Abstract:
A fish attractant slug which can be easily placed on a fishing line in close proximity to a bait. The slug includes a center bore and an outside surface. The outside surface opens into a spiral groove which connects with the center bore. In order to install the device, the user wraps the fishing line around the spiral groove, then pulls it taut. The tension placed on the fishing line pulls the line inward until it rests within the center bore. In use, the attractant slug slowly dissolves to release the fish attractant it contains. The installation method means that a replacement attractant slug can be placed on the fishing line without untying the bait.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not Applicable.  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable.  
         MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    This invention relates to the field of fishing equipment. More specifically, the invention comprises a molded fish attractant which can be easily attached to a fishing line.  
           [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0007]    Artificial baits have been in common use for many years. One such device is illustrated in FIG. 1. Artificial lure  10  is shaped to mimic the action of a bait fish as it is pulled through the water. Fishing line  14  is typically connected on one end to a fishing rod. The other end is tied to the leading portion of swivel  16 . The trailing portion of swivel  16  is tied to a second much shorter piece of fishing line, denoted leader  18 .  
           [0008]    Leader  18  is typically quite short, extending as little as  12  to  24  inches. It is often made from heavier gage line than fishing line  14 , so that it can withstand a bite or other rough treatment in close proximity to the fish sought. In some case, leader  18  may even be made of steel wire. Leader  18  is attached to artificial lure  10  at attachment ring  18 . A number of hooks  12  extend outward from artificial lure  10 .  
           [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 illustrates a second type of prior art artificial bait—worm  20 . Worm  20  is typically molded from a pliable plastic or rubber. An offset hook  22  is inserted through worm  20 , leaving hook ring  24  protruding out the forward portion. Leader  18  is then tied or otherwise attached to hook ring  24 .  
           [0010]    Th use of scent-type attractants is also known in the prior art. These formulations, such as fish oil, have been inserted into a reservoir within worm  20 , where they leak out through a small orifice. Fish oil reservoirs have also been provided within artificial lures such as the one depicted in FIG. 1.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    A fish attractant slug which can be easily placed on a fishing line in close proximity to a bait. The slug includes a center bore and an outside surface. The outside surface opens into a spiral groove which connects with the center bore. In order to install the device, the user wraps the fishing line around the spiral groove, then pulls it taut. The tension placed on the fishing line pulls the line inward until it rests within the center bore.  
           [0012]    In use, the attractant slug slowly dissolves to release the fish attractant it contains. The installation method means that a replacement attractant slug can be placed on the fishing line without untying the bait. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an isometric view, showing a prior art artificial lure.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is an isometric view, showing a prior art worm.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an isometric view, showing the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an isometric view, showing the installation of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is an isometric view, showing the installation of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is an isometric view, showing the installation of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is an isometric view, showing the installation of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is an isometric view, showing the present invention installed on an artificial lure.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is an isometric view, showing the present invention installed on a worm. 
     
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]    [0022] 10  artificial lure  12  hook  
         [0023]    [0023] 14  fishing line  16  swivel  
         [0024]    [0024] 18  leader  20  worm  
         [0025]    [0025] 22  offset hook  24  hook ring  
         [0026]    [0026] 26  attractant slug  28  body  
         [0027]    [0027] 30  center bore  32  spiral groove  
         [0028]    [0028] 34  entry slot  36  exit slot  
         [0029]    [0029] 38  attachment ring  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]    present invention is an attachable fish attractant which slowly disperses the attracting ingredients into the water during use. FIG. 3 depicts attractant slug  26 . It is formed as body  28 , have a central bore  30  running from its upper extreme to its lower extreme. The outer surface is formed in a smooth, hydrodynamic shape. Spiral groove  32  is cut into the outer surface. The inner portion of spiral groove  32  opens into central bore  30 . The upper extreme (in the view as shown) of spiral groove  32  terminates in entry slot  34 , with the lower extreme terminating in exit slot  36 .  
         [0031]    In use, attractant slug  26  will preferably be placed in close proximity to the bait. The ideal location is immediately ahead of the bait, attached to leader  28 . Attractant slug  26  is made of a material which slowly dissolves in water. Thus, after a short period of use, attractant slug  26  will dissolve and need to be replaced. It is obviously desirable to be able to replace attractant slug  26  without having to detach the bait from the leader. Spiral groove  32  is provided for this purpose, as will be explained in the following.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIGS. 4 through 7 show the sequence of placing attractant slug  26  on leader  28  (or any other type of fishing line). Throughout the following descriptions, those skilled in the art will realize that the use of leader  18  is optional. In many applications, fishing line  14  will be directly attached to the lure without the use of a leader. Thus, for purposes of attaching the invention, a leader or a fishing line are interchangeable.  
         [0033]    In FIG. 4, leader  28  has been passed through entry slot  34  and into the leading portion of spiral groove  32 . The user then wraps leader  28  around spiral groove  32 , as shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 6, leader  28  has been wrapped completely around spiral groove  32 , so that a portion of leader  28  lies entirely within spiral groove  32 . At this point, the user pulls on the free ends of leader  28  to place tension on the portion lying within spiral groove  32 . This action results in leader  28  being drawn down into center bore  30 , as shown in FIG. 7. Once leader  28  has been drawn into center bore  30 , it will not tend to reenter spiral groove  32 . Thus, attractant slug  26  is securely fastened to leader  28 .  
