Abstract:
The present invention provides a fishing lure that has a weed guard to reduce weed collection as the lure is pulled through the water. The weed guard consists of one or more stiff metal wires disposed in areas where weeds normally collect between a fishing line attachment and a dive control lip. An additional weed control hat further reduces weed collection where the one or more stiff wires pass through the dive control lip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to the field of fishing lures and more particularly to a fishing lure with a weed guard.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Conventional fishing lures generally travel at a specific depth in the water, depending upon various parameters, including buoyancy (e.g., specific gravity), materials, shape, surface components and angles and the speed at which they travel through water. One such lure described in US Published Patent Application No. 2005/0044771 to Burggrabe describes a lure that dives to reach fish at greater depths. This published patent application is hereby included by reference. This, and other prior art, provide for a lure that will use aerodynamic principles to cause the lure to travel at greater depths as it is pulled through the water, e.g., during trolling. This class of lures has a specific depth at which it travels for a given speed without a way to adjust the depth. Therefore, when moving at a specific speed, the lure will travel at a certain approximate depth, even though it may be desirable for the lure to travel at a shallower or deeper level, for instance when it is known at which depth the target fish are traveling.  
         [0005]     Unfortunately, some mechanisms used to help the lures of the prior art travel at greater depths such as fins and diving lips create a problem with weeds, in that the weeds may collect between these mechanisms and the body of the lure or between the fishing line and the body of the lure, reducing the effectiveness of the lure.  
         [0006]     What is needed is a fishing lure that has a weed guard for reducing weed collection.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In one embodiment, a fishing lure with a weed guard is disclosed having a body with a front end and a back end, a diving lip extending from the front end, the diving lip is bonded to the lure body. There is a line receiving loop affixed at the front end of the lure body and a line receiving wire, the line receiving wire has a lure end and a line end and the lure end attached to the line receiving loop. One end of the weed guard wire is attached to the line end of the line receiving wire and the second end of the weed guard wire passes through a hole in the diving lip.  
         [0008]     In another embodiment, a fishing lure with weed guard is disclosed having a lure body and a line receiving loop attached to a front section of the lure body and at least one action controlling surface bonded to the lure body. There is at least one weed guard wire passing between the line receiving loop and the at least one action controlling surface.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, a fishing lure with a weed guard is disclosed having a lure body made of a flexible material and having a front end and a back end. Within the lure body is a bendable stay, the bendable stay providing for bending the lure body such that the lure body maintaining a bent shape. Also included is a diving lip extending from a lower surface of the front end and bonded to the lure body and a line receiving loop affixed to an upper surface of the front end of the lure body. A line receiving wire with a lure end and a line end is provided with the lure end attached to the line receiving loop. A weed guard wire is attached to the line end of the line receiving wire and has a free end passing through a hole in the diving lip.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates a lure of the prior art.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates a lure of the prior art.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of a fishing lure of one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3   a  illustrates a side view of a fishing lure of a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3   b  illustrates a side view of a fishing lure of a third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates a back view of a treble hook of a fishing lure of the first three embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the top body section and bottom body section of a fishing lure of the first three embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  illustrates the line attachment to a fishing lure of the first three embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  illustrates a weight of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  illustrates the bendable stay of a fishing lure of the first three embodiments the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  illustrates the assembly of the first four embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  illustrates a fishing lure of a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a lure of the prior art is shown. The lure  102  may be made from a hard or soft material and be stiff or flexible. A fishing line  106  is attached and weeds  108  have accumulated between the fishing line  106  and the diving lip  110 . In  FIG. 2 , a different lure  104  is shown. The lure  104  may be made from a hard or soft material and be stiff or flexible. A fishing line  106  is attached and weeds  108  have accumulated between the fishing line  106  and the diving lip  110 .  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an adjustable fishing lure  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The adjustable fishing lure  10  has a flexible upper body section  4  and a flexible lower body section  6 . In this embodiment, the body is molded as a single piece of a flexible material. In some embodiments, the flexible material is a bendable foam or elastomer such as urethane foam. In another embodiment, the body is made in two pieces, a top half and a bottom half. A diving lip  16  is affixed between the upper body section  4  and lower body section  6  and extends outward from the front end of the body. The diving lip  16  is bonded to the body of the adjustable fishing lure  10  by, for example, ultrasonic welding or an adhesive such as epoxy. In some embodiments, the diving lip  16  is made of a plastic material and in some embodiments it is made of metal such as brass or copper.  
