Abstract:
A scent releasing fishing apparatus such as a downrigger weight. The apparatus includes a body having a cavity formed therein providing a reservoir to hold an amount of scented attractant in liquid form. A nozzle may be removably coupled with the body and in communication with the cavity for releasing the liquid material contained therein. A wicking member may be partially disposed in the cavity and extend through the nozzle orifice such that it is partially externally located relative to the body of the apparatus. The wicking member is formed of an absorbent material and assists in delivering the liquid material through the nozzle through a wicking or capillary action. The apparatus may be formed of a dense material such as lead for easy submersion in a body of water.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/362,966, filed Mar. 11, 2002 entitled Trailblazer Downrigger Weight. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to an apparatus used in conjunction with fishing and, more specifically, to an apparatus capable of releasing a scent during fishing as well as its method of use.  
           [0004]    2. State of the Art  
           [0005]    Numerous devices and techniques have been developed in an attempt to improve the fishing experience for the recreational and sporting fisherman. Many of such improvements are related to the ability to attract the fish to the fisherman&#39;s line including, for example, improvements to lures, bait and other attractants as well as improvements regarding the introduction or presentation thereof.  
           [0006]    One type of attractant which has been used in fishing with some success includes scent-releasing devices. Such devices are configured to provide a scent within the water to attract the fish to the fisherman&#39;s line and, desirably, increase the attraction of the bait or lure being used by the fisherman. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,015 issued Jan. 21, 1997 to Jensen, discloses a fishing lure having a cavity formed therein to store or house an amount of scented bait. The cavity is open to the water such that, when submerged and towed through the water, the surrounding water gradually washes the bait out of the cavity.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,296 issued May 28, 1991 to Putz, II, discloses another scent releasing device which may be utilized during trolling. The device includes a plate-like hydrofoil member which is configured for attachment to the towing or downrigger line of a boat. The hydrofoil includes a plurality of “pods” or generally cylindrical members along the lower end thereof. One or more of the pods may include a cavity formed therein for holding a scented material. A small orifice is formed in the exterior wall of the pods for release of the scented material from the cavity while the device is being towed through the water.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,897 issued May 9, 1995 to Smith, shows another scent releasing device which may be used in association with trolling. The device includes a casing having a plurality of cavities or compartments formed therein. One of the cavities is configured to hold fish bait or some other scented attractant material therein. Another of the cavities is configured to hold a weighted member therein. Inlet and outlet ports are in communication with the cavity containing the fish attractant such that, when towed through the water, water enters into the inlet port and washes out some of the fish attractant through the outlet port.  
           [0009]    While such devices have generally allowed the sportsman or recreational fisherman to utilize scented attractants in association with other more conventional physical attractants, such devices do not allow the user to choose or control the rate at which the scented attractant may be released or discharged. Additionally, the discharge of scented attractants from such conventional devices relies heavily on the rate at which such devices are towed through the water. Such devices are further limited in what type of attractants may be used therewith, as some attractants which may exhibit a lower viscosity may not be appropriately dispensed from the devices having an orifice which is fixed in size and geometry.  
           [0010]    In view of the shortcomings in the art, it would be advantageous to provide a fishing apparatus which allowed for the release of a scented attractant which allowed for more efficient discharge of such attractant. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a fishing apparatus which allowed for variability in the rate of discharge of such scented attractant. It would be additionally desirable to provide a simple means of controlling the variable rate of discharge such that a user may be able to quickly and easily change the rate of discharge without undue interruption of the fishing experience.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention a fishing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a body defining a cavity therein. A first opening is formed in an exterior surface of the body and is in communication with the cavity. The cavity provides a reservoir for a liquid material such as, for example, a fish attractant. A nozzle is removably coupled with the first opening and is configured to convey a liquid material therethrough. A second opening may also be formed in the exterior surface of the body and in communication with the cavity. A stopping member, such as a cap or a plug, may be provided and removably and sealingly coupled with the second opening. The second opening may serve as an opening for filling the cavity with the liquid material. One or more fastening members may be coupled with the body to facilitate operative coupling with, for example, a towing line and/or a fishing line.  
