METHOD OF LINE FISHING AND FISHING HOOK FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH LINE FISHING

Abstract: A method of line fishing, includes handling of fishing hooks (16, 116) relative to fishing lines (15), especially on board fishing vessel (10). Provision is made for each fishing hook (16, 116), during drawing in of fishing line (15) with associated catch fastened to the fishing hook (16, 116) and particularly with specially occurring, especially high tractive forces, to be broken in pieces at a definite fracture location instead of being deformed. The fracture location is fixed at a weakened, local position in the fishing hook. The local position defines a moment arm (116') in the hook (16, 116) relative to a definite traction loading position in the hook. A fishing hook (116) for use in connection with line fishing, is designed for mechanical handling on board a fishing vessel (10). The fishing hook (116) is made of material rigid to bending and is designed at a definite location (at 116a) in the fishing hook with a weakened hook cross section for directing a possible fracture of the fishing hook to the definite location (at 116a) in the fishing hook (116).

Description: Method of line .£iahinα and fishing hook for use in connection with line fishing; The present invention relates to a method of line fishing, especially an board a fishing vessel, where the hook handling comprises mechanical baiting of hooks. putting out lines with baited hooks, fishing with lines with baited hooka, drawing in of lines with baited hooks plus associated catch, plulling off catch from associated hooks s well as removiηg efect hooks from associated snellε of the line. Line fishing based on mechanical handling of the line with associated snells and hooks, now takes place at the present mainly according to the following two alternative main principles. A first principle consists in the use of hooks, which are fastened to the line via associated snells through the whole process, that is to say that the hooka follow the movement of the line frp the line being drawn from the sea on board the vessel with associated catch to the line being put out again in the sea with freshly baited hooke. Thia means that the hooks are baited while they are fastened to the anell which in turn β fastened to the line. A. second principle consists in the use of hooks, which are fastened to the line via associated snells only in the fishing process,, while the hooke are pulled off from associated snells immediately after the catch is removed from the hooks- This means that the hooks can be baited in a separate state and thereafter can be moun t ed in place in associated snells in a baited state. Z In both principles there are usually employed rapid coupling of snells to lines and rapid coupling of hooka to Bnells, so that on need a unit of hook and snell can be changed or a hook can be changed, in cases where the hook or hooka with associated snells are broken off or damaged in another way. In addition the invention relates to a fishing hook for uae in connection with line fishing, designed for mechanical handling on board a fiβhing vβsβe . Varioua equipment ie known for uae in the aforementioned hαok handling on board vessels. Reference shall be made to NO 172 022 which shows equipment for pulling catch rom fish hooks . Further there shall be made reference to NO 171 661, which shows; equipment for hook sorting, as well as reference to NO 175 Θ41, which shows equipment for the supply of hooks to baiting apparatus. Hitherto it has been usual to employ fishing hooks of deformable material, which permit a certain deformation of the hook, or shape-stable fishing hooks of material rigid to bending, which normally neither permit deformation nor intentional fracture of the hook. In such cases the location of the fracture can occur by chance at arbitrary places in the hook. From US 5 528 850 a fishing hook is known with a weakened zone which will produce fractures in leg9 of the fishing hook when εuffibient loads arise in the fishing hook, for example when the hook is hooked fast in a larger submerged object. Provision is made for the breaking strength to be leas than the maximum tensile strength of the line. In line fishing with relatively large vessels (line fishing vessel©) it is usual to employ 4.0 - 50000 baited hooks, per day, while it ie correspondingly usual to employ for smaller ve-ssels (line fishing vessels) for example 100oo baited hooks, per day. It ia apparent that relatively simple manual control operations can demand during fishing continuous extra man power only for the control operation. However it is usual to employ automiaed equipment for hool handling, that is tώ say the smallest possible labour-demanding operations with the smallest possible crew. In this connection it is usual to employ the aforementioned second handling principle with the pulling off of all hooks after each drawing on boar of respective hooks. In such a caβe it is the aim that all hooks are removed mechanically from the line after the catch is removed from associated hooka and that separate hooks axe baited mechanically via the stem portion of the hook and the stem portion of the nook is thereafter mechanically coupled together with an associated rapid coupling arrangement of associated snells on the line. In instances where the use iβ permitted of hooks which are defect or deformed to an undesired degree, when they are advanced into position for baiting and coupling together, this will either cause problems during hook handling on board the vessel or complicate the equipment which is used for baiting of hooks or for general handling of the hooks, snellB and lines. The alternative is that such defects or sufficiently