Abstract:
An artificial bait has a body shaped to simulate a natural bait. The bait exhibits a predetermined base drop rate when immersed in water with an attached threshold weight. Means is provided on the body for delineating one or more breakaway segments from the main segment of the body. The breakaway segments are volumetrically calibrated so that, upon removal of any number of breakaway segments from the main segment and immersion in water with the attached threshold weight, the body together with the unremoved breakaway segments has a predetermined drop rate correspondingly faster than the predetermined base drop rate according to the number of breakaway segments removed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to artificial bait used in fishing and more particularly concerns baits intended to drop at relatively low rates of descent. 
     Fishermen generally use weights to increase casting distance and accuracy as well as to cause bait to sink and use floats to counter the weight so as to restrict the level to which the bait will sink. In situations where the angler desires for bait to fall from the surface to the bottom at a very slow rate of descent so as to tantalize a fish at any depth therebetween into striking the bait, the counterbalanced relationship is so sensitive that minimal variations in any component prevent achievement of the desired effect. 
     In my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,790, a balanced artificial bait is described for use with a typical fishing hook or jig. The hook or jig has an average density greater than the average density of water while the artificial bait has an average density less than the average density of water. Thus, the hook tends to sink and the bait tends to float. However, the volume of the bait is proportioned to the volume of the hook so that their average density taken together slightly exceeds the average density of the water and the hook and the body together sink relatively slowly in the water. Coordinated choices of bait and hook result in rigs of weight suitable for accuracy and distance in casting and yet so counterbalanced for buoyancy as to provide a minimal rate of descent in the water. 
     While this balanced artificial bait affords an angler a predetermined slow rate of descent, a different bait must be used for each rate of descent selected by the angler. The angler could increase the rate of descent of a given bait by breaking off a portion of the artificial bait. However, if too much of the bait is broken off, the rate of descent will be too fast. Thus the angler must again deal with the problem of adding a counterbalancing weight to the bait to experimentally achieve the desired rate of descent or changing the bait entirely and starting the process anew. 
     It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a balanced artificial bait which is readily adaptable to permit selection of any of a plurality of drop rates without changing the bait. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, an artificial bait is provided which has a body shaped to simulate a natural bait. The bait exhibits a predetermined base drop rate when immersed in water with an attached threshold weight. Means is provided on the body for delineating one or more breakaway segments from the main segment of the body. The breakaway segments are volumetrically calibrated so that, upon removal of any number of breakaway segments from the main segment and immersion in water with the attached threshold weight, the body, together with the unremoved breakaway segments, will have a predetermined drop rate which is correspondingly faster than the predetermined base drop rate depending upon the number of breakaway segments removed. 
     The breakaway segments may extend serially or independently from the main segment. The main segment may simulate a body portion of the natural bait while the breakaway segments simulate portions of appendages of the natural bait. The breakaway segments may be volumetrically equal or otherwise coordinated to provide a proportional change in descent rates. The delineating means may, for example, be changes in color on the surface of the body, changes in contour of the body, lines on the surface of the body or perforations in the body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a crawfish embodiment of the present artificial bait; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a worm embodiment of the present artificial bait; and 
     FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration of typical bait weight to drop rate relationships for a variety of artificial bait materials. 
     While the invention will be described in connection with several preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning to the drawings, two embodiments of the artificial bait used in conjunction with a typical hook or jig are illustrated. As used herein, the terms hook and jig are intended to embrace and include modifications or additions such as weights, sinkers, worm weight or other devices added to the hook or jig to increase its average density. The combination of elements is explained in detail in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,790. The bait to be used in association with the hook or jig may take the form of a crawdad as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or a worm, as shown in FIG. 3, or a minnow, frog, or any other natural bait desired by the angler. 
     As stated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,790, the volume of material used in the bait is coordinated with or proportioned to the volume of material in the hook or jig such that the average density of the hook or jig together with the bait is slightly greater than the average density of water. Therefore, in a coordinated arrangement of bait and hook or jig, the bait tends to float or rise to the surface while the hook or jig tends to sink or descend to the bottom, but the combination is so arranged so that the hook or jig and bait taken together in a single rig slowly descend from the surface to the bottom. 
