Abstract:
A fishing lure having a flexible, resilient intermediate body portion which, upon imparting a sudden jerk to the line, will cause the intermediate portion to collapse in a manner which simulates the movement of a squid through the water. The collapsing intermediate portion of the lure also generates an audible sound which is much like the sound made by a squid.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This application is a division of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 688,043 filed May 19, 1976 now abandoned. 
    
    
     This invention relates to improvements in fishing lures and in particular, to fishing lures having improved means for attracting fish by various combinations of sight, sound and dynamic action to simulate live bait action. 
     The lure includes a relatively massive head and a trailing intermediate portion attached to the head. The head and intermediate portion are slidably mounted on a longitudinally extending wire. The intermediate portion is resilient and flexible and can be collapsed along its length to enable the trailing, hook end of the lure to be drawn toward the head. The trailing end of the wire is connected to the rear end of the intermediate portion and hook. The line is attached to an eye at the forwardly extending end of the wire which protrudes through the lure head. When the line is jerked, the mass of the head tends to resist forward motion which causes the trailing end of the lure to be drawn forwardly toward the head causing the intermediate portion to collapse. The intermediate collapsible portions of the lure preferably are from rubber tubing which, when collapsed, will kink and make an audible sound not unlike that of a squid. The action of this lure simulates the movement of that of a squid in that the tail end of the lure is first drawn toward the head and then the head advances forwardly. 
     In a further aspect of the invention, the weighted head is mounted on the wire with its center of gravity displaced from the axis of the wire to cause the head to assume an upright and stable attitude. In this embodiment, the head includes a pair of transversely extending vanes which are disposed at a selected angle to cause the lure to dive, skim or advance forwardly as the lure is drawn through the water. 
     It is among the primary objects of the invention to provide fishing lures which will attract fish by various combinations of sight, sound and dynamic action. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing lure which displays optical effects to attract fish more effectively. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a fishing lure having dynamic actions which simulate live bait. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing lure which generates an audible sound similar to sounds generated by live bait. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing lure which, when jerked, will simulate the action of a squid. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood more fully from the following further description thereof wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the lure illustrating its collapsible midportion and the manner is which it simulates the action of a squid advancing through the water; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional and partly broken away illustration of the lure shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the weighted lure head; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the lure head shown in FIG. 3 illustrating transversely extending vanes at an attitude which will guide the lure in a straight direction; 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the type of lure head shown in FIG. 3 but with the vanes disposed at an angle which will cause the lure to drive when it is pulled through the water; and 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevation similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrating the transversely extending vanes in an attitude to cause the lure to tend to skim along the water. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show the lure which operates dynamically in response to a sharp jerk on the fishing line to effect an action comparable to that of a squid. This lure includes a weighted, relatively massive head 58 having a reduced neck portion 60. A wire 62 passes through a bore 64 in the head and an eye 66 is formed at the forwardly protruding end of the wire 62 for attachment to the fishing line. The wire 62 extends rearwardly from the head and terminates in a wire latch arrangement 68 to which may be attached the fishing hook 70. The head 58, which is slideable along and with respect to the wire 62 has one or more resilient deformable elements 72 attached to the neck portion 60 which extends rearwardly from the neck and defines an intermediate lure portion. In the embodiment shown, which has four elements 72, the deformable elements 72 comprise flexible and resilient rubber or plastic tubes. They are secured to the neck 60 of the head 58 by tightly wound threads 74 which may be covered by a rubber or plastic, elastic sleeve 76. The rearward ends of the tubes 72 are brought together and are attached to a rubber or plastic sleeve 78 which has a metal bushing 80 therein. The trailing end of the wire 62 passes through the opening in the bushing 80 and the bushing is constructed to present an obstruction 82 to the wire latch 68 to preclude the latch 68 from being drawn forwardly through the bushing 80. If desired, the bushing 80 may be secured to the wire 62. The trailing ends of the tubes 72 may be bound securely to the sleeve 78 by wire threads 84 which, in turn, may be wrapped about with an elastic band 86. 
     In operation, the lure simulates the movement of a squid and also generates audible sounds not unlike those made by a squid. The inherent resilience of the tubes 72 causes the lure to assume the configuration shown in solid in FIG. 1 in which the head 58 and hook end of the lure are separated. The lure is operated by jerking on the fishing line. Because of the relatively large mass and inertia inherent in the heavy head 58, a sharp jerk on the line will draw the wire 62 forwardly which will cause the resilient deformable tubes 72 to collapse or contract longitudinally as their trailing ends are drawn sharply toward the head end of the lure. When drawn fully forward, the tubes will assume a configuration as suggested in phantom in FIG. 1. As the tubes 72 collapse in the manner described, they also expand laterally and in doing so, simulate the laterally expansive and longitudinally contractive motions of a squid in movement. Moreover, as the tubes 72 deform toward the position shown in phantom in FIG. 1, this imparts a bias to the head 58 tending to urge the head 58 forwardly. 