deformed fishing hooks can reduce the catch during fishing. With the present invention the aim is to avoid the afore-mentioned problem situations. Specifically the aim iε a solution where fracture of the hook can be ensured in a controlled manner in a particular, possibly optional region of the hook- According to the invention a further particular aim is the choice of the particular fracture region, so that firstly undeβired deformation of the hook can be avoided and secondly the sorting out of hooks broken in pieces can be made in a rational, automated manner. The sorting out o;f hooks broken in piβeβa can be carried out in a rational manner in line fishing according to the first principle s well aa according to the second principle. In the first principle, where the hooks are led, fastened via snells to the line, together with the line during its handling on board of the vessel, one can ensure that h oka broken in pieces with associated snells are guided in their own, first guiding path in a mechanical manner outside the guiding path which iβ employed for snells with reuseable hooks. In such a case the hooks which can be led in the first guiding path, which include defective, that is to say first and fαremoεt hooks broken in pieces, are pulled off separately from associated snells. In the second principle, where all hooks are pulled off from snells of the line immediately the catch is removed, the line with associated snells can be led in a first guiding path, while the hooka can be led in a pulled off, separate condition in a second guiding path. In the las -mentioned case defect or broken-in-pieces hooks in said second guiding path can be sorted out separately in a ready manner, while onl!γ reuβeable hooks are permitted to be advanced for baiting and subsequent mounting in snells of the line in the said first guiding path- The method according to the invention is character- iaed in that each fishing hook, during drawing in of a fishing line with associated catch fastened to the fishing hook and especially with occasionally occurring, particularly high tractive forces, is broken in pieces at a particular fracture location instead of being deformed, he fracture location being fixed at a weakened, local location of the fishing hook, where the local location defines a moment arm of the hook relative to a particular traction loading location of the hook. In the method according to the invention, by fixing the fracture location at a particular, local location of the hook, a controlled fracture of the hook can be ensured, eo that in connection with the actuation of traction there occurs a marked moment arm. With such a local fracture location the fracture can be controlled with a tractive force established beforehand instead of risking deformation of the hook by a corresponding tractive orce. This means that in addition the fracture can be controlled, ao thjat a subsequent mechanical sorting out of hooke broken in pieces relative to reuseable hooks can be facilitated. The fishing hook aαcording to the invention iβ characterised in that the fishing hook, which is made of material rigid to bending, is designed in a region in or at the transition between the leg of the fishing hook and the laterally deflected, loop-shaped hook portion of the fishing hook, with a weakened hook cross-section for controlling possible fracture of the fishing hook to said region of the fishing hook. It is preferred that the location of the fracture ie provided via a notch made into the loop portion of the hook on the oppoβite side of the barb of the hoαk relative to an intermediate force-loaded loop region of the fishing hook- Further features of the present invention will be evident from the following description having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 shows schematically a line fishing arrangement . Fig. 2 ahows a section of a fishing line with a number of snells each with ite associated fishing hook. Pig. 3 shows in perspective a uoual fishing hook in coupling connection with an associated sπell. Pig. 4 shows in perspective a fishing hook according to Fig. 3 in a deformed state. Pig. 5 shows a fiahing hook according to the invention. Pig. 6 shows a section of a loo -shaped portion of the fishing hook according to Fig. 5. Pig. 7 ahows a guide rail for separate hooka in connection with hook handling equipment. Fig . B and 9 show t o portions of the fishing hook broken off relative to each other. 5 The present invention ia deeigned for use according to a first line handling principle, in which the hooks are led together with the line during the line handling on board the vessel and where defective hooks are pulled of separately from snells of the line, as well as in a second 3.0 line handling principl ^ in which on each drawing aboard the vessel the hooks are pulled off from snells associated with the line and are thereafter handled separately in a guiding path of their own with separate sorting out of the defective hooks and the leading back of reusable hooks to 15 the line via an extra mounting operation. In Pig. 1 an arrangement is schematically illustrated for line fishing according to the said second line handling principle. By the reference numeral 10 there is shown a line 20 fishing vesael and by the reference numeral 11 the adjacent sea is referred to. The side of the vessel is shown at 10a, while the working deck of the vessel is shown at 10b. On the sea 11 there is indicated a field 11a for 25 fishing, while on deck 10b of the veβeel there is shown a region 12 for putting out the line and a region 13 for drawing in the line together with a line storage region 14- A line 15 rune, as ehown ±n Fig. 1 , in α ring-shaped 30 cycle. More specifically the line 15 runs in a fishing