Fishing rod holder and bite indicator

A fishing rod holder is provided which may be driven into the ground, and which includes a tubular portion for receiving the handle of a fishing rod and for supporting the rod at a desired angle so that it extends out over the body of water from which fish are to be extracted. The tubular portion includes a slot at its upper end through which the reel of the fishing line extends. An electrical indicator unit, which may include a buzzer, a light, or other electrically energized indicator, is mounted on the side of the tubular portion near its upper end. The electrical indicator unit is self-contained in a separate case, and it includes the usual batteries and electrically energized indicator. The unit also includes a spring-loaded energized trigger which extends into the tubular portion of the holder through the aforesaid slot. The handle of the fishing rod normally rests against the trigger without sufficient force to cause it to energize the electric indicator. However, when a bite occurs, the handle is moved against the trigger with sufficient force to cause it to actuate the electrical indicator unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Prior art attachments for fishing rods for causing an indication to occur 
when a fish bites have generally been of two types. In one type the 
fishing line extends across a movable switch-controlling element, and the 
tightening of the line when a bite occurs produces sufficient pressure on 
the element to actuate the switch. However, this type of prior art device 
is relatively complicated and expensive because of the mechanism which is 
necessary to accomplish its purpose. 
A second type of prior art device has been one in which the fishing line 
passes under a pressure element between the reel and forward end of the 
rod. In the latter device, a bite makes the line taut enough to pull it 
out from under the pressure element so that it ceases to hold electric 
contacts within the pressure element apart, and the contacts come together 
and complete an electric circuit. However, the second type of prior art 
device is also usually unduly expensive. 
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple and 
inexpensive indicator that may readily be mounted on a fishing rod holder, 
so as to accomplish its desired purpose. This objective is achieved in the 
embodiment of the invention to be described herein by mounting a 
self-contained electrically energized buzzer unit on the side of the 
fishing pole holder with its trigger extending into the interior of the 
holder to be engaged by the fishing pole handle received in the holder. 
The fishing rod handle normally rests against the trigger with 
insufficient force to cause it to be actuated. However, when a bite 
occurs, the handle is drawn against the trigger and causes it to operate 
the electric buzzer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
The assembly of the present invention includes a tubular holder 10 which 
has an open top so that it may receive the handle 12 of a fishing rod 14. 
The tubular holder 10 is held in the ground by an anchor spear 16 which is 
mounted to the lower end of rod 10 by screws or rivets 18. 
The tubular holder 10 has a slot 10A adjacent to its upper end on the lower 
side thereof, and the fishing line reel 20 extends through the slot. The 
reel 20 is attached to the handle 12 of the fishing rod by appropriate 
mounting bands 22. A fishing line 24 extends from the reel 20 through 
loops 26 along the rod 14. 
As illustrated, the upper end of the tubular holder 10 is cut at a bias, 
and an anchor line 30 is looped around the handle 12 of the fishing rod at 
the upper end of the tubular portion, the line extending to the anchor 
spear 16, and though a hole in the anchor spear, at which it is knotted, 
as shown at 32 in FIG. 2. The loop at the upper end of the anchor line is 
supported by a slip knot 34, and the line is tightened to prevent the 
fishing rod from being pulled out of the tubular holder. 
The case 40 of a self-contained electrically energized buzzer, or other 
electrical unit, is mounted to the underside of the tubular support member 
10 by rivets or other mounts 42, adjacent to the slot 10A. The electrical 
unit includes a trigger 44 which extends into the interior of the tubular 
holder 10 to be engaged by the fishing rod handle 12. 
The trigger 44 is spring-loaded, and under normal circumstances the handle 
12 does not have sufficient force to actuate the trigger. However, when a 
bite occurs, the handle is moved against the trigger and causes it to 
energize the electrical buzzer unit, so that the buzzer sounds. 
Casing 40 may be provided with a release button 52 to permit the case to be 
opened, so that batteries, such as battery 54 mounted in the case may be 
replaced, when required. 
In the embodiment of FIG. 5, a tubular holder 100 is supported within the 
end of the outer tubular holder 10 by a pair of rivets 102, 104; and the 
inner tubular holder bears against the trigger 44. The inner tubular 
holder 100 is biased to the illustrated cocked position by a spring-loaded 
piston 106. The spring force may be adjusted by an adjusting screw 108 
which is threaded into an adjusting nut 110. 
The inner tubular holder is provided with a slot 100A adjacent to its upper 
end on the lower side thereof to receive the reel 20 of the fishing rod 14 
of FIG. 1. The fishing rod may be held within the inner tubular holder 100 
by the anchor line 30 and slip knot 34 of FIG. 1. 
In the second embodiment, the inner tubular holder 100, rather than the 
fishing rod itself, engages the trigger 45 to activate the electrical unit 
within case 40, when a bite occurs. 
The invention provides, therefore, a simple and inexpensive indicator unit 
for a fishing rod which is mounted on a rod holder, and which provides an 
indication whenever a bite occurs. 
It will be appreciated that although particular embodiments of the 
invention have been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is 
intended in the claims to cover the modifications which come within the 
spirit and scope of the invention.