Device for disengaging snagged fish hooks and lures

A device for disengaging snagged fishing hooks and lures is disclosed. The device includes a pole member and an operative end member which is bifurcated to define a central opening for retaining the fishing line during operation of the device. The end member is provided with features which include a flat end portion, a downwardly extending hook on one side thereof and a small opening located immediately below the hook to allow the fishing line to enter the central opening. The interior sides of the central opening are straight and smooth to avoid snagging the fishing line. The general construction of the present invention results in a straight or direct line of force from the operator through to the end of the device, thus facilitating the disengagement of snagged hooks and lures.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a device for disengaging snagged fishing 
hooks and lures. More particularly, the present invention relates to a 
device which may be fastened to a pole and employed for the disengagement 
and retrieval of snagged fishing hooks and lures located under the surface 
of the water. 
Previous devices for the disengagement and retrieval of snagged fishing 
hooks and lures from beneath the surface of the water have included 
devices such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,851,370 and 2,768,462. 
The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,851,370 includes a releasing 
device wherein a pole is provided with a yoke-like member attached 
thereto, the yoke having an opening cut out of its body portion and 
connected with the yoke by a contracted throat. The device of U.S. Pat. 
No. 2,768,462 includes a pole having an end member attached thereto which 
includes a pair of arms folded over each other at the end portion thereof 
to provide a gap in the end and with an opening within the space 
surrounded by the arms. Other prior art devices for disengaging snagged 
fish hooks and lures have included devices which have relied upon gravity 
and the weight of retrieving device to disengage the snagged hooks. 
By the present invention, there is provided an improved device for the 
disengagement or release of snagged fishing hooks and lures. The device of 
the present invention includes a hook configuration which facilitates the 
initial engagement of the device with the fishing line, snagging the line 
and guiding it into a central opening of the device. The construction and 
configuration of the present invention effectively prevents disengagement 
of the fishing line from the device, once the line has passed into the 
central opening. The particular construction of the present invention 
provides a rigid connection, with the line of force extending directly 
from the arm of the fisherman through the pole to the operative end of the 
device, thus allowing the full effect of the force exerted by the 
fisherman to be directed in a straight line, without any off-set 
components which would result in a torque or bending action. In addition, 
the present invention is provided with a streamlined design which allows 
the device to be guided down the fishing line to the snagged hook through 
even the thickest brush or grass without the device becoming entangled in 
such obstacles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2, there is provided a device 10 for disengagement of fish hooks and 
lures, including a pole member 11 and an operative end member 12 for 
attachment to said pole member 11. The end member 12 includes a throat 
portion 13 at the lower end thereof, said throat portion 13 branching into 
a pair of upwardly extending bifurcations 14, 15 which lie in a common 
plane with the throat portion 13 and which together define a central 
opening 16 therebetween. The end member 12 may be constructed of any 
suitable durable, light weight material such as, for example, aluminum 
alloy material. One of the bifurcations 14 extends upwardly, across the 
top and approximately half way down the opposite side of the opening 16, 
thus describing an inverted U-shaped configuration, while the other 
bifurcation 15 extends approximately half way up the opposite side of the 
opening 16 to a point just short of engagement with the end of bifurcation 
14. 
That portion 17 of bifurcation 14 which defines the upper end of the end 
member 12 has a flat outer surface, a feature which has been found to be 
advantageous in disengaging snagged fishing hooks and lures. The remaining 
portions of bifurcations 14 and 15 are generally circular in cross-section 
so that smooth, rounded surfaces are present on the interior of the device 
adjacent the opening 16. The interior surface 20 at the upper end of the 
throat 13 is also smooth and rounded. Such smooth and rounded interior 
surfaces prevent fishing line from being caught and held on the interior 
of the device and also reduce line wear. The straight side walls defined 
by the bifurcation 14, 15 also assist in allowing for smooth flow of line 
when pushing the device 10 down the line. 
The bifurcation 14 terminates in a hook member 18 which extends outwardly 
and downwardly at an angle of approximately 22 to 68 degrees, relative to 
the longitudinal axis of the device 10. A device 10 with a hook 18 angle 
of about 56 degrees has been employed with good results. The hook 18 
should extend outwardly beyond the main portion of the bifurcation 14 a 
distance of from about 1/8 inch to about 7/16 inch. A length of less than 
about 1/8 inch will make it difficult to snag the fishing line, while a 
length of more than about 7/16 inch will result in the hook 18 becoming 
snagged on debris and the like, rather than having the streamlined 
configuration which is desired. A hook 18 length of about 1/4 inch has 
been employed with good results. 
Located immediately below the hook 18 at the point where the bifurcations 
14, 15 meet, there is provided an opening 19 which allows the fishing line 
to enter the central opening 16 once it has been snagged by the hook 18. 