         [0026]     A bendable stay  22  has a front end  27  and a back end  28 . The bendable stay  22  passes through a hole in the upper body towards the front of the adjustable fishing lure  10  and rests between the upper body section  4  and the lower body section  6  towards the middle and back of the adjustable fishing lure  10 . In some embodiments, the bendable stay  22  lies substantially flat between the upper body section  4  and the lower body section  6 . The front end  27  of the bendable stay  22  extends outside the front of the lure where the fishing line or the lure end of a line receiving wire  18  is attached through a line receiving loop  270  that, in some embodiments, is a hole in the front end  27  of the bendable stay  22 . The back end  28  of the bendable stay  22  extends outside the back of the body of the adjustable fishing lure  10  and has a hook receiving loop  280  that, in some embodiments, is a second hole to which a hook  9  is attached. In this embodiment, a weed less hook  9  is shown with a foam rubber weed guard  8  for reducing the amount of weeds getting caught on the hook(s) during usage. In other embodiments, a single or multi-hook is attached to the hook receiving loop  280 . In some embodiments, a hook  9  without a foam rubber weed guard is attached to the hook receiving loop  280 . The bendable stay  22  is made of a material such as steel that will permit bending and hold the bent shape. Therefore, when configured between the flexible upper body section  4  and the flexible lower body section  6 , the body section will respond to bending by staying substantially as bent. The bend will change the arc of the lure&#39;s back and change the adjustable fishing lure&#39;s  10  action such as keeping the adjustable fishing lure  10  on the surface or sending the adjustable fishing lure  10  below the surface to an approximate depth. In some embodiments, the bendable stay  22  is twisted approximately 90 degrees so that the line receiving loop  270  is orientated in a vertical direction and the hook receiving loop  280  is oriented in a horizontal direction and the portion of the bendable stay  22  passing between the upper body section  4  and the lower body section  6  lay substantially flat between the flexible upper body section  4  and the flexible lower body section  6 .  
         [0027]     The line end of the line receiving wire  18  has a loop for attaching a fishing line  2 . In some embodiments a weed guard wire  20  is connected to the line receiving wire at the same loop where the fishing line  2  is attached. The weed guard wire  20  has a free end that passes through a hole in the diving lip  16 . The diameter of the hole is larger than the diameter of the weed guard wire  20  so as to permit free movement of the weed guard wire  20  within the hole. The weed guard wire  20  may be kept in place by a loop  32 / 34  in the end that passes through the hole in the diving lip  16  or it may be kept in place by making it longer than the line receiving wire  18 , long enough to prevent it from exiting the hole in the diving lip  16  when the line receiving wire  18  is rotated in any direction. In  FIG. 3   a,  the weed guard wire  20  is kept in place with a loop in the end at the end that passes through the diving lip  16 . Although shown as a rounded loop  32 , the shape can be any shape that keeps the weed guard wire  20  from exiting through the hole in the diving lip  16 . In  FIG. 3   b,  the weed guard wire  20  is kept in place with a loop that passes around the diving lip  16  and wraps around the weed guard wire at a point between the line receiving wire  18  and the diving lip  16 . The line receiving wire  18  is made from a stiff material that permits some bending, for example steel. In some embodiments, a weed guard hat  30  is provided such that the weed-guard wire  20  passes through the weed guard hat  30 . The weed guard hat fills the L-shaped space where by the weed guard wire  20  meets the diving lip  16 , helping to reduce weed retention at this point. The weed guard hat has a hole approximately through its center and the hole has a diameter greater than the diameter of the weed guard wire  20  so that the weed guard hat  30  freely moves up and down on the weed guard wire  20 , thereby allowing gravity to keep the weed guard hat  30  sitting upon the diving lip  16  as the weed guard wire  20  moves up and down through the diving lip  16 .  
         [0028]     In some embodiments, a lower body weight  12  is affixed to the lower body section  6  to help submerge the adjustable fishing lure  10 . The lower body weight  12  is made from a metal such as steel, copper, brass or the like, and is bonded to the lower body section  6  with an adhesive. Although not required, it is preferred that the visible side of the lower body weight be a polished, shinny material, perhaps plated with chrome or the like, so as to attract the target fish.  
         [0029]     In some embodiments, a weight  14  is disposed within the body of the adjustable fishing lure  10  in a cavity  26  of the lower body section  6  of the adjustable fishing lure  10 . The weight helps to keep the adjustable fishing lure  10  submerged during use. In some embodiments, the weight  14  includes a mass housed in a hard box as shown in  FIG. 5 , forming a rattle that will make noise as the lure travels through water, thereby providing additional stimulus to attract the target fish. The box is made from a hard material such as plastic, for example, Styrofoam plastic.  
