Abstract:
An ice rigger apparatus has a planar base member that has an adjustable fishing rod holder at one end and a trip rod at the other end. The trip rod is rotatably mounted to the top surface of the base member and is disposed generally transversely to the base member. The trip rod includes means for releasably attaching a portion of a line to it, the line running from a fishing pole placed within the rod holder to a lure that is suspended in the water just below the ice. The trip rod also includes means for releasing an indicator flag when the lure has attracted a fish and the fish has taken the bait.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to items and accessories used by anglers in the sport of ice fishing. More particularly, it relates to an ice rigger apparatus of the type that is used by anglers to signal when a fish has been attracted to, and taken, the bait set by the angler. It also relates to an ice rigger apparatus that has an automatic line release feature incorporated into its design that allows the apparatus to be configured in a unique way. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Although once a means for human survival, fishing in the modern age has evolved into more of a competitive and recreational sport. To increase their chances for a successful outing, modern anglers prefer to utilize equipment and devices that they know will work and that they can rely on. Though not completely fool-proof, many fishing accessories have improved simply because technology and manufacturing methods have improved as well. This makes fishing equipment more reliable and affordable. In the view of this inventor, however, there is always room for improvement of equipment and the traditional ice rigger is one such piece of equipment that anglers and others have sought to improve over the years. 
   The ice rigger has been a staple of ice fishing for many years. Many designs and configurations have been used. Ice riggers, or “tip-ups”, of prior design tend to include three essential elements. One is a holder for fishing line. The second is some sort of trip mechanism. And the third is some sort of indicator mechanism. When used as intended, the fishing line holder allows for an amount of line to be fed out from the holder which then causes some sort of movement along the ice rigger. When the movement is detected, the trip mechanism is activated and the indicator mechanism, which is typically a brightly-colored flag or similar device, is raised to indicate to the angler that something has occurred below the ice. Although many different types of ice riggers exist in the knowledge and experience of this inventor, none of them are known by him include the special utility of allowing the angler&#39;s fishing pole to be secured to the device in a variety of positions and to use a specially-devised slack “take-up” mechanism to serve the combined function as the trip mechanism and the activator for the indicator, which is the flag. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful ice rigger apparatus that allows the angler to use his or her fishing rod with the apparatus and that allows the angler to set the position of the fishing rod in such a way that a trigger mechanism is actuated by a slight “take-up” in slack in the line coming from the reel of the fishing rod. It is another object to provide such an ice rigger apparatus whereby the trigger mechanism uses a minimal number of parts and a minimal number of steps to use, but which is also reliable in its operation. It is yet another object to provide such an ice rigger apparatus whereby the apparatus is manufactured of durable material, is relatively lightweight, strong, and no more expensive to produce than currently available parts are, and perhaps even less so, thus making the apparatus useful and affordable in its design and construction. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The ice rigger apparatus of the present invention has obtained these objects. It provides for a substantially planar base member that has a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface lays on the ice. The top surface includes an adjustable fishing rod holder at one end and a trip rod at the other end. The trip rod is rotatably mounted to the top surface of the base member. That is, the trip rod is disposed generally transversely to the base member and is supported by two circular “eyes” within which the trip rod can rotate about its longitudinal axis. The trip rod includes means for releasably attaching a portion of a line to it, the line running from a fishing pole placed within the rod holder to a lure that is suspended in the water just below the ice. The trip rod also includes means for releasing an indicator flag when the lure has attracted a fish and the fish has taken the bait. 
   The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top, front and left side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an ice rigger apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a view of the ice rigger apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 1  and showing some of the slack in the fishing line being taken up by a fish striking the lure. 
       FIG. 3  is another view of the ice rigger apparatus illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and showing the position of the fishing line and the “alert” flag following release by the trip rod. 
       FIG. 4  is a slightly enlarged left side elevational view of the ice rigger apparatus illustrating the pre-release position of the fishing line, the flag and the trip rod. 
