Fishing lure with a scent disbursement apparatus

A fishing lure made of soft yarn ball that had a hole through the center. The fibrous ball increases the holding power of scent oil. The ability to hold more scent oil means that it takes longer for the scent oil to work out of the ball and thus leaves a longer lasting and larger scent trail for game fish to hone in on. The scent ball is easily adaptable to any type of artificial lure rigging a fisherman chose to use. The soft yarn balls are made from materials used in fly tying. These fibrous products come in highly visible colors. Some even have UV responding dyes that fish respond to. As noted above, the center hole is a carbon fiber micro tube. It is this use of the micro tube that allows the yarn to be tied sufficiently tight to allow for extending holding of the scent oils.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to fishing lures and particularly to fishing lures having a scent disbursement apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the world of fishing lures, there is a need to increase the absorption of scent oils into a lure and ultimately, the distribution of a scent trail from that lure to attract game fish-in particular salmon. The problem with the prior art lures is inducing a scent trail while using an artificial lure setup. Most salmon lures, for example, are smooth bodied metal, wood, soft plastic, or hard plastic. When scent oils are applied to these artificial lure setups and set in the water, an oil sheen immediately formed on the water's surface. When the artificial lure was retrieved after tolling, no overt evidence existed (could not feel or smell the scent product) that the scent oil remained for any length of time on the lure. It appears that the problem with such lures is that the scent oils leave the lure after a very short time and were not as effective during a troll.

Examples of lures with scent balls or other containers are found in the following U. S. Patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,328 to Goldman, teaches a fishing bobber that has a holder and a means for emitting scent. U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,324 to Hugunin, teaches a lure that has a tab for deploying scent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,405 to Bowles teaches a soft plastic fishing lure that contains micro-encapsulated liquid fish attractants. U. S. Published application 2008/0190009 teaches a lure that uses elastomeric materials to form egg-shaped members that simulate eggs for attracting fish. U. S. Published Application No. 2011/0214332 teaches a lure that has a sleeve that fits over the top of the lure. The sleeve holds a quantity of fish scent for attracting fish. Finally, U. S. Published application 2013/0031822 teaches a worm-like artificial lure that contains fish scent. Holes in the body of the lure allow the scent to escape the lure to attract fish. All of those lures use some type of solid body to hold the fishing scents. While useful, they do not provide a soft, yarn type body for a lure.

Fishing lures that use yarn type bodies, are typically tied directly onto the shaft of a hook. Two examples of this type of lure are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,690,028 and 4,773,281. Note that the later patent teaches simulated eggs made of clusters of yarn that are tied by thread and then tied to the hook shaft. Although these lures use yarn, there is no way to use the balls in other ways once they are tied to the shaft of the hook. Moreover, ether is no way to string them onto a line to form other configurations of these balls. Thus, these designed are limited in their use.

Another common lure option for fishing is rigging up a once-frozen herring. a thawed herring most likely gives off a scent trail, but since the soft flesh gives way during trolling, lure presentation become less that natural. Thus, there is a need for a longer lasting artificial lure with the added ability to lay down a long-term scent trail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of a soft yarn ball that had a hole through the center. The fibrous ball increases the holding power of scent oil. The ability to hold more scent oil means that it takes longer for the scent oil to work out of the ball and thus leaves a longer lasting, and larger scent trail for game fish to hone in on and thus bring an increase to fish strikes. The use of a center tube allows the scent ball to be easily adapted to any type of artificial lure rigging a fisherman chose to use. The soft yarn ball has a center tube portion to allow it to be threaded onto a fishing line. In fact, if a fisherman so desired, a scent ball can be tied in with a herring bait setup to increase the scent trail of natural bait.

