Patent Publication Number: US-4057927-A

Title: Reverse action weedless hook

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed towards an improved weedless fishhook that will not become snagged in weeds, logs, moss, coral, limbs or rock and that will force the point into the flesh of a fish that bites for bait live or artificial that is attached to it. As will be explained below, this invention utilizes a piece of wire that is bent in its normal position, and that is normally hooked under the barb of the fishhook. In this position the barb is shielded from becoming entangled in weeds and the like. However, when a fish bites on bait that is impaled upon the hook shank, the spring jumps out from underneath the barb and forces the point into the flesh of the fish&#39;s mouth, making a catch more likely. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a user setting the spring in the invention to its tension set position. 
     FIG. 2 shows the invention in its tension set state. 
     FIG. 3 shows the invention in its &#34;tripped&#34; normal state. 
     FIG. 4 shows the spring in its &#34;tension&#34; state. 
     FIG. 5 shows the spring in the normal state. 
     FIG. 6 shows how the spring in its &#34;tripped&#34; state clears the plastic worm impaled upon the hooks&#39; shank, leaving entire gap and point exposed inside the fish&#39;s mouth. 
     FIG. 7 shows the invention used with a weighted fishhook. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A J-shaped fishhook 10 has an eye 20 at the top of the J and an upwardly facing barb 30 at the bottom of the J. A spring generally indicated by 40 in FIG. 1 has a fixed end 50 that is wrapped around the fishhook near the eye and soldered thereto. The spring also has a movable end 60 that supports a small spherical (ball) weight 70 on its tip. It can be seen that the spring has three straight portions 80, 90 and 100, with portion 90 passing through the eye, and portions 80 and 100 being parallel to each other and perpendicular to portion 90. An outwardly curved portion 110 connects portion 100 with portion 60. 
     When in its tension state, the spring serves to prevent the barb from becoming entangled with weeds, logs, moss, rocks, limbs and the like, because the interior of the fishhook is closed off. However, when a fish bites bait impaled upon the shank of the hook, the movable end of the spring is unhooked from the barb and the ball 70 allows the movable end to move downwardly and outwardly with some force, forcing the point deeper into the flesh of the fish&#39;s mouth and also clearing the bait, leaving entire gap and point exposed as is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 with an artificial worm 120. The ball serves to maintain intact outward tension until the barb is released. 
     FIG. 7 shows the invention in use with a fishhook that has a weight 130 near the eye. To make sure that the spring clears the bait with sufficient clearance, the bends between portions 80, 90 and 100 can be adjusted. Bends 90, 100 and 110 can be adjusted for hair trigger or hard trigger, depending upon obstacles encountered while using. 
     It will be seen that the reverse action employed in this invention is opposite to that normally employed, hence the name &#34;reverse action weedless hook&#34;. This invention can be used both with live or artificial bait.