       FIG. 5  is a view of the ice rigger apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 4  and showing the post-release position of the fishing line, the flag and the trip rod. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numbers represent like elements throughout,  FIG. 1  illustrates an ice rigger apparatus, generally identified  10 , that is constructed in accordance with the present invention. More specifically,  FIG. 1  illustrates a substantially planar base member  20  that has a top surface  26  and a bottom surface  28 . The bottom surface  28  of the base member  20  simply lays on top of the ice  2  and next to a hole  4  that has been cut into the ice  2 . The base member  20  is a generally longitudinally-extending member that also includes a first end  22  and a second end  24 . In the preferred embodiment, the base member  20  can be constructed of a plank of wood or of a durable, weather-resistant plastic material. Such is not a limitation of the present invention, however. An anchor hook  12  is provided at the first end  22  of the base member  20  such that an attachment means (not shown) can be used to prevent the base member  20  from sliding across the ice  2  or, even worse, into the hole  4 . The type of attachment means used is not a limitation of the present invention either and any suitable means for maintaining the position of the base member  20  is acceptable. 
   The top surface  26  of the base member  20  generally includes an adjustable fishing rod holder  30  and a bendable or flexible “alert” flag  40  at the first end  22  and a trip rod  50  at the second end  24 . 
   The adjustable fishing rod holder  30  includes a base portion  32  and a rod-receiving portion  34 . The base portion  32  of the rod holder  30  is secured to the top surface  26  of the base member  20  by means of a plurality of apertures (not shown) defined in it, each aperture being used to receive a fastener (also not shown) through it. Other suitable attachment means would be acceptable and such is not a limitation of the invention. Extending upwardly from the base portion  32  and being integrally formed as part of it is a ratchet face  31 . Extending downwardly from the rod-receiving portion  34  is a second ratchet face  33 , the first and second ratchet faces  31 ,  33  being engagable with one another by use of a wing nut  35 . In this fashion, the elevation of the rod-receiving portion  34  of the rod holder  30  can be varied as desired or required by the angler. When supported within the rod holder  30 , a fishing rod  60  will extend generally longitudinally relative to the base member  20 . That is, the rod  60  will be generally aligned with the base member  20  which maximizes the support of the rod  60  within the holder  30 . 
   The rod-receiving portion  34  also includes an opening  36  defined within it, the opening  36  being functionally adapted to receive the handle portion  62  of the fishing rod  60  within it. To secure the handle portion  62  of the rod  60  within opening  36  of the rod-receiving portion  34  and to prevent the rod  60  from coming out of the opening  36  following a fish strike or hit, a threaded rod lock  37  is provided to one side of the rod-receiving portion  34 . 
   The first end  22  of the base member  20  also includes a flexible or bendable “alert” flag  40 . That is, the flag  40  is intended to call attention to, or “alert”, the angler to the fact that a fish strike has likely occurred when the flag  40  is in its upright position, as is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . The alert flag  40  includes a bottom-most portion  42  that is anchored to the base member  20  and an upper-most portion  44  to which is attached a brightly-colored flag  46 , the flag  46  indicating a fish “strike” when in the upright or raised position and no action when in the “down” position as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . In the “down” position, the flag  40  is disposed generally longitudinally relative to the base member  20 . In the raised position, the flag  40  is substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the base member  20  lies. 