sequence 15a from vessel 10 to sea 11 and back to vessel 10, and further in a line handling sequence 15b on the deck 10b of the vessel from the region 13 for drawing in the line via the line storage region 14 back to the 35 putting-out region 12 , In the line storage regio 14 equipment is arranged for intermediate storage of the line, partly in order to be able to regulate the length of che line laid ouc in the sea and partly in order Co be able to adapt generally the handling of rhe line between different equipment aboard the vessel. In the fishing sequence 15a the line 15 ia drawn S outwardly into the sea during movement of the fiehing vessel, the line being drawn by movement of the vessel in the sea from che region 12 out to a suitable catch depth in the fishing field 11a, and thereafter is drawn by means of hauling winches not shown further back from che fishing 0 field lla to the drawing-in region 13, for delivery of the catch on deck 10b of the vessel . In the line handling sequence 15b hooks 16 (see Pig. 2 ) are pulled off from associated snells 17 which are fastened tα the line IS, the line 15 with associated 5 snells 17 is led thereafter in a separate path from the region 13 via the region 14 back to the putting-out region 12 by means of additional hauling winches noc shown urthe . The hooke 16 are pulled off in a hook pulling-off 0 arrangement 18, via a releasing apparatus (not shown further herein) corresponding to that shown in NO 172 022. The hooks are delivered continuously into a hook collecting arrangement 19. From the collecting arrangement 19 the hooks are supplied further to a sorting arrangement 20 for 5 further automatic storing of hooks for automatic baiting and subsequent automatic coupling together of baited hooke on associated snells on the line 15. Defective hooks l£|a (see Fig, 4,7,8 and 9), which normally constitute 5 - 10% of hooks drawn in. are 0 discarded in a container 21. Sorted out, reusable hooks 16b (aee Fig. 1) . which correspondingly constitute 90 - 95% of hoσke drawn in, are led further to an arrangement made ready for hooks not shown further, which can be in th© form of a vibrator as 5 ahown in NO 171 6£i. Te? the arrangement 22 there are supplied from a stock. 23 new, that is to βay unused hooks 16c in a quantity equivalent to the discarded (5 - 10%) hooks 16a- The hooks lSb and 16c are led thereafter to a baiting arrangement 24, while bait ia supplied to the baiting arrangement 24 separately from a stock 25 of bait. Baited hooks 16b' ares thereafter mounted in a mounting apparatus 26 back in place an associated snells 17 on the line 15, in readiness fox a τ*ew £iah±_κq sequence as shown at 15a . In the line handling sequence lSb the line 15 is brought with associated snellβ 17, but noticeably without hooks , from the region 13 for drawing in line to the line storage region 14, aftejr which baited hooka 16b' are mounted one after the other in place on the line 15 at the outer end of associateα enells 17. In Pig. 2 a section of a fishing line 15 is 3hown with a number of snails 17 each with its baited fishing hook 16. The 3nell 17 is faetened to the line 15 via a first, combined swivel - and p i coupling member 27, while the hook 16 ia fastened to the anell 17 via an equivalent second, combined swlveJL - and rapid coupling member 28. The fishing line 15 is adapted to be able to retain units of snells 17/hoojkβ 16 and readily replace defective units of snells/hooks, according to need. In this connection there are airranged with intermediate spaces along the line 15 local stoppers 29 for holding an anchoring member or so-called clip 30 in a particular position on the line 15, which is freely rotatable on the line between the stoppers 29, for example as is shown in NO 177 921, or directly on a stopper on the line, as ie ahown in Norwegian Patent Application No. 954302. The anchoring member 30 ia integrated in che first coupling member 27 vija a universal link (not shown further) . Each enell 17 can consequently be secured in place during use in the correct position along the line 15, that ia .o βay in the position which is fixed between associated stoppers 29. Ac the outer end he snell 17 ia adapted to hold the associated hook, via πhe coupling member 28, as is shown in Fig. 3 - 5. The coupling member 28 ia, as ia ahown respectively in Figure 3 and Fig. 4, designed as a conventional fishing swivel, in order to be able to be rotated freely suspended about the longitudinal axis of leg portion lGd of the hook in extension of the snell 17, as i shown by the arrow A. The coupling member 2S is besides connected bendimgly rigid to the leg portion 16d of the hook. As iβ evident from Fig. 7 leg portion 116' of the hooka 116 are provided with a locking head portion 116' ' Which in an easily controllable manner can be fixed in or readily released from tne coupling member 2β. In need the coupling member 27 can ensure rapid replacement of snells 17 with associated hooks, by way of simple means and simple operations. The fishing hook i|β correspondingly adapted to be able to be replaced in need via the coupling member 28 by way of simple means and simple operations, in need. In Fig. 3 and 4 a fishing hook is shown of known construction, that is Co say of the "circular hook" type, together with a section of the snell 17 with associated coupling member 27. During fishing there ia often exerted a significant traction in the hook 16, s is shown schematically by the arrows B and C, the counterforce usually being exerted on release of the c ch via a releasing apparatus corresponding to that 3hown in NO 172 022, There is exerted ϊπore βpecifically a holding force B against the hook 16, while an equivalent traction C iβ exerted in the snell 1 from the line 15. In