Abstract:
A dodger type type trolling attractor which imparts a start and stop motion to a lure or bait attached thereto during trolling. The dodger has a starboard side edge, a port side edge, a blunt leading edge, a rounded trailing edge, and a longitudinal centerline. A concave portion is located adjacent the trailing edge. A plurality of leading attachment openings are located adjacent the leading edge on the starboard side and port side of said longitudinal centerline, the leading attachment openings adapted to be attached to the outer end of a fishing line. A trailing attachment opening is located adjacent the trailing edge and is adapted to be attached to the outer end of a trailing leader line attached to a lure or bated hook. A mechanism to generate periodic noise during trolling is located adjacent the trailing edge.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved dodger used for trolling for fish. 
     Trolling attractors have been used by fishermen for some time to increase their catch. A typical prior art set up is shown in  FIG. 1 . A main fishing line  102  extends from a rod and reel (not shown), the line being attached to the front of a lead weight  104 . A short length of heavy leader  106  is attached to the rear of the lead weight  104  and to the front of an attractor (“flasher”)  110 . A lighter trailing leader  112  is attached at its leading end to the rear of the attractor  110  and at its trailing end to a baited hook or lure  114 . 
     Attractors are of two basic types: flashers and dodgers. In both cases their function is to reflect light and attract fish, but their actions are fundamentally different. 
     Nearly all flasher type attractors, such as that shown in  FIG. 1 , are comprised of a sturdy spine, made of hard wire or woven wire, to which are attached a plurality of devises. Blades are attached to the devises and revolve around the spine during trolling. Flasher type attractors typically proceed along a straight path and at a constant speed through the water. Such flashers typically impart no significant action to the lure. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 describes a flasher type attractor which imparts an action to the flasher itself, but not to the lure. The flasher type attractor described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 has no spine; the main line is attached directly to one of several openings in the front of the single blade and the trailing leader attached to the rear. The flasher type attractor described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 imparts a barrel-like rotating motion to the flasher, the path of the flasher being similar to the stripe on a barber pole or candy cane. 
       FIG. 2  depicts the motion of the flasher of U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 during trolling. The flasher  210  is towed by a leader  206 , and is a attached to a trailing leader  212  which tows a lure or baited hook  214 . The flasher  210  has a barrel-like rotation, moving along spiral path P 210  in the direction of the arrow PB (path of the towing boat), from a first outer position where the flasher is designated as  210  to a second outer position where the flasher is designated as  210 ′. See also  FIG. 8B . The lure  214  moves through the water at a substantially constant velocity and along a substantially straight path. 
     Prior art dodger type attractors do not rotate. Their motion is a wig-wag, arc-like motion back and forth across the straight path of the main fishing line.  FIG. 3  shows the motion of a typical prior art dodger  310  being towed by a leader  306  and attached to a trailing leader  312  which tows a lure or baited hook  314 . The dodger moves back and forth from a first outer position where the dodger is designated as  310  to a second outer position where the dodger is designated as  310 ′. The path of motion P 310  of the trailing leader attached to the rear of the dodger is sinusoidal, i.e., a series of esses (see  FIG. 8C ), and the lure  314  attached to the trailing leader  312  is always moving forward through the water at a substantially constant velocity and along a substantially straight path. The only lure action that can be achieved with the traditional dodger is one of repeatedly turning the lure slightly left, then slightly right, and this slight action only occurs when using a very short trailing leader which most fishermen do not like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a dodger type attractor that imparts a start-stop action to an attached lure or baited hook during trolling. 
     The dodger of the present invention has a starboard side, a port side, a substantially blunt leading edge, a rounded trailing edge, and a longitudinal centerline extending there between. 
     A plurality of leading attachment openings are located adjacent the leading edge of the dodger on the starboard side and port side of the longitudinal centerline of the dodger, the openings adapted to be attached to the outer end of a fishing line. The starboard side leading attachment openings are adapted to be attached to fishing lines located on the starboard side of the boat, and the port side leading attachment openings are adapted to be attached to fishing lines located on the port side of the boat 
     A trailing attachment opening is located adjacent the trailing edge along the longitudinal centerline, and is adapted to be attached to a trailing leader. 
     A slot is located adjacent the trailing edge in a mid-portion thereof, and a noise producing member is slidably located within the slot in a manner adapted to allow the noise producing member to slide back and forth within the slot during changes in motion of the dodger and generate a noise when it comes into abutment with the ends of the slot. 