         [0034]    Once in the state shown in FIG. 7, attractant slug  26  is free to move back and forth on leader  28 . It may then be pushed along leader  28  until it comes up against the bait. As the bait is then dragged through the water, hydrodynamic forces will tend to keep attractant slug  26  positioned immediately ahead of the bait, where it will slowly dissolve and release the attractant materials over the bait.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 8 shows attractant slug  26  in position in front of artificial lure  10 . FIG. 9 shows attractant slug  26  in position in front of worm  20 . Of course, as those skilled in the art will know, attractant slug  26  could just as easily be placed in front of a natural bait, such as a shrimp or a cigar minnow. The reader will appreciate that what was denoted as the upper extreme of attractant slug  26  in FIG. 3 is more aptly referred to as the leading extreme in FIGS. 8 and 9 (with respect to the direction of towing the bait). Likewise, what was denoted as the lower extreme in FIG. 3 is more appropriately referred to as the trailing extreme in FIGS. 8 and 9.  
         [0036]    Returning now to FIG. 3, those skilled in the art will also realize that the diameter of center bore  30  can be increased substantially without affecting the operation of the device. Looking at FIG. 1, the enlargement of center bore  30  allows attractant slug  26  to pass over swivel  16 . This feature is important for the following reason: When a lure is towed in a trolling fashion, it may be 50 yards or more behind the boat. In order to replace a conventional attractant, the lure must be reeled in, serviced, and allowed to trail back out to its original position (a time consuming process). Using the present invention—with an appropriately sized center bore  30 —the user simply places attractant slug  26  on fishing line  14  near the point where it attaches to the fishing rod. Gravity (sometimes with help from the user) cause attractant slug  26  to slide down the line and into the water. Once attractant slug  26  is in the water, hydrodynamic forces slide it aft along the fishing line until it comes to rest against the front of the bait. Thus, the user can replace the attractant slug, or add additional attractant slugs, without interrupting the trolling.  
         [0037]    Returning now to FIG. 3, those skilled in the art will realize that the interaction of spiral groove  32  and center bore  30 , allows the convenient installation of attractant slug  26  on virtually any type of flexible line. Those skilled in the art will realize, however, that the helical form of spiral groove  32  illustrated is not the only shape that can perform this function. The key is to provide a slot connecting the outer surface of attractant slug  26  with center bore  30 , which is sufficiently curved (non-straight) to require the fishing line to be manipulated into a curved shape in order to enter center bore  30 . In use, the fishing line is maintained in tension. Thus, it is unlikely that it will lapse into a curved shape which would allow it to escape center bore  30 .  
         [0038]    A simple crescent shape can be substituted for spiral groove  32 . Additional shapes include a zig-zag, an S-curve, and a chevron. However, as best seen in FIG. 5, the use of the helical shape allows the user to naturally wrap the fishing line into spiral groove  32 . This is true because persons familiar with fishing equipment are accustomed to wrapping line around a spool. Thus, the helical shape constitutes the preferred embodiment.  
         [0039]    The material selected for attractant slug  26  is obviously important. The method of mounting attractant slug  26  on the fishing line allows the use of rigid and substantially rigid materials. However, the material must also slowly dissolve in water in a controllable fashion. One particularly suitable compound is a moldable gelatin in which the fish attractant is dissolved or suspended. Polyglycols can be used as well. Additional specific examples of effective materials include polyglycol 1450, polyglycol 3350, acacia gum, sorbitol, pectin, and starch.  
         [0040]    The desired scent is then blended with the gelatin while it is still in the liquid state. The liquid is then injected into a cavity mold and allowed to solidify. In this fashion, the shape depicted in FIG. 3 can be molded as one integral unit.  
         [0041]    The external profile of attractant slug  26  can affect how it behaves in the water, as well as the rate at which the material dissolves. The bullet shape shown tends to cause turbulent flow near the trailing extreme of the material, which can promote dispersion of the attractant. Ifa slower dispersion rate is desired, a spherical or teardrop shape can be employed. Those skilled in the art will realize that an endless variety of external shapes are possible.  
         [0042]    The actual type of fish attracting agent used is not critical to the present invention. Many different types of attracting agent are well known in the prior art. Examples include meal made of ground and dried squid, shrimp, sardines, bunker, or other bait fishes. Waste materials normally discarded by the canning industry (such as heads, guts, etc.) are also often used. Artificial chemicals can be employed as well. Additional suitable fish attractants include Menhaden, Shrimp, Pogie, Cigar minnow, Squid, Crayfish, Bluegill, Shad, Spanish Sardine, Boston Mackerel, Bonita, Northern Mackerel, Scallop, Mullet, Garlic, and Salt.  
         [0043]    Other materials can be added to the invention as well. As one example, bright colors and microglitter are often employed to attract fish. Fish feeding on natural baits often produce an explosion of reflective scales in the water. The addition of microglitter to the attractant slug causes a release of bright particles as the slug dissolves, which mimics this natural phenomenon.  
         [0044]    The preceding description contains significant detail regarding the novel aspects of the present invention. It should not be construed, however, as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims, rather than by the examples given.