   The trip rod  50  of the ice rigger apparatus  10  is secured to the second end  24  of the base member  20 . The trip rod  50  is generally disposed laterally, or transversely, relative to the base member  20  and relative to the fishing rod  60  when the fishing rod  60  is properly positioned within the rod holder  30 . The trip rod  50  is constructed of a length of rod-like material  52  that is circular in cross-section. In the preferred embodiment, the trip rod  50  is made of a length  52  of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, material, although other materials could likely be used without deviating from the scope of the present invention. The benefit of using such a material is that a reduced amount of friction is created between the trip rod  50  that is made of such material and another object or objects. For example, the trip rod  50  has a first end  51  and a second end  53 . The trip rod  50  is mounted slightly above the top surface  26  of the base member  20 , sufficiently high enough to allow the upper-most portion  44  of the flag  40  to fit underneath it. To accomplish this, a pair of eyelets  54 ,  56  are provided. The opening of each eyelet  54 ,  56  is sufficiently large to allow the trip rod  50  to freely rotate within them, but not so large as to allow the first end  51  of the trip rod  50  to pass through the eyelet  54  when a plastic cap  58  is applied to that end  51  of the rod  50 . Here again, the material of choice allows the trip rod  50  to have a minimal amount of friction between it and the eyelets  54 ,  56  within which the trip rod  50  is rotatably movable. The second end  53  of the trip rod  50  is tapered  57  on one side at an angle. The purpose of this structure and configuration will be apparent later in this detailed description. Disposed towards the center of the trip rod  50  is a clip-like member  55 , preferably of the type known as an “alligator” clip  55 . The purpose of the clip  55  is to retain a portion  64   b  of the line  64  within it. See  FIGS. 1 and 4 . 
   In application, the ice rigger apparatus  10  of the present invention is placed next to a hole  4  that has been cut or augered through the ice  2 . The ice rigger apparatus  10  is anchored to the ice  2  by use of the anchor hook  12  which prevents the apparatus  10  being pulled closer to the hole  4  than is desired by the angler, and which could result in the angler losing the apparatus  10  altogether. The adjustable rod holder  30  is set to the desired angle by backing off the wing nut  35 , positioning the rod-receiving portion  34  as desired, and then re-tightening the wing nut  35 . The angler then places the handle portion  62  of the rod  60  into the opening  36  of the rod-receiving portion  34  and secures the handle  62  within the opening  36  by means of the threaded rod lock  37 . After the angler determines the depth that is preferred for fishing, a desired amount of line  64 , with a lure (not shown) attached, is lowered through the hole  4  in the ice  2 . A small amount  64   a  of the line  64  is “slacked” between the reel  66  and the first eyelet  63  of the fishing rod  60 . At a point  64   b  along the slacked portion  64   a  of the line  64 , the clip  55  is attached to that point  64   b  in the line  64 . The bail  67  on the reel  66  is opened so that line  64  can flow freely from the reel  66  which a fish strikes. To “set” the ice rigger apparatus  10 , the uppermost portion  44  of the flag  40  is placed under the tapered  57  end  53  of the trip rod  50 . While the clip  55  rests on the base member  20 , the taper  57  of the trip rod  50  is generally horizontal, thus maintaining the flag  40  under the trip rod  50 . The angler then patiently waits for a fish strike. 
   When a fish eventually does strike the lure and the slack in the line  64  is taken up, that portion  64   b  of the line  64  captured within the clip  55  causes the trip rod  50  to rotate to the point that the alert flag  40  engages the taper  57  of the trip rod  50 . In this position, the alert flag  40  slides upwardly and outwardly, along the taper  57  of the trip rod  50 , to the point that the alert flag  40  is released from the trip rod  50 , resulting in the flag  40  quickly moving to an upright position and signaling the angler of the need to check the ice rigger apparatus  10  for a fish. Here again, the amount of friction between the trip rod taper  57  is desired to be minimal so as to allow the flag  40  to move relatively freely along the taper  57  and not be stopped by any frictional forces along the way. It is this movement of the flag  40  along the taper  57  of the trip rod  50  that allows the apparatus  10  of the present invention to function as intended. 
   Based upon the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a new and useful ice rigger apparatus that allows the angler to use his or her fishing rod with the apparatus and that allows the angler to set the position of the fishing rod in such a way that a trigger mechanism is actuated by a slight “take-up” in slack in the line coming from the reel of the fishing rod; whereby the trigger mechanism uses a minimal number of parts and a minimal number of steps to use; and whereby the apparatus is manufactured of durable material, is relatively lightweight, strong, and no more expensive to produce than currently available parts are, making the apparatus useful and affordable as well.