     The dodger of the present invention widens the trolling path beyond that of prior art devices, and allows a choice of how wide the path will be. The dodger allows two fishermen to fish from the same side of the boat and not have their lines interfere with each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic top view of a typical trolling set up using a flasher type attractor which rotates about the towing axis during trolling; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the prior art flasher described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 showing its barrel-like motion during trolling; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic top view of a typical prior art dodger showing its wig-wag motion during trolling; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view (upper surface) of the dodger of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the dodger of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of the noise maker of the dodger taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the dodger of the present invention depicting its motion during trolling; 
         FIG. 8A  is a top view of the path of the prior art flasher shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8B  is a top view of the path of the flasher described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 and in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8C  is a top view of the path of the prior art dodger shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8D  is a top view of the path of the lure towed by the dodger of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of a boat showing line placement where there are two lines out from each side of the boat that are attached to the dodger of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The dodger  10  of the present invention is a substantially rectangular, elongated, thin body member having substantially parallel right (starboard) and left (port) side edges  12  and  14 , respectively. Dodger  10  has an angular leading end  16  and a rounded trailing end  18 . Angular leading end  16  is comprised of two substantially straight legs, starboard side leg  17  and port side leg  17 ′, which intersect at center line CL. The angle between legs  17 ,  17 ′ is preferably greater than about 90 degrees and less than about 180 degrees, and most preferably about 130 degrees. 
     The area adjacent the trailing edge  18  of dodger  10  has a concave spoon-shaped depression  22 . The word“concave” is used relative to the upper surface of dodger  10 . 
     The forward portion  20  of dodger  10  located between said leading edge and said concave depression  22  is substantially flat, i.e., the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of dodger  10  are substantially parallel to each other. 
     A centerline CL divides dodger  10  into two substantially equal parts which are substantially mirror images of each other. 
     Although not intended to be limiting, dodger  10  is preferably about 5.75 inches long, about 2.0 inches wide, and about 1/32 inch thick. 
     Leading starboard side attachment openings  23  and  24  are located on the leading end of dodger  10  adjacent starboard side leg  17  of leading edge  16 , and leading port side attachment openings  23 ′ and  24 ′ are located on the leading end of dodger  10  adjacent port side leg  17 ′ of leading edge  16 . Leading starboard side attachment opening  24  is located adjacent side edge  12  and leading starboard side attachment opening  23  is located between attachment opening  24  and the centerline CL of dodger  10 . Leading port side attachment opening  24 ′ is located adjacent side edge  12  and leading port side attachment opening  23 ′ is located between attachment opening  24 ′ and the centerline CL of dodger  10 . 
     Leading attachment openings  23 ,  23 ′,  24  and  24 ′ are positioned to assist in causing the lure or bait attached to the dodger to start and stop during trolling 
     Trailing attachment opening  26  is centrally located on the trailing end of dodger  10  adjacent trailing end  18 . 
     A slot  30  having a starboard end  32  and a port end  32 ′ is located on the trailing end of dodger  10  adjacent trailing end  18 , its mid-portion being located substantially on centerline CL. A noise making member  34  is located within slot  30  and is adapted to slide back and forth along slot  30  and into abutment with the ends  32 ,  32 ′ to thereby generate a noise. Slot  30  is preferably straight, but can be curved. 
     Leading starboard side attachment openings  23  and  24 , and port side attachment openings  23 ′ and  24 ′ are adapted to receive and be connected to the outer end of a fishing line by any means commonly used in the art to effect such a connection. Likewise, trailing attachment opening  26  is adapted to receive and be attached to the leading end of a trailing lure leader line by any means commonly used in the art to effect such a connection. A lure or baited hook is attached to the trailing end of trailing leader line in any manner known in the art. 