The soft yarn balls are made from materials used in fly tying. These fibrous products come in highly visible colors. Some even have UV responding dyes that fish respond to. As noted above, at the center is a carbon fiber micro tube. It is this use of the micro tube that allows the yarn to be tied sufficiently tight to allow for extending holding of the scent oils.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and particularly toFIGS. 1-3, the present invention11is shown attached to a length of fishing line12that is tied to a fishing hook13. This is only one of multiple ways in which the invention11may be used. This invention stimulates the fish strike response through color, movement of exterior body fiber in response to water currents or the retrieving or trolling of the lure, and the dispersion of scented fishing liquids, oils, sauces, and gels, as discussed below.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of the invention11illustrating a spherical shaped soft body of the invention. The invention consists of a rigid center tube15, a center securing and compression band16, and two side securing and compression bands17that are on either side of the center band (see alsoFIG. 4). The shaped soft body14is comprised of a synthetic or natural filament material such as polyester, polypropylene, or wool yarns. The filament material14may have a single color that simulates naturally found food sources of a targeted game fish, or a multiple of highly visible and contrasting colors that might include UV enhanced dyes noticeable to game fish, or any combination of color and filament types thereof. The filament material14is attached to the micro-diameter rigid wall tube15that is able to withstand distortional forces of the compression bands16and17which are comprised of wound thread, pressed metal, rubber O-rings or any other such type of material. The center securing compression band16holds a bundle of filament material on the rigid wall tube15so that filament completely or partially surrounds the tubing. Adhesive may be applied to the rigid wall tube15to further secure the filament material. The two side compression bands17are made of similar material as the center compression band16and are secured to the rigid wall tube15with or without filament material, between the inner compression band surface and the rigid wall tube15, and are pushed up as close as possible to the center band. The side compression bands17are pushed up tightly to the center compression band16and aid in the flaring of the filament material so that the exterior of the soft body of the invention11can be shaped.

FIG. 3is a partially exploded view of the invention11further illustrating the components of the soft body filament material14, the rigid wall tube15, the center compression ring16, and the two side compression rings17.

FIG. 4is a perspective view of the micro-diameter tube and the compression bands16and17and their relative positions on the rigid wall tube15. Note, in the preferred embodiment, the micro diameter tube15is made of carbon fiber

FIG. 5is a perspective view of the center compression band16surrounding and securing the soft body filament material14to the rigid wall tube15.

FIG. 6is a perspective view of the invention11placed on a fishing line12in combination with an artificial soft plastic bait20with a two hook13terminal tackle set up. The selected positioning of the invention11allows for the soft body filament material to move in response to water currents as bait is retrieved, drifted, or trolled simulating the live action of natural feed. The multi stimuli fishing lure11adds natural or contracting colors to the bait setup to illicit the feeding response of game fish that prey on smaller creatures feeding in their natural elements, and when the invention is charged with scented fishing products, illustrated inFIG. 9, increases game fish enticement through activation of the game fish's chemoreception system.

FIG. 7is a perspective view similar toFIG. 6but with a second lure11placed on the fishing line12between an end hook13and an initial hook13. All the aspects of soft body fiber movement, the options of natural prey or contrasting colors, and the selection of the same or different scent liquids, oils, sauces, and gels are added to the additionally placed multi stimuli fishing lures11.

FIG. 8is a perspective view of the invention11is used with an artificial hard plastic fishing lure19. A treble fish hook21is tied to the end of the line, as shown. Next the invention11is threaded onto a line12, that has spacer beads12athreaded onto the line. The line is then passed through a tail hole19aof the lure19. Two more lures11are threaded onto the fishing line before the line is passed through the shoulder hole19bof the artificial bait19.FIG. 8illustrates additional options available to the angler by stringing the invention11onto a fishing line and in combination with any bait setup.

FIG. 9is a perspective view of two lures of the invention11on a fishing line12ahead of an artificial soft plastic bait20with a fish hook13tied on the end. An angler may hold the fish line12at the end of the bait rigging with one hand and the hook13with the other, allowing the two lures11to be placed into a small container100that has a quantity of fish scent product22. The angler may apply a fishing scent liquid, oil, sauce, or gel in this manner without touching the scent product.

FIG. 10is a perspective view of the invention11in a cross-section. This figure illustrates an angler attaching the invention11to a fish line12by aligning the end of the line12to one end of the rigid wall tube15and then inserting the line12through the tube so that the line12is fed through the length of the rigid wall tube15. In this way, the invention11is placed on a fishing line for use.

The present disclosure should not be construed in any limited sense other than that limited by the scope of the claims having regard to the teachings herein and the prior art being apparent with the preferred form of the invention disclosed herein and which reveals details of structure of a preferred form necessary for a better understanding of the invention and may be subject to change by skilled persons within the scope of the invention without departing from the concept thereof.