Fig. 3 a non-deformed fiβhing hook 16 is shown of conventional construction, while in Fig. 4 a deformed fishing hook is shown, where at the normal uniformly curved contour of the hook there is shown a usually occurring deformation 16d' , caused by an actuating force, as indicated by an arrow J2 brought about by a tractive force D in the aπell 17. A desired or necessary replacement of deformed hooks has hitherto been difficult to realise with utomatically operating equipment and has e to been brought about largely by the effort of manual labour in an otherwise automatic hook handling process . With the present invention the aim is to remedy to last -men ioned problem by way of simple means, which can bring about a significant saving of labour. According to the invention special effects are achieved by simple means, which shall be described later. From this it will be evident that the simple solution gives surprising practical advantagea . In Fig. 5 a hook 116 ie shown according to the invention provided with a weakened hook portion 116a. Instead of causing an uπdesired deformation, the weakened hook portion H6a ie adapted to bring about a controlled fracture location at the weakened hook portion 116a. The weakened hook portion can by way of example consist of a locally constricted hook portion (not shown further) . in a practically preferred embodiment, as shown in Figure G, an inward V-shaped notch 116b from the concave side of the hook inwardly to approximately the centre line of the hook, as shown at 116c. in Fig. 5 there is shown by an arrow B a counterforce which acts against the hook 116 with a moment arm, while the snell 17 ie equivaliently exposed to a tractive force C which is exerted from t|he line 15 via the snell 17. In Fig. 5 the inward notch 116a ia shown with a placement at the one side of a £orce line through the arrow B, while the barb I16d of the hook lie ia arranged on the other side of said force line. By this a controlled fracture is ensured, as ia indicated by the hook parts 116' and 116' ' as ahown in Fig. β and 9. In che illustrated .solution according to the invention the objective was that the inner part 116'' of che hook is cleared automatically from snell 17 of the line 15 via the hook pulling arrangement 18 together with reueeablle hooke. By the fact that che inner part 116' * has severed the loop-shaped, barb- carrying outer part 116' aaid inner pare can be easily sorted out from the rβusjeable hooks, by way of example in sorting equipment as shown in NO 171 661. By causing according to the invention a fracture in a local portion of che fishing hook 116, preferably in a region as shown in Pig. 5, this results in the loop-formed hook part 116' remaining behind in the fiβh, while the other leg- forming hook part 116'' remains behind on the snell 17. An advantage with such a solution is chat it is easier to detect a hook broken in pieces than an otherwise conventionally deformed hook. In addition it will be easier as mentioned to sort out in a subsequent line handling operation a hook broken in pieces than a deformed hook.

Claims: Pa en Claims 1. Method of line flishing, including handling of fishing hooka (16,116) nelative to fishing line (15), especially on board fishing vessel (10) , where the hook handling comprises baiting of hooks (16. 116) . putting out lines with baited hooka, fishing with lines with baited hooks, drawing in lines with baited hooks together with associated catch, pulling off catch from associated hooks together with pulling off defective hooks from associated snells (17) of the line, characterised in that each fishing hook ιl6,ll6), during drawing in of fishing line (15) with associated catch fastened to the fishing hook (16,116) and particularly with specially occurring, especially high tractive forces, ia broken in pieces at a definite fracture location instead of being deformed, the fracture location being fixed at a weakened, local position in the fishing hook, 0 where the local position defines a moment arm in the hook (16,116) relative co a definite traction loading position in the hook. 2. Method in accordance with claim 1, charac tarised 5 in that the fracture location is provided via a inward notch (116a) made in the loop portion of the hook on che opposite side of the barb-carrying portion (116d) relative to an intermediate force loaded location in the fishing D hook. 3. Fishing hook (ll6) for use in connection with line fishing, designed for mechanical handling on board a fishing vessel (10) , where the fishing hook (116) is 5 provided with a weakened zone (at 116a) which is adapted to ca se fracture with tractive loadings occurring in the fishing hook, characterised in that the fiahing hook (1116) , which ie made of material rigid to bending, is designed in a region in or at the transition between the l|eg of the fiahing hook (116) and the laterally deflected, loop-shaped hook portion of the fishing hook, with a wealkened hook croøa-section for directing possible fraet|ura of the fiahing hook to said region of the fishing hook: (116) . 4. Fishing hook in accordance with claim 3, characterised in that the weakened hook eroβε-section ie formed by a acute angled inward notch (116]b) - S. Fiahing hook in accordance with claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the inward notch U16b) is made in the concavely curved croβs-sec ional portion of the fishing hook in the loop-shaped hook portion, and that the inward notch (116b) is preferably done approximately at the crβaa-eectional centre (ll£c) of the fishing hαok.

Inventors: BJOERSHOL KOLBJOERN, BJOERSHOL, KOLBJOERN
Applicants: BJORSHOL KOLBJORN, BJOERSHOL, KOLBJOERN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A01K91
IPC codes: A01K83, A01K91