Abstract:
A device and method is for providing fishing chum, over an extended period of time, to a body of water.

Description:
INDEX TO RELATED REFERENCES 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/121,257 filed Dec. 10, 2008 and U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/262,978 filed Nov. 20, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention provides a device and method for delivering chum to a body of water over an extended period of time. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is side view of the device in an environment of use. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a partial side cut away of the portion of device. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a cross section of a portion of the device. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3A  is a view along section lines B-B from  FIG. 3   
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a partial side cut away of the portion of device from  FIG. 5  with arrow indicating placement. 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is a cross section of a portion of the device. 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the device with the lowermost light assembly removed. 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  shows the device with a flexible or fabric material attached. 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  is a partial cross section along section lines C-C from  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    The present invention is a chum tube  10  with portions that rest above and below the water line  34  of a body of water. The portion extending above the water line is light extension tube  16  and has a strobe light  80  on its uppermost end. Extending upward from tube  11  is cap  15  upon which light extension tube  16  is affixed. 
         [0013]    Cap  15  is on the upper end of tube  11 . On the interior of tube  11  is air chamber  13  that is bordered on its base by an interior floor  14 , bordered on either side by the interior wall of tube  11 , and bordered in the uppermost edge by cap  15 . 
         [0014]    Below interior floor  14  within tube  11  is an inner cylindrical tube  12  slidably contained therein. 
         [0015]    Chum material  31  is placed within inner cylindrical tube  12 . Inner cylindrical tube  12  is held into an initial fixed position by a medial set screw  25  that applies pressure on one side of inner cylindrical tube  12  and urges inner cylindrical tube  12  against inner portion of wall  11  in a direction opposite medial set screw  25  to seal opening  24  during filling and transport. Closure is accomplished by contact of the outer wall of cylindrical tube  12  against the inside wall of tube  11  sealing opening  24  when screw  25  is tightened against cylindrical tube  12 . It is preferred that opening  24  be sealed during filling and transport of chum tube  10 . Preferably, screw  25  is loosened when chum tube  10  is used such that chum exits opening  24 . Opening  24  is not accessible when screw  25  is engaged because opening  24  is sealed. When screw  25  is disengaged, a chum oil and water mixture  28  exits device  10 . 
         [0016]    Chum mixed with water produces an oil water mixture  28 . Oil is lighter than water and tends to float. Oil from chum  31  exits through opening  24  and openings  20 . 
         [0017]    The lower portion of chum tube  10  has a plate  23  at the lower end. Plate  23  is connected to cylindrical tube  12  and is constructed and arranged to move cylindrical tube  12  in an up and down motion from water movement. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, plate  23  is formed of a photosensitive material that is at least partially luminescent in light. More particularly, in sunlight, plate  23  appears to glow and the luminescence of plate  23  attracts fish. 
         [0019]    Lower tube openings  20  provide openings for chum material  28  to exit cylindrical tube  12  and ultimately provide chum into the surrounding lower water areas around openings  20 . 
         [0020]    Inner cylindrical tube  12  has, at its lower end, inner cylindrical tube cap  21  which has affixed thereto, lower strobe light  22 . Tube cap  21  has a circumferal threaded portion  32  that is constructed and arranged to attach to threaded portion  33  on the lower end of tube  12 . 
         [0021]    Chum tube  10  is constructed and arranged to float freely. It is also held in place by anchor line  26   a  attached on one end to anchor  27  and on an opposite end to medial set screw  25 . Additionally, anchor line  26   b  can be attached to a boat. 
         [0022]    In use, cylindrical tube cap  21  is removed to access the open end of inner cylindrical tube  12 . The top of tube  12  is open providing access to the cavity within tube  12 . The bottom of tube  12  has cylindrical tube cap  21  that forms the bottom floor portion of the cavity in tube  12 . The cavity is filled with dry chum  31  and tube  12  is replaced. Any acceptable chum is used. The chum may be a solid, semisolid, liquid, or combinations thereof. A preferred chum is Drychum Concentrate (JanDell Fishing Products, Boyd Tex.). 
         [0023]    Tube  12  slides into tube  11  at opening  19 . Collar  30  prevents tube  12  from sliding out of tube  11   
         [0024]    After chum  31  is loaded into chum tube  10 , it is desirable to tighten screw  25  to prevent chum  31  from exiting chum tube  10  until a desirable time. Screw  25  is preferably an eyebolt that is easily tightened and loosened by hand. A lanyard can be used to secure screw  25  to both tube  11  and the eyelet portion of screw  25 . 
         [0025]    As discussed herein, screw  25  prevents chum  31  from exiting opening  24  until such time as desired by pushing cylindrical tube  12  against and sealing opening  24 . 
         [0026]    Tube  11  is preferably formed of schedule  40  PVC pipe. Schedule  40  PVC is selected due to various characteristics including, but not limited to the fact that it floats in water. In a preferred embodiment, tube  11  is constructed and arranged to be about 18 inches long and to have an inner diameter of about 3 inches. 
         [0027]    The upper portion of tube  11 , as seen in  FIG. 2  has air tight interior chamber  13 . Airtight interior chamber  13  prevents tube  10  from sinking and maintains tube  10  at a desired position relative to water line  34 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , tube  11  has upper collar  11   a.  Collar  11   a  is constructed and arranged to support spacer  55 . When spacer  55  is positioned on collar  11   a  of tube  11 , screw threads  50  remain accessible for eventual connection with lower collar  11   c  on lower tube end  11   b.  Lower collar  11   c  has complementary receiving threads  65 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , for connection of upper collar  11   a  to lower collar  11   c  utilizing complementary screw thread connections  50  and  65 . 
         [0029]    Light extension tube  16  is preferably formed of schedule  20  PVC. Light extension tube  16  is preferably about 24 inches long and has an inner diameter of about 1.25 inches. 
         [0030]    Plate  23  is formed of a fluorescent neon green plexiglass that attracts fish because, in the daytime sunlight, plate  23  refracts light. The refracted light acts as a fish attractor. This refracted light appears to move and is attractive to fish by the natural movement and bobbing of tube  10  when floating in water. 
         [0031]    In a preferred embodiment, chum tube  10  has affixed thereon an ACR strobe light  80 , on top of light extension tube  16 . 
         [0032]    Chum tube  10  is set on the water. Air chamber  13  keeps chum tube  10  afloat and any one or more of anchor line  26   a,  anchor line  26   b,  or anchor  27  keeps chum tube  10  in an area restricted by the length of anchor line  26   a  or  26   b.    
         [0033]    In use, cap  21  is removed from tube  11 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Chum  31  is placed within tube  12  and cap  21  is replaced. Chum tube  10  is set on the water. Water enters chum tube  10  through openings  20  and chum  31  subsequently mixes with water that has entered. A mixture of chum and water  28  exits inner cylindrical tube  12  through openings  20  and  24 . Openings  20  are only exposed to the surrounding water when tube  12  extends past below the periphery of interior wall  11  of chum tube  10 . Chum mixture  28  comprises oil and will eventually form surface chum  28   a  that will float on or near the water surface  34 . 
         [0034]    The chum that exits openings  20  and  24  attracts fish, as chum is known to accomplish. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 7 , a fabric or flexible material  35  is attached to device  10 . The material floats and is intended to attract fish. 
         [0036]    While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.