Abstract:
The present invention is a culling device that comprises a cable element, a retainer element and a floating element. When in use, the device is attached to a fish by way of the retainer element, which may be a clip, hook or other suitable element. The cable element is the link between the retainer element and the floating element. The floating element provides buoyancy to the device as a whole, and serves the purpose of indicating the weight of the fish to which the device is attached. The present invention further comprises a kit, the kit potentially including a plurality of devices, a scale, or some combination thereof. The present invention further comprises a method of using a device or kit. The present invention further comprises embodiments where a device disclosed herein is used on an animal other than a fish.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of fishing accessories, and in particular to a system for keeping track of the weight of individual fish that have been caught and stored while still keeping the fish alive. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses a pressing need in the art of fishing, particularly in the field of competitive fishing. 
     In fishing tournaments, scoring is frequently tabulated by summing the weights of all fish caught by an angler entered in the tournament over a period of time. Such tournaments almost universally have a limit on the number of fish that can be caught. As a result of these rules, fish of high weight are greatly valued. As fish are caught, typically the angler will place the fish in the boat&#39;s live well, which is a compartment within the hull of the boat accessible by the angler and controllably filled with water by the angler from the surrounding body of water. Once an angler has caught the maximum number of fish permitted by the tournament rules, he may continue fishing in the hopes that a subsequently-caught fish will weigh more than the lowest weight fish amongst those already caught. 
     Culling is a method of removing the fish with the smallest weight from the live well and returning it to the wild, and then replacing that fish with a more recently caught fish of a higher weight. As the tournament continues, a successful angler may be able to repeatedly replace the fish with the lowest weight with a heavier fish, thereby continuously increasing his score in the tournament. Therefore, culling is an important part of competitive fishing, and it would be highly useful to have a tool, system or method for effectively and efficiently culling fish. 
     BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     The typical culling system comprises a series of colored buoyant ropes or buoyant elements at the end of a rope, each affixed to a hook or clip, and additionally comprises some means for recording the weights of each fish attached to each rope. When an angler using one of these systems catches a fish, the angler will weigh the fish and mark the fish by using a buoyant element of a given color and hooking a retaining element at the opposite end into the fish&#39;s mouth, and finally place that marked fish into the live well. The angler will then record the weight of that fish by some means that corresponds the weight to the color of the buoyant element. Therefore, the angler must not only weigh each fish and hook a marker onto the fish, but he must also separately record the weight of the fish. As fish are culled in this system, the means for recording the weights of the fish must be continuously amended. Typical means for recording the weights of fish include pen and paper, grease marker or dry erase marker on a board, electronic means, and manual means, and other time intensive and labor intensive methods, as both time and labor are at a premium during a timed fishing competition. These additional steps waste the angler&#39;s time, which would be better spent fishing. The additional equipment, such as the means for recording the weights of the fish, add to the amount of materials for the angler to carry and keep track of, all while attempting to compete in a fishing tournament. The inherent problems associated with the wet environment associated with fishing, and the exposure to the elements, can further decrease the desirability of these means for recording the weights of the fish. These and other flaws of the systems in the prior art all point to a need for simplification and ease of use, which the present invention aims to address. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a fish culling device that comprises a cable element, a retainer element and a floating element. 
     When in use, the device is attached to a fish by way of the retainer element, which may be a clip, hook or other suitable element. The retainer element attaches the device to the fish such that, even when the fish is struggling, diving, swimming or otherwise moving, the device remains attached to the fish. Further, the retainer element should be one that may be removed by the angler with little difficulty. 
     The cable element is the link between the retainer element and the floating element, and may be made of metal, plastic, rope or any other suitable material. The cable element is attached at one end to the retainer element and is attached at the other end to the floating element. Preferably, the cable element should be durable, corrosion-resistant and flexible. Though preferably secure, the attachments need not be permanent, as one may make necessary repairs. 
     The floating element provides buoyancy to the device as a whole, and serves the purpose of indicating the weight of the fish to which the device is attached. Present on the floating element are two dials, one each for pounds and ounces, which can be adjusted by the angler to indicate the weight of the fish to which the device is attached. Preferably, the floating element permits the angler to adjust the dials to indicate the weight of the fish to the nearest ounce. The floating element, and the device as a whole, should be durable enough to perform even in prolonged periods of submersion in water and collision with other objects, including other floating elements. 