     Because of the relatively large mass of the head 58, it accelerates forwardly at a far slower rate than the trailing portions of the tubes 72. The action thus is one in which the tubes 72 first contract to their laterally expanded configuration followed by subsequent forward movement of the head along the wire 62 under influence of the resilience of the longitudinally contracted intermediate portion. In addition to simulating the motion of a squid, the lure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 also generates an audible sound which is somewhat similar to the sound made by a squid. As the tubes 72 collapse, the tube walls in the region of the bight portions 88 reach a degree of bending in which the walls become kinked as shown in FIG. 1. The transition from the tubular cross section to the kinked cross section is a snapping type of action which generates an audible sound both when the tubes move to the contracted configuration shown in FIG. 1 as well as when they return to their original configuration shown in solid in FIG. 1 as the head 58 advances forwardly along the wire 62. The sound is generated by each of the tubes as their bight portions snap from the circular to the kinked position and then from the kinked position back to the circular cross sectional configuration. The loudness of the sounds is a function of the relative cross-sectional dimensions of the tubes as well as the number of tubes used, and I have found four tubes to be preferable both as to audible quality as well as in appearance. If desired, the tubes 72 may extend rearwardly beyond the binding sleeve 78 and may be cut away to define bifurcations which further simulate the appearance of a squid. It should also be noted that the elongate and resilient characteristics of the tubes 72 also result in the tubes vibrating for a short time after the lure is returned to its relaxed configuration shown in FIG. 1 in solid. As the weighted head 58 advances forwardly along the wire 62, it stops, rather abruptly at its most forward position as the tubes 72 are still advancing inwardly. This sets up a series of transversely oscillations of the tubes 72 with vibrations which pass through the water and may be sensed by the fish. 
     FIGS. 3-6 illustrate further modifications which may be made to the weighted head to control the action of the lure particularly with respect to the depth at which the lure advances through the water and the action of the lure when the fishing line is pulled sharply. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a weighted head 90 to which the trailing portions, indicated generally by the reference character 92 are attached. The head 90 has a hole 94 through which passes the longitudinally extending wire 96 by which the lure is attached to the fishing line. The lure head 90 is made from a relatively heavy material and is formed, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wire 96 and wire-receptive hole 94 so that the center of gravity of the head 90 will be displaced from the axis of the wire 94 to maintain the lure head 90 in the approximate &#34;upright&#34; attitude shown. Because of the displaced center of gravity of the head 90, the lure will advance through the water in a relatively stable attitude and will not rotate significantly or spin about the axis of the wire. The lure head 90 also includes a pair of transversely extending fins 98 protruding from each of its sides. The fins 98 preferably are attached to the lure head 90 at a location below the longitudinal axis of the wire 96 and hole 94 to contribute to the displaced center of gravity of the head 90 and to aid in stabilizing the head 90. 
     Depending on the type of action desired with the particular lure, the fins 98 may be oriented at varying angles of incidence with respect to the lure head and the axis of the wire 96 and hole 94. For example, when it is desired that the lure advance through the water along a generally straight line and at a relatively constant depth, the fins 98 may be oriented on the head at a neutral angle of incidence as suggested in FIG. 4 which will not display any significant tendency for the lure to dive or skim as the lure is advanced through the water. As shown in FIG. 4, the chord of the fins 98 extends approximately parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the lure head 90. 
     FIG. 5 shows the lure head in which the fins 98&#39; are oriented at a negative angle of incidence which will cause the lure to tend to dive as it advances through the water. The depth to which the lure will dive will depend on the length of fishing line which has been let out. In addition, if the line is jerked sharply, that will tend to cause the lure shown in FIG. 5 to dive at a somewhat sharper rate. 
     FIG. 6 shows a lure head in which the fins 98&#34; are oriented at a positive angle of incidence which will tend to cause the lure to skim along the surface of the water when the lure is drawn through the water. If desired, the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 may be drawn through the water at a relatively low speed or, simply permitted to sink without being drawn through the water and then a sharp tug may be applied to the fishing line which will cause the lure to advance upwardly through the water at a rate and angle dependent on the sharpness at which the fishing line is pulled 
     The modified lure heads shown in FIGS. 3-6 provide a degree of control to the fisherman and the resulting combination of various simulated action provide a high degree of enticement to the fish. Also, it may be noted that the advancing force applied to the head is applied from the rear of the head, through the trailing portions of the lure. This tends to amplify the sharpness of the diving or surfacing action of the lures using heads as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. 
     It should be understood that the foregoing descriptions of the lures are intended merely to be illustrative thereof and that other embodiments and modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.