Abstract:
A fishing bobber including a flotation body with an open unfilled cavity therein and a tube apparatus at least partially projecting into the cavity, said tube apparatus, having a first end with a first diameter opening and a second end with a second diameter opening. The first diameter being larger than the second diameter.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/726,445, entitled “SAFETY BOBBER”, filed Dec. 3, 2003. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the invention.  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a fishing bobber, and, more particularly, to a fishing bobber with a cavity therein.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the related art.  
         [0005]     Humankind has pursued fishing for survival, for commercial purposes and for sport. Pursuit of sport fishing has produced a plethora of products in the way of boating innovations, fish finders, lures, fishing lines, reels, fishing rods and other tackle.  
         [0006]     The basic equipment of fishing consists of a barbed metal hook at the end of a fishing line and a wood, fiberglass or metal pole, that usually has some type of spool or reel, near the handle, around which the fishing line is wound. Recreational fishing is practiced throughout the world and is done in freshwater and saltwater. The most popular game fish are salmon, trout, bass and pike in freshwater and sailfish, tuna, marlin, tarpon and bonefish in saltwater. There are two basic types of freshwater tackle, those for fly-casting and those for bait-casting.  
         [0007]     Live bait or a variety of plugs, spoons and other artificial lures can be cast and pulled in, popped along the surface, trolled from a moving boat or allowed to rest at a predefined position in the water assisted by a bobber floating on the surface. Spinning tackle requires an angler to keep the lure moving by repeatedly casting the spinning tackle and reeling it back in. Bait fishing includes applying a bait to a hook and casting the bait, which may be additionally weighted, into a likely area where fish may be, and allowing the bait to be suspended in the water to tempt the fish. Often a fishing bobber is used to hold the bait at a suspended distance from the surface of the water. The fisherman then watches the bobber as an indicator of when a fish is nibbling or has taken the bait. Movement of the bobber alerts the fisherman to pull on the fishing line in an attempt to set the hook in the fish&#39;s mouth.  
         [0008]     A fisherman experiences a great deal of annoyance if his hook gets caught on a foreign object. Worse than being annoyed is being hooked by the barbed point of the fishing hook itself either on the fisherman&#39;s clothing or person. This can happen when nearly the entire fishing line has been retrieved on a fishing reel and the fisherman reaches out to take a hold of the line close to the hook. Additionally, if a fish, that is caught on the hook, is nearly to the fisherman and the fisherman is reaching along the line to grasp the fish and the fish throws the hook, the pressure on the line can drive the hook into the fisherman&#39;s outstretched hand.  
         [0009]     What is needed in the art of fishing is a device to eliminate an exposed fishing barb upon the retrieval of a fishing line.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention provides a fishing bobber that accommodates a fishing hook.  
         [0011]     The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a fishing bobber including a flotation body with an open unfilled cavity therein and a tube apparatus at least partially projecting into the cavity, said tube apparatus having a first end with a first diameter opening and a second end with a second diameter opening. The first diameter being larger than the second diameter.  
         [0012]     An advantage of the present invention that it protects a fisherman from being snagged by a fishing hook.  
         [0013]     Another advantage of the present invention is that it reduces the incident of a fishing hook snagging a piece of floating debris. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a safety bobber system embodying the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is cross-sectional view of the bobber of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bobber of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , illustrating a fishing hook in a protected position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a safety bobber system of another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the bobber of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0020]     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     Referring now to the drawings, and, more particularly to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a safety bobber system  10  including a bobber body  12 , fishing line  14  and fishing hook  16 .  
         [0022]     Bobber body  12 , also known as a floatation body  12 , includes a cavity  18  with a cavity wall  20  and a cavity side wall  22 , and tube  24 . Cavity  18  is a cylindrically shaped cavity at one end of bobber body  12 . Cavity  18  has a diameter that is greater than the depth of cavity  18 . Cavity  18  is concentrically located relative to tube  24 . Cavity wall  20  is a puncture resistant surface, which accommodates a fishing hook point. Tube  24  protrudes into cavity  18  to receive a portion of fishing hook  16  therein. Tube  24  may even extend beyond the depth of cavity  18 .  
         [0023]     Fishing hook  16  includes an eye  26 , a shank  28  and a barbed point  30 . Fishing line  14  is secured to fishing hook  16  by utilizing the opening in eye  26  through which fishing line  14  is threaded and tied to. As fishing line  14  is pulled through bobber  12 , eye  26  and shank  28  enter into tube  24  and barbed point  30  is stopped by contact with cavity wall  20 . Alternatively, tube  24  may extend far enough so that fishing hook  16  is stopped before barbed point  30  contacts cavity wall  20 .  