           [0012]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention another fishing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a body defining a cavity therein for holding an amount of liquid material. A first opening is formed in an exterior surface of the body and is in communication with the cavity. A wicking member is partially disposed within the cavity and extends through the first opening such that it is partially externally located relative to the body. The wicking member is desirably formed of an absorbent material such as, for example, cotton, an serves to facilitate dispensing of the liquid material from the cavity through a wicking or capillary action.  
           [0013]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a downrigger weight is provided. The downrigger weight includes a body defining a cavity therein providing a reservoir for holding an amount of liquid material. A first opening is formed in an exterior surface of the body and is in communication with the cavity. A nozzle is removably coupled with the first opening and configured to convey a liquid material therethrough. A wicking member is partially disposed in the cavity and extends through the nozzle such that it is partially disposed externally to the body of the downrigger weight. A second opening is formed in the exterior surface of the body and is in communication with the cavity. A stopping member is removably and sealingly coupled with the second opening. A plurality of fastening members are coupled with the body and are configured to facilitate attachment of the downrigger weight to a towing or downrigger line as well as to a fishing line.  
           [0014]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a kit for a fishing apparatus including interchangeable nozzles for releasing a liquid material at a predetermined rate from the fishing apparatus. The kit includes a plurality of nozzles configured to be coupling with a cavity defining a reservoir in the body of the fishing apparatus. The plurality of nozzles each include at least two nozzles exhibiting different size orifices formed therein. Thus, the rate of discharge of the liquid material may be established through the selection of a nozzle having a specific orifice size.  
           [0015]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of using a scent releasing fishing apparatus is provided. The method includes providing a quantity of liquid material including scented attractant in a reservoir of the apparatus. The apparatus is then disposed within a body of water and the liquid material is dispensed through an orifice of a nozzle at a first rate of discharge. The nozzle of the apparatus is then reconfigured and the apparatus is again disposed in the body of water with the liquid material being dispensed at a second, different rate of discharge.  
           [0016]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, another method of using a scent releasing fishing apparatus is provided. The method includes providing a quantity of liquid material including scented attractant in a reservoir of the apparatus. The apparatus is then disposed within a body of water and the liquid material is dispensed through an orifice of a nozzle via a capillary or wicking action. For example, a wicking member such as a cotton wick may be partially disposed within the reservoir of liquid material and extend through the orifice of the nozzle to effect such a capillary or wicking action. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows a fishing rig according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIGS. 2A through 2C show elevational, plan and partial sectional views, respectively, of a downrigger apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 3A and 3B show elevational and partial sectional views, respectively, of a downrigger apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    Referring to FIG. 1, a system or rig  10  is shown including a vessel  12  such as, for example, a boat suitable for trolling. A structural member  14 , which may be configured as, for example, a strut, is attached to the rear of the vessel  12  and is used to suspend a towing or downrigger line  16  from the vessel. At the distal end of the downrigger line  16  is an apparatus  18  used for depth control, also referred to herein as a downrigger weight. The fishing line  20  extending from a trolling-type apparatus or from a conventional fishing rod  22 , is coupled to the downrigger weight  18  via a releasing mechanism  24  as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. A physical attractant  26 , such as, for example, a lure or bait with an appropriately configured fishing hook, is attached to the end of the fishing line  20  as will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0022]    The downrigger weight  18  is used to set the attractant  26  at a specified depth as determined by the fisherman. For example, if it is determined, such as with the use of a locating device conventionally known in the art, that fish are located at approximately 15 feet below the water&#39;s surface  28 , then the fisherman may set the downrigger line  16  such that the downrigger weight  18  is approximately fifteen (15) feet below the water&#39;s surface  28 . The depth of the downrigger weight  18  then maintains the depth of the attractant  26  at the desired level. Upon the capture of a fish, the fish will pull on the fishing line  20 , actuating the releasing mechanism  24 , and thereby releasing the fishing line  20  from the downrigger weight  18  and allowing the fisherman to reel in the fish in a conventional manner.  