     The present invention further comprises a kit, the kit potentially including a plurality of devices, a scale, or some combination thereof. The present invention further comprises a method of using a device or kit. The present invention further comprises embodiments where a device disclosed herein is used on an animal other than a fish. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a floating element of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is a front view of an embodiment of a floating element of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a bottom view of an embodiment of a floating element of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3C  is a side view of an embodiment of a floating element of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of a floating element of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a culling device  2  comprising a cable element  4 , a retainer element  6  and a floating element  8 . The retainer element  6  may attach the device  2  to an animal, preferably a fish. The floating element  8  comprises a center section  10  and two dial sections  12 , the two dial sections being controllably adjustable to indicate the weight of the animal to which the device  2  is attached or to be attached. The cable element  4  is attached at one end to the retainer element  6  and is attached at the other end to the floating element  8 . 
     The retainer element  6  may be comprised of any suitable material, though metal is preferred. The metal should be resilient and rustproof, given the exposure to water and the natural elements encountered when fishing. It is preferred that the retainer element  6  be a closable loop hook, one that can easily puncture the mouth of a fish and is sturdy enough to remain attached on the fish through fish activity, including struggling, swimming, diving and collision. 
     The cable element  4  may be comprised of any suitable material, though coated wire is preferred, and plastic-coated wire is more preferred. The cable element  4  should be resilient, non-frayable and rustproof, given the exposure to water and the natural elements encountered when fishing, and may be of any practical length. It is preferred that the cable element  4  be between about twelve inches to about eighteen inches in length. 
     The floating element  8  may be comprised of any suitable material that floats. It is preferred that the floating element  8  substantially consist of plastic with a specific gravity of less than one, and it is more preferred that the floating element  8  substantially consist of high density polyethylene. In an embodiment, the floating element  8  is comprised of plastic and a foam, such as polystyrene, and in such an embodiment it is preferred that the plastic completely enclose the foam, and in such an embodiment it is possible for the plastic to have a specific gravity of more than one, as long as the foam present in the floating element causes the floating element as a whole to be buoyant. 
     The floating element  8  may further comprise one or more dial display openings  16 . One of the dial sections  12  may further comprise pound number surface  32  and the other dial section  12  may further comprise an ounce number surface  36 . In a preferred embodiment, the dial display openings  16  permit the view of only the desired numbers and that have been printed on the pound number surface  32  and ounce number surface  36  to be readable, while not revealing the other numbers printed on the pound number surface  32  and ounce number surface  36 . This is a preferred, though not required, configuration, as it improves readability of the device. 
     It is preferred that, on the surface of the center section  10 , adjacent to the dial display opening  16  which permits the view of the pound number surface  32  is a pound indicator  34 , which indicates to the user that the number being viewed through that particular display opening  16  is a weight in pounds. Similarly, it is preferred that, on the surface of the center section  10 , adjacent to the dial display opening  16  which permits the view of the ounce number surface  36  is an ounce indicator  38 , which indicates to the user that the number being viewed through that particular display opening  16  is a weight in ounces. 
     The floating element  8  may further comprise a ring extension  30 . The ring extension  30  permits the attachment of the cable element  4  to the floating element  8 . Any suitable manner known by those of ordinary skill in the art for attaching the cable element  4  to the floating element  8  is acceptable, and the ring extension  30  may be of any suitable general shape, though a substantially circular protrusion from the center section  10  is preferred. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the floating element  8  comprises a center section  10  and two dial sections  12 . The center section  10  comprises a ring extension  30 , two dial mount mechanisms  14 , and two dial display openings  16 . The dial mount mechanisms  14  are on substantially opposite sides of the center section  10 . Each dial section  12  is attached to the center section  10  on substantially opposite sides of the center section through rotatable attachment to a dial mount mechanism  14 . 