         [0024]     Tube  24  extends through bobber  12  having an opening  32  therethrough. Tube  22  may be integral with bobber body  12  or may be a separate tube with bobber body  12  molded therearound. Opening  32  is sized such that it will accommodate the entry of eye  26  and shank  28  of fishing hook  16 .  
         [0025]     A line stop  34  is compressed onto fishing line  14  to control the depth at which bait, placed upon fishing hook  16 , will be suspended in a body of water. Line stop  34  is of sufficient size to preclude it&#39;s entry into opening  32 .  
         [0026]     Bobber system  10  is assembled by threading fishing line  14  through opening  32  then securing fishing line  14  to eye  26  of fishing hook  16 . Fishing hook  16  is baited and bobber system  10  is cast along with baited hook  16 . When bobber system  10  hits the surface of the water, the weight of the bait and hook  16  draws line  14  through bobber system  10 . The movement of line  14  is stopped when line stop  34  contacting the outer perimeter of opening  32 .  
         [0027]     If the bait on hook  16  is taken by a fish, leaving hook  16  unbaited, the fisherman reels in line  14  causing eye  26  and shank  28  to enter into opening  32  as bobber system  10  is retrieved back to the fisherman. If at least a part of the bait remains on hook  16 , then shank  28  may not fully enter into tube  24 . Nonetheless, the positioning of at least a portion of shank  28  in tube  24  substantially shields barbed point  30  from catching on a foreign object as bobber system  10  is retrieved and protects the hands and clothing of the fisherman from barbed point  30 .  
         [0028]     When the fisherman successfully hooks a fish on hook  16 , as line  14  is retrieved, bobber body  12  slides along line  14  and positions itself proximate to the fish. As a fisherman applies tension to line  14 , and as the fish draws near to the fisherman, it is a common practice for the fisherman to run his hand along line  14  and should the fish throw hook  16  the tension on the line will draw shank  28  into tube  24  to thereby shield barbed point  30  from contacting the fisherman.  
         [0029]     Now additionally referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5  there is shown a bobber system  50  including a tube assembly  52 . Tube assembly  52  includes a first passageway  54  and a second passageway  56 . First passageway  54  is a substantially hollow cylinder having a diameter that is larger than the diameter of passageway  56 . Passageway  54  extends substantially over the full length of bobber assembly  50  and allows for a sinker  60  along with a portion of fishing hook  16  to enter therein. Fishing line  14  is threaded through passageway  56  and  54  to be coupled with hook  16 . Passageway  56  is less than half the diameter of passageway  54  and allows for the traversal fishing line  14  therethrough. At the end of passage way  56  the opening may be flared or radiused in order to accommodate the threading of fishing line therethrough and to eliminate a sharp corner, which may harm the line. A line stop  34  prevents fishing line  14  from threading without end through tube assembly  52 .  
         [0030]     Additionally, tube assembly  52  has a projection  58 , which extends at least part way into cavity  18 . The end of projection  58  is radiused to accommodate a smooth transition of line  14 , sinker  60  and hook  16  into passageway  54 . Cavity  18  has a diameter and a depth. The diameter of cavity  18  being larger than the depth of cavity  18 . Bobber assembly  50  is substantially spherical having tube assembly  52  extending through bobber assembly  50  substantially over the full length of bobber assembly  50 . Tube assembly  52  may be separate from or integral with the rest of bobber assembly  50 .  
         [0031]     In operation, hook  16  is baited and bobber assembly  50  along with hook  16  and sinker  60  are cast to a point on the surface of a body of water. Upon hitting the water the natural buoyancy of bobber assembly  50  causes it to float on the surface while sinker  60  pulls line  14  through passageways  56  and  54  and projection  58  until line stop  34  encounters an end of passageway  56 . This serves to position hook  16  at a set distance below the surface of the water. Upon retrieving bobber assembly  50  and hook  16 , fishing line  14  is pulled causing sinker  60  and hook  16  to approach and then enter into passageway  54 . If a fish has been caught on hook  16 , the end of bobber assembly  50  simply rests against a portion of the fish as the fish is retrieved. Alternatively, if no fish has been caught, shank  28  of fishing hook  16  enters into passageway  54  and barbed point  30  enters into cavity  18  and is positioned against a wall of cavity  18 .  
         [0032]     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.