Spring actuated weedless fishing lure

A spring actuated weedless fishing lure increases the chances of successfully catching a fish without entangling a hook on plant material. A weedless guard system prevents the hook from catching on weeds and compresses a spring to hold the spring and hook in a retracted position. When a fish strikes, the weedless guard system is released allowing the spring to expand and push the hook in a longitudinal direction to an expanded position away from other parts of the lure. This expanded position provides a greater area for the fish's mouth to engage with the hook without interference from other parts of the lure. The expanded position also allows the hooks to embed closer to the front of a fish's mouth and reduces the risk of the fish swallowing the whole lure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a spring actuated weedless fishing lure that projects one or more hooks in a longitudinal direction to more securely attach to a fish upon engaging the lure.

2. Description of Related Art

Weedless fishing lures provide a mechanism to prevent the hook from snagging on plant material, such as a tree limb or lily pad, while fishing. These types of lures are well known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,446 discloses a single or double hook lure with a guard that holds the end of the hook(s) so they do not hook into any plant material. Once engaged by a fish, the hook end is released from the guard allowing the hook to embed in the fish's mouth. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,138, the hook end is hidden within a cavity of the lure body (shaped like a small fish for example). The hook is attached to a “spring member” that has an upper, stiff curved portion and a lower flexible portion of spring steel or resilient plastic. When engaged by a fish, the lower flexible portion is pushed toward the stiff portion, which causes the hook to move in an arcuate direction out of the cavity to embed in the fish's mouth.

These weedless prior art lures are effective at preventing the hook from getting caught on plant material; however, the guards that prevent the hook from snagging on plants and tree limbs can also result in missing a fish altogether. Once a fish strikes the lure, the guard mechanisms or other aspects of the lure body can interfere with the hook or provide only a small area for the fish's mouth to engage with the hook making it difficult for the hook to sufficiently embed in the mouth to catch the fish. Another problem with prior art lures, particularly in bass fishing, is that the fish can end up swallowing the whole lure. If there is a need to release the fish, it can be impossible to remove a swallowed lure without significantly harming the fish. There is a need for a weedless hooking system that does not interfere with embedding the hook in the fish's mouth, reduces the rate of catch failure after a strike, and reduces the risk of the fish swallowing the lure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one preferred embodiment, a spring actuated weedless lure according to the invention comprises a housing, a spring disposed within the housing and configured to move a hook in a substantially longitudinal direction (relative to the housing), and a guard connected to the housing and releasably connected to the hook. When connected to the hook, the guard holds the hook and spring in a retracted position. Once a fish strikes, the connection between the guard and hook is released, allowing the spring to expand and to launch or move the hook from a retracted position to an extended position along a longitudinal axis relative to the housing. The hook is preferably extended out 1-3 inches from the proximal end of the housing when in an extended position. This allows the lure to have the benefits of a weedless hook but also prevents the guard or housing from interfering with catching the fish. The extended hook position also increases the chances of catching a fish since they are positioned in a larger exposed area with more distance between the hook and the rest of the lure, providing a greater chance of being embedded in the fish's mouth. It also allows the hook to embed in the first inch or two of the fish's mouth, without allowing the entire lure to be swallowed, making it easier to release the fish if desired.

According to another preferred embodiment, a spring actuated weedless lure like that described above is contained within a hollow body, preferably shaped like a frog, worm, small fish, or other design that would attract a fish to strike the lure. The housing, guard and hook are preferably disposed entirely within the hollow body when the spring is in a retracted position. The hollow body preferably has one or more apertures to allow the hook or hooks to extend out away from the body when the spring is released and the hooks or hooks are in an extended position. Most preferably, the hook or hooks are extended 1-3 inches beyond the proximal end of the hollow body when in an extended position. When a hollow body is used, the guard need not engage with the barb end of the hook to provide a weedless design because the hooks are disposed inside and protected from entanglement with plant material by the hollow body. A guard that does engage the barb ends of the hook, similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,446 or in other prior art, may also be used with various embodiments of the invention with or without a hollow body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS.1-5, one preferred embodiment of a spring actuated weedless lure10is depicted. Lure10preferably comprises a housing12, an attachment mechanism14, a weedless guard system16, and a spring28disposed inside housing12. Attachment mechanism14is preferably a ring or eye bolt secured to one end of housing12to allow lure10to be attached to a fishing line or connected to a hollow body (such as a decorative frog). Weedless guard system16preferably comprises a hook18and a guard20. Guard20is preferably an elongated, flexible pin or wire loop. One end of guard20is connected to housing12and the other end of guard20is releasably connected to hook18. Any prior art mechanism for releasably connecting a guard to a hook may be used with guard20and hook18in weedless guard system16. When engaged, weedless guard system16holds hook18in a retracted position, compressing spring28. When disengaged, weedless guard system16releases hook18allowing spring28to expand and move hook18in a substantially linear or longitudinal direction (aligned with or parallel to a longitudinal axis of housing12) from its retracted position to an expanded position. Weedless guard system16is disengaged when external pressure is exerted on guard20in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of hook18when released. When a fish strikes, its mouth exerts pressure in a substantially lateral direction (relative to housing), disengaging weedless guard system16and allowing hook18to move in a longitudinal direction.