         [0023]    Referring now to FIGS. 2A through 2C, a downrigger weight  18  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown and described. The downrigger weight  18  includes a body  30  including a portion which may be substantially spherically shaped and a rudder member or fin  31 . As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the fin  31  helps to prevent the downrigger weight  18  from spinning during towing or trolling activities which spinning would result in the tangling of the towing line  16  and the fishing line  20  (FIG. 1).  
         [0024]    The body  30  is desirably configured and formed of a material having a substantially higher relative specific weight than water (or sea water) such that the downrigger weight  18  does not float, but rather becomes submerged in the body of water in which it is placed. For example, the body  30  may be formed of material such as lead. The downrigger weight  18  may be configured to exhibit various weights and/or sizes. For example, depending on various factors, including the depth at which a fisherman desires to place the downrigger weight  18 , it is contemplated that an exemplary downrigger weight  18  may weigh approximately eight (8) to ten (10) pounds.  
         [0025]    Additionally, it may be desirable for purposes of physical appearance and/or for purposes of material protection (e.g., corrosion prevention) to coat the material of downrigger weight  18  with another appropriate material. For example, the body may be painted or coated with a material such that the downrigger weight  18  does not unduly distract the fish from the physical attractant  26  at the end of the fishing line  20  (FIG. 1). Also, depending on the material used to form the body  30 , such a coating may serve as a corrosion inhibitor to improve the useful life of the downrigger weight  18 .  
         [0026]    A is cavity  32  formed within the body  30  and may be fashioned by various means including placing a core in the body  30  during a casting process or by machining of the cavity  32  after the body  30  has been formed as a solid member. However, as shown in FIG. 2C, a preformed cavity may be molded in situ by placing an appropriate conduit or conduit assembly into the mold. For example the cavity  32  may include a first length of steel pipe  36 , a second length of steel pipe  38  and a pipe fitting  40 , such as an elbow fitting, coupling the first and second lengths of pipe  36  and  38  together. The first and second lengths of pipe  36  and  38  need not be the same diameter pipe. For example, the first pipe  36  may be formed of ¾ inch diameter pipe while the second pipe  38  may be formed of ¼ inch diameter pipe. In such a case, the pipe fitting  40  may be a reducing type fitting for proper coupling of the two pipes  36  and  38 . It is noted that the use of standard pipe and pipe fittings allows for the efficient manufacture of the downrigger weight  18  since the cavity  32  may be constructed using national pipe thread (NPT) components and fittings which are readily available, relatively inexpensive and easily assembled.  
         [0027]    A removable stopping member  42 , such as a cap or a plug, is located at an upper end of the cavity  32  and is sealingly coupled therewith such as by threaded coupling with the first length of pipe  36 . A discharge nozzle  44  having an orifice therethrough is located at a lower end of the cavity  32  and may be removably coupled therewith, such as by threaded coupling with the second length of pipe  38 . A wicking member  46  formed of an absorbent material such as, for example, cotton, is partially disposed within the cavity  32  and coupled to a retaining device  48  therein. The wicking member  46  extends through the orifice of the discharge nozzle  44  such that a portion of the wicking member  44  is externally located with respect to the cavity  32  of the downrigger weight  18 .  
         [0028]    The discharge nozzle  44  may be removable and interchangeable such that different sized orifices may be used with the downrigger weight for different discharge rates of a liquid material placed in the cavity  32  as discussed in greater detail below. While different types of nozzles may be used for discharging a liquid material from the cavity  32 , one exemplary nozzle  44  includes a carburetor jet such as a 70H jet size with a ¼ inch fine thread coupling. Such a jet is commercially available from Gary Williams&#39; Carburetor located in Pearl, Miss.  
         [0029]    It is noted that alternative nozzles or nozzle assemblies are contemplated as being utilized with the present invention. For example, a nozzle assembly may be used wherein a nozzle housing is fixedly coupled with the cavity  32  of the body  30  and configured for receipt of one of a plurality of interchangeable nozzle bodies. The nozzle body, upon disposal in the housing, may be oriented at a desired angle of discharge and then held within the nozzle housing by a retaining member. The nozzle body may thus be easily removed and replaced with one having a different sized orifice as is desired.  