     In this particularly preferred embodiment, each dial mount mechanism  14  comprises a button  18 , an axle  20 , and a spring  22 . The axle  20  is a substantially cylindrical piece extending from the center section  10  and having a groove  24  bisecting the axle  20  through a diameter of the axle. The button  18  is a substantially flat piece residing at least partially within the groove  24  and having at least one locking peg  26  extending therefrom. The spring  22  resides at the base of and at least partially within the groove  24  such that the spring  22 , when compressed, provides a force parallel to the height of the axle  20  and along the groove  24  against the button  18  away from the center of the center section  10 . The angler may press and release the button  18  through a depression extension  42 , which is a protrusion on the button  18  extending through the dial section  12  and at least partially beyond the end of the axle  20 . 
     In this particularly preferred embodiment, the dial sections  12  each comprise a series of peg-accepting notches  28 , and the peg-accepting notches  28  are circumferentially equidistant from one another. Each dial section  12  may be independently rotated around the axle  20  upon depression of the button  18  and compression of the spring  22 , thereby disengaging the at least one locking peg  26  from a peg-accepting notch  28 . Upon raising the button  18  and the expansion of the spring  22 , the at least one locking peg  26  may engage a peg-accepting notch  28 . 
     In this particularly preferred embodiment, one end of the cable element  4  is attached to the ring extension  30  of the center section  10 , and the other end of the cable element  4  is attached to the retainer element  6 . The cable element  4  comprises a flexible metal cable that has been coated in a thin plastic layer. 
     In this particularly preferred embodiment, each dial section  12  has sixteen peg-accepting notches  28 . The peg-accepting notches  28  on each dial are circumferentially equidistant from one another, are substantially identical in size and shape, reside within a concave portion of the dial section  12 , which faces towards the center section  10 , and are substantially complimentary in shape to the one or more locking pegs  26 . One dial section  12  further comprises a pound number surface  32 , and the other dial section  12  further comprises an ounce number surface  36 . Both the pound number surface  32  and the ounce number surface  36  are numbered in consecutive whole number integers from zero to fifteen. The center section  10  further comprises a pound indicator  34  and an ounce indicator  38 . 
     In this particularly preferred embodiment, each dial section  12  further comprises eight dial grips  40 , circumferentially equidistant from one another. 
     In this particularly preferred embodiment, a number on the pound number surface  32  is visible through the dial display opening  16  adjacent to the pound indicator  34 , and a number on the ounce number surface  36  is visible through the dial display opening  16  adjacent to the ounce indicator  38 . The angler may adjust the number visible on the pound number surface  32 , the ounce number surface  36 , or both, by pressing the depression extension  42  on the button  18  downward, thereby compressing the spring  22  and disengaging one or more locking pegs  26  from one or more peg-accepting notches  28 , and rotating the desired dial  12  until the desired number appears in the respective dial display opening  16 . Then the angler will release the depression extension  42 , thereby expanding the spring  22 , and engaging the one or more locking pegs  26  into one or more peg-accepting notches  28 . 
     In an embodiment, the dial sections  12  may further comprise dial grips  40 , which may be of any suitable shape or size known to those of ordinary skill in the art, to serve the purpose of enabling the angler to grip the dial section  12  and rotate it around the axle  20 . 
     The present invention further includes an embodiment where the floating element  8  comprises a center section  10  and a single dial section  12 , wherein the pound number surface  32  and ounce number surface  36  are one in the same. 
     The present invention further comprises a method of culling fish, the method comprising the steps of catching a first fish, weighing the first fish, adjusting a culling device  2  to indicate the weight of the first fish, and attaching the culling device to the first fish. Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of catching a second fish, weighing the second fish, determining that the second fish has a greater weight than the first fish, adjusting a culling device  2  to indicate the weight of the second fish, and attaching the culling device to the second fish. The culling device being used on the aforementioned second fish may or may not be the same culling device being used on the aforementioned first fish. The angler may optionally remove the culling device from the first fish, and use that device on the second fish, or he may place a different culling device on the second fish, and subsequently remove the culling device from the first fish and return the first fish to the wild. 
     The present invention further includes a kit, the kit potentially comprising a plurality of culling devices  2 . The kit may also further comprise a scale. 
     It should be understood that the aforementioned embodiments are for exemplary purposes only and are merely illustrative of the many possible specific embodiments that can represent applications of the principles of the invention. 
     Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, one of ordinary skill in the art can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions, including those not specifically laid out herein. As such, those changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and intended to be, within the full range and scope of equivalents of the invention disclosed and described herein.