         [0030]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a back view of a fishing lure of this embodiment of the present invention is shown, detailing the weed guard  8  that covers the hook  9 . The weed guard  8  is made of a soft, pliable material such as foam rubber and covers the hook  9 , in this example a triple hook, helping to prevent weeds from getting caught in the arc of the hook. In some embodiments, the front edge of the weed guard  8  tapers from front to back forming an angle that helps keep weeds from catching on the front surface of the weed guard  8 .  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a cross-sectional view of the top body section and bottom body section of a fishing lure of the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The bendable stay  22  is sandwiched between the top body section  4  and the bottom body section  6 .  
         [0032]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the line attachment to a fishing lure of the embodiments of the present invention is shown. In this, the front end  27  of the bendable stay  22  extends far enough through the upper body section  4  of the adjustable fishing lure  10 , exposing the line receiving loop  270  to which the line receiving wire  18  is attached. In some embodiments, the fishing line  2  is attached directly to the line receiving loop  270  instead of having a line receiving wire  18 .  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a weight of a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. The weight  14  is an enclosure that is larger than the mass  15  and the mass  15  is disposed within the weight  14 , thereby permitting the mass  15  to move freely within the weight  14 , emitting sound as it hits or rubs against the walls of the rattle. The weight  14  is made of a hard material such as hard plastic or metal and the mass  15  is made of a heavy material such as iron or lead. In some embodiments, there are multiple, smaller masses  15 .  
         [0034]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , the bendable stay of a fishing lure of the first three embodiments the present invention is shown. The bendable stay  22  has a front end  27  including a line receiving loop  270  for attachment of a fishing line or the line receiving wire  18 . The back end  28  of the bendable stay  22  has a hook receiving loop  280  for attaching a hook. In some embodiments, the bendable stay  22  has an approximately 90 degree twist toward the front end  27 , thereby controlling the bending action so that when installed within the adjustable fishing lure  10 , upward or downward bending will affect the back majority of the adjustable fishing lure  10  but not affect the front minority of the adjustable fishing lure  10 , making the front end  27  substantially vertical and the back end  28  substantially horizontal.  
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , the assembly of the first four embodiments of the present invention is shown. The upper body section  4  and the lower body section are molded as a single piece of flexible material such as a stiff foam rubber or pliable plastic, bifurcated for the installation of the bendable stay  22  and, in some embodiments, installation of the weight  14 . In some embodiments, two pieces are used. A slit is left toward the front for accepting the diving tip  16  and the diving tip is bonded into the slit. In some embodiments, the bonding is done using an adhesive such as epoxy. In some embodiments, the weight  14  is inserted into the cavity  26  next. The bendable stay  22  is then pushed through a hole in the front section of the upper body section  4  of the adjustable fishing lure  10 , providing enough clearance for the attachment of a fishing line or the line receiving wire  18 . Now the upper body section  4  and the lower body section  6  are bonded by applying an adhesive such as contact cement to one or both inside surfaces  24 / 25  and applying force to hold them against each other. In some embodiments, a lower body weight  12  is bonded to the lower body section  6  using an adhesive such as epoxy. In some embodiments, the hook  9  with optional weed guard  8  is attached to the back end  28  of the bendable stay  22  which extends beyond the back end of the body of the adjustable fishing lure  10  with sufficient clearance as to expose the hook receiving loop  280 . The line receiving wire  18  is attached to the line receiving loop  270  at the front end  27  of the bendable stay  22  which extends beyond the front end of the body of the adjustable fishing lure  10  with sufficient clearance. In some embodiments, the weed guard  20  is inserted through the diving lip  16  and attached to a loop in the line receiving wire  18 . In some embodiments, the weed guard hat  30  is placed on the weed guard  20  before it is inserted through the diving lip  16 .  
         [0036]     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , a fishing lure  50  of a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown. The fishing lure  50  has an action controlling surface  52 , in this case a diving lip for helping to keep the lure beneath the water surface. In other embodiments, the action controlling surface  52  emanates from different surfaces of the fishing lure  50  and in some embodiments there are multiple action controlling surfaces  52 . A fishing line  6  is attached to the fishing lure  50 . As shown in the prior art in  FIG. 2 , weeds often catch between the fishing lure body  50  and the action controlling surface(s)  52 , making the fishing lure  50  look less attractive to the target fish population. A weed guard wire or weed guard wires  54  blocks the gap between the fishing lure  50  and the action controlling surfaces  52 , thereby reducing the opportunity for weeds to collect. In this embodiment, the weed guard wires  54  loop through the line attachment loop and pass through the action controlling surface  52 , where they are bent to keep in place. In other embodiments, the weed guard wires  54  are clipped flush with the action controlling surface  52 . In other embodiments, the clipped weed guard wires  54  are bonded in place on the action controlling surface either by welding or using a bonding agent such as epoxy.  
         [0037]     Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result.  
         [0038]     It is believed that the system and method of manufacturing of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.