Hook18may be a single hook, but is more preferably a double hook. Each hook18preferably comprises a longitudinal body or shaft30, an curved or arcuate portion32, and a barbed end34. When a double hook18is used, a single shaft30may split or fork prior to arcuate portions32to form a double hook or two separate shafts30may be used. When a double hook18is used, wireless guard system16also preferably comprises brace22and a barb24. Brace22is disposed between the two hooks18and barb24extends from brace22. In this preferred embodiment, guard20is a single pin or piece of wire with one end connected to housing12and the distal end may have an aperture to engage with barb24. Alternatively, the distal end of guard20may have a small hook or barb to engage with brace22(in which case it is not necessary to use barb24) or a loop may dangle from brace22(in place of barb24) to engage with the hook or barb on the end of guard20. In another preferred embodiment as shown inFIGS.8-9, guard20is in a loop configuration with both ends connected to housing12and the distal end of the loop engaging with barb24to secure hooks18in a retracted position. Barb24and guard20are made of materials that are preferably strong enough to remain engaged during use and flexible enough to allow them to disengage when the force from a fish biting the lure is applied. As additional alternatives, guard20may comprise a loop, or a single pin or piece of wire with a distal end having an aperture that is configured to engage with a barbed end of one or both hooks18(in which case, brace22and barb24are not necessary) or may comprise a single pin or piece of wire with a barb at its distal end configured to engage with brace22(in which case barb24is not needed).

Housing12is preferably substantially cylindrical with one sealed end near attachment mechanism14. The other end is at least partially open to allow movement of an elongated shaft30or longitudinal portion of hook18along a longitudinal axis of housing12. Spring28is preferably disposed inside housing12, between the sealed end of housing12and plate26, which is also disposed inside housing12. Plate26is connected or connectable to the elongated shaft portion30of hook18. Hook18and plate26may be integrally formed or connected together by adhesive, welding, threaded attachment, or the like. A seal, such as an o-ring, may optionally be placed around plate26to provide a water-tight or substantially water-tight seal to prevent water from entering the portion of housing12in which spring28is disposed. Alternatively, plate26may optionally be made of material, such as rubber, that acts as a seal against interior wall surfaces of housing12to prevent water from entering the portion of housing12in which spring28is disposed. This may allow the interior spring cavity of housing12to be filled with air or another gas to aid in lure10floating at or near the surface of the water, if desired.

When guard20is connected to hook18(or barb24), it holds hook18and plate26in a retracted position, compressing spring28inside housing12as shown inFIGS.1-3. When a fish strikes, its mouth puts pressure on guard20, releasing it from hook18(or barb24). When guard20is disengaged from hook18(or barb24), plate26is no longer held in a retracted position allowing spring28to expand and push plate26rearwardly inside housing12. This movement of plate26also causes hook18to move rearwardly, extending it along a longitudinal axis relative to housing12to an extended position as shown inFIGS.4-5. The direction of hook movement is substantially longitudinal and not arcuate as in some prior art lures. Most preferably, the extended position for hook18is around 1-3 inches from the retracted position of hook18or around 1-3 inches the proximal end of a decorative hollow body (if used). The partially open end of housing12may comprise an annular lip that prevents plate26from being pulled out of housing12when the hook18embeds in the fish's mouth. Alternatively, plate26may be connected to spring28and spring28may be connected to housing12, to maintain a connection between the hook18and housing12(and to the attached fishing line) when the hook18is embedded in the fish's mouth.

According to another preferred embodiment, lure10also comprises a decorative hollow body36that is in a shape, such as a frog as shown inFIG.6, that would attract a fish to strike the lure. Other shapes for hollow body36may also be used. The hollow body36may also be part of the weedless guard system16, by protecting all or part of hook18from substantial contact with plant material when hook18is in a retracted position. Preferably, at least the barb end34of hook18, and more preferably all of hook18that is outside of housing12when in a retracted position, is disposed inside the hollow body36. Most preferably housing12, guard20, hook18, and brace22and barb24(if used) fit entirely within the hollow body36when the hook18is in a retracted position. The hollow body preferably has one or more apertures38that correspond in size and location with hook(s)18that will allow hook(s)18to extend through the apertures in the hollow body36when guard20is disengaged by a fish strike and spring28pushes the hooks18rearwardly (in a direction substantially opposite from where the fishing line is attached to lure10). Alternatively, the barb end34of hook18may press up against an exterior surface of the hollow body when in a retracted position and other portions of lure10may be disposed inside the hollow body. A fishing line40may be attached to the hollow body (if used) or may pass through another aperture in the hollow body (such as a mouth of a frog body) to attach to attachment mechanism14.

According to another preferred embodiment, spring28may be integrally formed with a longitudinal portion of hook18without requiring use of plate26. According to another preferred embodiment, housing12may be integrally formed with attachment mechanism14and/or guard20or these parts may be connected together by adhesive, sonic welding, threaded connections, or a combination thereof. Housing12may also be integrally formed with hollow body36or housing and hollow body may be a single substantially cylindrical unit (particularly if a narrow bodied design, such as a worm, is used). Various materials, such as plastics, rubber, and metals, may be used for the parts of lure10, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Lure10according to various preferred embodiments may be of differing sizes, depending on the type of fish that the user desires to catch. Typically lure10(without hollow body36) will preferably be around 2.5 to 5.5 inches long (in a retracted position) and around 1 to 2.5 inches wide. With hollow body36, lure10will preferably be around 2.75 to 7 inches long (in a retracted position) and around 1.25 to 4 inches wide. Other sizes may also be used depending on the size and type of fish desired. Lure10can be reused multiple times by simply pushing hook18inward toward housing12to compress spring28and re-engaging guard20with hook18(or barb24or other releasable connection used in weedless guard system16) to hold spring28in the retracted position in preparation for the next fish strike.

Although primarily described with a two hook configuration as shown in the figures, embodiments of the invention may use a single hook or any multiple hook configuration as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate upon reading this specification and the description of preferred embodiments herein that modifications and alterations to the system may be made within the scope of the invention and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.