         [0030]    Alternatively, while more complex and costly, a nozzle having the capacity of varying the flow rate of liquid through an orifice thereof may be utilized. Such an adjustable nozzle offers the convenience of not requiring additional parts (e.g., nozzles or nozzle bodies) in order to vary the flow of liquid material from the downrigger weight  18 .  
         [0031]    A pair of fastening members  50  and  52 , shown as eye hooks, are coupled with the body  30 . One fastening member  50  may be positioned and configured to be coupled with the downrigger line  16  and the other fastening member  52  may be positioned and configured to be coupled with the fishing line  20  via a releasing mechanism  24  (see FIG. 1). The fastening members may be individual members or, as shown, may be formed of a single member extending through a portion of the body  30 . For example, the fastening members  50  and  52  may be formed as loops at opposing ends of a length of 11 gauge wire.  
         [0032]    In use, a liquid material comprising a scented attractant may be placed in the cavity  32  by removing the stopping member  42  and dispensing the liquid material therein. The cap  42  is then replaced to keep the liquid material from being discharged through the upper opening of the cavity  32 . The wicking member  46  absorbs a quantity of the liquid material and, through a wicking or capillary action, assists in efficiently discharging the liquid material through the discharge nozzle  44 .  
         [0033]    It is noted that the scent releasing mechanism of the present invention does not utilize a forward and rearward set of orifices or openings as are required for the washing away of scented attractant in other conventional scent releasing mechanisms.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a downrigger apparatus  18 ′ is shown according to another embodiment of the present invention. The downrigger apparatus  18 ′ includes a body  30 ′ which is configured to physically resemble a fish or other marine life. A cavity  32 ′ is formed within the body  30 ′ such as with a plurality of pipes  36 ′ and  38 ′ and appropriate fittings  40 ′.  
         [0035]    As with the above-described embodiment, the stopping member  42  is removably coupled with the cavity  32 ′ to facilitate disposal of a liquid material into the cavity  32 ′. The discharge nozzle  44  is coupled to the cavity  32 ′ for controlled dispensing of the liquid material therefrom. The wicking member  46  is coupled to a retaining device  48  within the cavity  32 ′ and extends through the discharge nozzle  44  with a length thereof being external to the cavity  32 ′ of the downrigger weight  18 ′. Fastening members  50  and  52  are coupled with the body  30 ′ and may be configured for attachment to a downrigger line  16  and fishing line  20  respectively (see FIG. 1).  
         [0036]    It is noted that the cavity  32 ′ is oriented differently than that of the embodiment shown and described with respect to FIG. 2B. In particular, a substantial portion of the cavity  32 ′ is configured and oriented as a substantially horizontal conduit (i.e., pipe  36 ′) and is actually slightly elevated at the end which is coupled with the fitting  40 ′. The fitting  40 ′ is shown to traverse through an angle of substantially  90 °, which is different than that of the above-described embodiment (FIG. 2B). The cavity  32 ′ is generally designed to conform to the shape of the body  30 ′. However, the cavity  32 ′ as shown in FIG. 3B also provides a reduces static head at the discharge nozzle  44  over the cavity  32  shown in FIG. 2B. The cavity  32 ,  32 ′ may thus be designed in a configuration and, in conjunction with body  30 ′, an orientation to provide a desired amount of static head for more effective dispensing of the liquid material through the discharge port  44 . Depending on factors such as the type of liquid material expected to be dispensed from the cavity  32 ,  32 ′, and taking into consideration characteristics of the liquid material such as specific weight and viscosity, it may be desirable to develop a specified amount of static head at the discharge nozzle  44  to assist in the discharge of such liquid material.  
         [0037]    As with the above-described embodiment, the downrigger weight  18 ′ may be formed of various materials and exhibit different sizes, weights, shapes and configurations.  
         [0038]    While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.