     Of key significance to the present invention, the bait is formed of a material that is accurately tearable or cutable with scissors, a knife or the like. “Accurately” as used herein means severable along a predetermined line without substantial deviance from that line. “Deviance” is “substantial” if the weight of the severed piece is so different from the weight of the piece defined by the line as to materially impact the expected drop rate of the bait within the intent of this disclosure. 
     Looking at FIGS. 1 and 2, the bait material is formed in the shape of a crawdad  10  having a main body portion  1   1 , claws  13 , a tail fan  15  and legs  17 . The buoyancy of the bait  10  is counterbalanced by the sinking weight of the hook  19  and jig head  21 . For a properly selected counterbalancing threshold weight of the hook  19  and jig  21 , the combination will provide a predetermined base drop rate when immersed in water. 
     If the angler is unsuccessful using the combination at its base drop rate, the drop rate can be increased by removal of a segment or segments of the bait material. In order to permit accurate control of the change in drop rate, appropriate segments to be broken away are delineated on the bait material. As shown in FIG. 1, the delineation may be accomplished, for example, by perforating the material as indicated by the perforation lines  23  delineating breakaway segments  25  from the tail fan  15 . Alternatively, the breakaway segment can be delineated by distinct changes in contour of the bait material, such as by the junction point  27  of the leg  29  with the main segment of the body  11 . The breakaway segments may also be delineated by a change in color on the surface of the bait material, such as a first colored breakaway segment  29  and a second differently colored breakaway segment  31  as illustrated on one of the legs  33 . Finally, the breakaway segments may be delineated by solid or dotted lines  35  dividing the body or an appendage such as a leg  37  into segments. 
     In reference to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the breakaway segments can be independently connected to the main segment  11 , as in the case of the breakaway tail fan segments  25 . However, the breakaway segments can be serially connected as indicated with respect to the multi-colored leg  33 . In this embodiment, the angler could, in a single step, remove one or two breakaway segments  31  and  29  from the main segment  11 . It is also apparent from FIG. 1 that the body portion of the simulated natural bait can be used as a main segment while appendages of the simulated natural bait may serve as the breakaway segments. 
     In practice, it may be desirable to delineate the breakaway segments so that they are volumetrically equal, so that an accompanying chart would indicate the drop rate depending on the number of the volumetrically equal segments removed. On the other hand, the breakaway segments could be so volumetrically coordinated as to provide a proportional change in drop rates so that the angler would know, for example, that the drop rate would be increased by one inch per second if breakaway segments were removed in a particular designated sequence according to their change in volume. 
     Turning to FIG. 3, the bait material has been formed into a simulated worm  50  having a main segment  51  as a body portion and a plurality of breakaway segments  53 ,  55 ,  57  and  59  serially connected as the tail of the main segment  51 . The buoyancy of this bait material is counterbalanced by the sinking weight of the hook  61  and jig head  63 . The delineating lines  65  defining the breakaway segments  53 ,  55 ,  57  and  59  may be the result of perforation, color change or dashed or dotted lines as hereinbefore described with respect to the crawdad  10 . The worm configuration  50  is particularly suited to permit an angler to rapidly achieve a desired drop rate by a single tear or cut to remove the necessary number of breakaway segments from the main segment of the bait. 
     Looking at FIG. 4, bait weight to drop rate relationships determined by empirical approximation are illustrated for three different bait materials used in combination with a hook weight of one-half ounce. For Uniroyal MFC-G, the drop rate for a bait of 0.73 grams is approximately ½ inch per second. Removal of a 0.03 gram segment would increase the drop rate to approximately one inch per second. Removal of an additional 0.02 gram segment increases the drop rate to approximately 1½ inches per second. Removal of yet another 0.01 gram segment increases the drop rate to approximately two inches per second. As further segments are removed, the drop rate tends to increase rapidly. For Uniroyal MFC-2, the range of bait weights over which useful drop rate control occurs is greater than for the Uniroyal MFC-G. Uniroyal LPC demonstrates the widest range of control of these three materials. Other materials are identified in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,790 but any material providing a counterbalancing buoyancy to the hook weight could be used as long as the drop rate curve satisfies the requirements of an individual user. 
     Clearly, any known natural bait can be simulated by the bait material and breakaway delineations in any known manner to result in predetermined drop rates for the bait and its threshold counterbalancing weight. 
     Thus it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, an artificial bait with breakaway segments for selectable drop rates that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit of the appended claims.