The opening 19 can be of any of various sizes, depending upon the diameter 
of the fishing line with which the device 10 is employed. Generally, an 
opening 19 of from about 0.5 mm to about 1.75 mm may be employed, and an 
opening of about 1 mm will handle most of the present fishing lines, 
particularly those of the type employed in fresh water fishing where most 
snagged fishing lures are apt to occur. The opening is preferably slightly 
less than the diameter of the fishing line, thus allowing the line to pass 
through the opening 19 under a small amount of increased tension, but with 
such an opening being effective to prevent the line from passing back out 
through the opening 19 once it is retained within the central opening 16. 
The straight smooth side walls provided by the bifurcations 14, 15 also 
assist in preventing the line from passing back out through the opening 
19, as the line moves freely within the opening 16, and is not allowed to 
hang up or become snagged on the interior of the device 10. 
The end member 12 is provided with a threaded lower end portion 21 for 
attachement to the pole 11 and to provide a strong bond between the pole 
11 and the end member 12. The pole 11 may be constructed of any suitable 
material such as, for example, fiberglass, having a threaded receptacle 23 
with inset portion 24 which receives the lower portion 25 of the throat 13 
of the end member 12 to produce the desired strong bonding effect. 
The pole member 11 is advantageously constructed in sections, so that a 
relatively short pole 11 is employed in shallow water conditions, and with 
additional sections being added as necessary for deep water operation. 
Thus a pole 11 having an overall length of from 12 to 16 feet, and made up 
of three or four 4-foot connectable sections, should provide sufficient 
length to reach most submerged fish hooks and lures. A pole 11 constructed 
of fiberglass having a 11/32 inch outside diameter, or a tapered 
fiberglass pole 11 with a 11/32 inch outside diameter tip, may be employed 
with good results. 
In FIG. 3 there is shown an alternative embodiment of end portion 25a to be 
inserted into an inner recess 26 in the pole 11a. In this embodiment, 
epoxy glue or other suitable sealing material is employed to retain the 
end 25a within the inner recess 26. 
FIGS. 4 through 6 show various alternative embodiments for the opening 19 
through which fishing line passes into the central opening 16. In the 
embodiment of FIG. 4, a small inwardly concave closure member 31 of spring 
steel or similar material is mounted in recesses 32, 33 in the respective 
bifurcations 14, 15. The lower end of the closure member 31 is secured by 
soldering, adhesive sealing material or similar means to the interior 
surface of bifurcation 15, while the upper end of member 31 is freely 
movable in the direction of the interior opening 16 so as to allow the 
fishing line to pass inwardly thereof upon application of sufficient 
pressure to overcome the spring bias of the member 31. The recessed 
mounting of the member 31 avoids snagging of the fishing line. 
The embodiment of FIG. 5 is similar to that of FIG. 4 except that the lower 
portion of closure member 31a is mounted along and secured to the entire 
length of a narrowed bifurcation 15 and the lower end of the member 31a is 
mounted in a recess 34 in the interior surface 20 at the upper end of the 
throat 13. In this way also, the smooth interior contour is maintained to 
avoid snagging of the fishing line. 
In FIG. 6 there is shown an embodiment in which the closure member 31b is 
secured to the exterior upper surface of member 15 which is slanted 
inwardly. The upper end of the member 31b is positioned in a recess 35 and 
moves inwardly under pressure from the fishing line to allow the line to 
pass into the interior opening 16. Thus in each of the embodiments of the 
invention, the smooth contoured interior surfaces are sought to be 
maintained, and with a sufficient opening 19 being provided to allow the 
fishing line to pass into the central opening 16, while effectively 
preventing the line from passing back out through the opening 19. 
As previously described, the device 10 of the present invention provides a 
specialized fishing tackle item which is easily utilized for the 
disengagement and retrieval of snagged fishing hooks and fishing lures. In 
the operation of the device 10, the operative end member 12 is connected 
to a pole 11 which may vary in length, depending on the depth at which the 
snag has occurred. The operator, with pole 11 in hand, proceeds to snag 
the fishing line to which the snagged lure is connected by the use of the 
hook 18. Once the fishing line has been snagged, the operator exerts 
sufficient pressure on the line to force the line through opening 19 into 
the central opening 16 of the device 10. Extending the pole 11, the 
operator then pushes the device 10 down the fishing line until the device 
10 makes contact with the snagged lure. The snagged lure may then be 
gently unsnagged by pushing the device 10 downwardly in a gentle but firm 
manner. In so doing, the streamlined configuration of the device 10, and 
the direct line of force from the operator through to the flat upper end 
17 of the device 10, combine to facilitate the ease of handling and 
movement of the device 10 required to unsnag the lure. Once the hook or 
lure is unsnagged, the hook or lure may be retrieved by one or both 
actions of pulling up the device 10 and reeling in the fishing line. 
It is thought tht the invention and many of its attendant advantages will 
be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that 
various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of 
the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or 
sacrificing its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described 
being merely preferred embodiments thereof.