       FIG. 7  shows a dodger  10  connected to a fishing line  40  via leading starboard attachment opening  23  where the line  40  extends from a rod and reel  50  located on the starboard side of a fishing boat  52  towards the stern thereof. The leading end of trailing leader line  42  is attached to the trailing attachment opening  26 . A lure or baited hook  44  is attached to the trailing end of trailing leader line  42   
     Where it is desired to place two or more lines into the water from the same side of a fishing boat, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the forward most starboard line  40 ′ would be connected to the starboard attachment opening  24  of dodger  10 ′, which is located farthest from the centerline CL, and the rearward most starboard line would be connected to the starboard attachment opening  23  of dodger  10 , which is located nearest the centerline CL. Similarly, the forward most port line  140 ′ would be connected to the starboard attachment opening  24 ′ of dodger  110 ′, which is located farthest from the centerline CL, and the rearward most port line  140  would be connected to the starboard attachment opening  23 ′ of dodger  110 , which is located nearest the centerline CL. Trailing attachment openings  26  of the starboard side dodgers  10 ,  10 ′ would be attached to lure attachment lines  42 ,  42 ′, and trailing attachment openings  26  of the port side dodgers  110 ,  110 ′ would be attached to lure attachment lines  142 ,  142 ′, it being understood that dodgers  10 ,  10 ′,  110 , and  110 ′ are identical to each other. 
     The stop-start motion of dodger  10  achieved during trolling is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8D . During trolling along path PB taken by boat  52 , dodger  10  swings from an inner position wherein the dodger is designated “ 10 ′” to an outer position wherein the dodger is designated “ 10 ”, and back to the inner position, this movement cyclically repeating itself as long as the boat  52  continues to move forward. At its inner position, the centerline CL of dodger  10 ′ approaches being parallel to the path PB taken by boat  52 . At its outer position, the centerline CL of dodger  10  approaches being perpendicular to the path PB taken by boat  52 . 
     As dodger  10  moves from its inner position (where the dodger is designated  10 ′) to its outer position (where the dodger is designated  10 ), the velocity of lure  44  is increased from a velocity substantially equal to zero to a higher velocity due to the outward movement of dodger  10 . This motion of lure  44  is illustrated in  FIG. 8D  where the path of lure  44  is designated as “P 44 ”. Lure  44  goes from a position P 1  to a position P 2  where its velocity is increased from substantially zero to a higher velocity. 
     As dodger  10  moves from its outer position  10  to its inner position  10 ′, leader line  42  relaxes and the velocity of lure  44  is decreased from a higher velocity to a velocity substantially equal to zero due to the inward/rearward movement of dodger  10 . This motion of lure  44  is illustrated in  FIG. 8D  where lure  44  goes from a position along the path P 44  between point P 1  and point P 2  where it has a higher velocity due to its forward motion to a position along the path P 44  between point P 2  and point P 3  where the forward velocity of lure  44  is substantially zero. 
     Thus, during trolling the dodger  10  imparts a start-stop action to the motion of the lure or baited hook  44  which is highly attractive to fish. 
     In addition, as dodger  10  moves from its inner position to its outer position, noise making member  34  slides from abutment with starboard end  32  of slot  30  into abutment with port end  32 ′ of slot  30 , thereby generating a noise. As dodger  10  moves from its outer position to its inner position, the process is reversed and noise making member  34  slides from abutment with port end  32 ′ into abutment with starboard end  32  of slot  30  to generate a noise. 
     The trolling motion of the of the prior art attractors described in  FIGS. 1-3  are illustrated in  FIGS. 8A-C , wherein the arrows PB indicate the direction of the trolling boat. 
       FIG. 8A  represents the motion of the rear leader attachment of a typical prior art flasher  110  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , which is substantially a straight line with the attached lure  114  having a substantially constant velocity. 
       FIG. 8B  represents (in two dimensions) the motion of the prior art flasher  210  described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,456 illustrated in  FIG. 2 , which is substantially a barrel-roll motion, in-and-out of the plane of the drawing, with the attached lure  214  having a substantially constant velocity. 
       FIG. 8C  represents the motion of the rear leader attachment of a typical prior art dodger  310  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , which is substantially a wig-wag motion with the attached lure  314  having a substantially constant velocity. 
       FIG. 8D  represents the motion of the rear leader attachment of the dodger  10  of the present invention, as described above. 
     The dodger of the present invention widens the trolling path by at least twenty feet compared to traditional dodgers, and allows a choice of how wide the path will be by leading attachment opening selection, the openings closest to the edge providing a wider swing out. This is shown in  FIG. 9  wherein the distance TWN represents the width of the trolling path of prior art attractors. The distance TWN plus TW 1  plus TW 2  represents the total width of the trolling path using the dodgers  10 ,  10 ′,  110 , and  110 ′ of the present invention. 
     It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments of this invention without departing from the underlying principles thereof. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.