the at least one shoulder  16  is formed by the axis of the entrance portion  14  being disposed angularly relative to the axis of the retaining portion  15 . The angle between the axis of the entrance portion  14  and the axis of the retaining portion  15  can vary between about 0° and about 350°, depending on the dimensions and configuration of the body  11 . For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the axis of the entrance portion  14  is disposed at an angle of approximately 90° to the axis of the retaining portion  15 . As illustrated in FIG. 3, the axis of the entrance portion  14  is disposed at an angle of approximately 60° to the axis of the retaining portion  15 . As illustrated in FIG. 5, the axis of the entrance portion  14  is disposed at an angle of approximately 0° to the axis of the retaining portion  15 .  
         [0033]    For angles between about 10° and about 170° and between about 190° and about 350°, the entrance portion  14  and the retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12  can have the same or different diameters. The size of the diameter will depend on the material used to form the body  11 , but should be large enough so that the fish attracting article  18  will pass through the entrance portion  14  into the retaining portion  15  without tearing yet small enough that the article will be retained in the retaining portion with the aid of the shoulder  16 .  
         [0034]    In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the at least one shoulder  16  is formed by the diameter of the retaining portion  15  being larger than the diameter of the entrance portion  14 . The smaller diameter of the entrance portion  14  forms the shoulder  16 , which urges the fish attracting article  18  into the retaining portion  15 . This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the axis of the entrance portion  14  and the axis of the retaining portion  15  are roughly co-linear, such as the worn-like or squid-like body  11  illustrated in FIG. 5. Apertures  12  having a relatively co-linear entrance portion  14  and retaining portion  15  are useful when the body  11  configuration of the lure  10  has a small cross-sectional area and/or a relatively elongate shape. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the entrance portion  14  of the aperture  12  extends from the tail  41  to one end of the retaining portion  15 . Optionally, the tail  41  of the body  11  can include a plurality of streamers  42  to conceal the opening of the entrance portion  14 .  
         [0035]    Although the various aperture  12  configurations are each illustrated in the context of a particular body  11  configuration, the different aperture configurations can be used in any type of soft-bodied lure of sufficient size to receive and hold the fish attracting article  18 .  
         [0036]    Referring to FIG. 6, there is illustrated one type of fish attracting article  18 , a rattle  19 . The rattle  19  preferably includes a cylindrical glass or plastic tube  51  with blunt, closed ends housing a pair of metal beads  52 . Movement of the glass tube causes the beads to reciprocate and make a clicking noise. Other types of rattles  13  also can be used in the present invention to make fish attracting noises, including rattles with three or more beads, or with beads constructed of different materials such as ceramic or glass. As discussed above, other types of fish attracting articles  18  may be used such as lights sticks or other illuminants or scent packets that are easily inserted and firmly held in the various aperture  12  configurations and body  11  configurations of the lures  10  of the present invention.  
         [0037]    Preferably, each lure body  11  is formed in a mold (not shown) configured to have the desired body  11  configuration and including any desired texturing or other surface details, such as the patterned dorsal surfaces  24 ,  34 ,  44  illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3- 5 . Use of a mold also facilitates formation of the aperture  12  so as to avoid later steps of cutting or drilling the aperture. Specifically, a projection inside the mold having a shape and size corresponding to the desired shape and dimensions of the entrance portion  14  and the retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12  can be used to form the aperture in the body  11  of the lure  12 . At elevated temperatures the elastomeric material and crystal gel are liquid, allowing them to be dispensed into the mold. Once dispensed, the mold and the elastomeric material or crystal gel are allowed to cool so that the body  11  of the lure  10  sets. Once set, the elastomeric properties of the body  11  allow it to be easily removed from the mold.  
         [0038]    Referring to FIG. 7, there are illustrated the operations for constructing a lure  10 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. The method includes providing an elastomeric body defining an aperture having an entrance portion and a retaining portion. See Block  60 . A fish attracting article is inserted into the entrance portion of the aperture. See Block  61 . For example, the angler grips the lure  10  in one hand and uses the other hand to grip the fish attracting article  18 . The fish attracting article is advanced to a shoulder defined at the intersection between the entrance portion and the retaining portion. See Block  62 . In this regard, because of the elasticity of the material, the angler can push one blunt end of the fish attracting article  18  into the entrance portion  14 , which enlarges the diameter of the entrance portion. The fish attracting article is then further advanced past the shoulder and into the retaining portion of the aperture such that the shoulder restricts egress of the fish attracting article into the entrance portion of the aperture. See Block  63 . In the case of a shoulder  16  formed by an angle between the axes of the entrance portion  14  and retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12 , the fish attracting article  18  is angled in the direction of the retaining portion  15  and pushed further into the aperture  12  until fully in the retaining portion  15 . In the case of a shoulder  16  formed by a change in diameter between the entrance portion  14  and retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12 , the fish attracting article  18  is advanced linearly until in the retaining portion  15 . Once in the retaining portion  15 , the shoulder  16  urges the fish attracting article  18  to remain in the same position. In one embodiment, the orientation of the fish attracting article is modified concurrently with the second advancing step. See Block  64 . In another embodiment, the lure is attached to a fishing line. See Block  65 .  
         [0039]    The angler can remove the fish attracting article  18  by pushing on the article from outside of the body  11 , forcing the article past the shoulder  16  until one end becomes visible in the entrance portion  14 . See Block  66 . The angler may then grip the visible end of the fish attracting article  18  and complete its removal. The insertion and first and second advancing steps can then be repeated to insert a replacement fish attracting article  18  into the retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12 .  
         [0040]    The present invention has several advantages. Generally, the soft body  11  of the lure allows it to move and feel more like live bait than hard lures. These qualities, in combination with a range of selectable fish attracting articles  18 , such as illuminants, scent packets or rattles  13 , increase the attractiveness of the lure  10  to fish. The shoulder  16  defined by the aperture  12  of each of the embodiments, whether from a change in diameter between, or the angular disposition of the axes of, the entrance and retaining portions  14 ,  15 , effectively retains the fish attracting article  18  in the retaining portion. The continuity of the entrance and retaining portions  14 ,  15  of the aperture  12  allows for easy insertion and retrieval of the fish attracting articles  18 . Tearing of the soft plastic body is minimized by the ease of retrieval and replacement of the fish attracting articles  18  in the retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12 , and is further minimized by use of crystal gels, which have improved damage tolerance, crack propagation resistance, tear resistance and fatigue resistance. Thus, the lure of the present invention presents the angler with a body  11  elastic enough to be realistic, yet tough enough to resist tearing. This realism is enhanced by the ability to use various fish attracting articles  18  that are firmly held in the retaining portion  15  of the aperture  12  defined by the body  12 , and which can be replaced as desired with minimal risk of initiating a tear or other damage to the body.  
         [0041]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.