Patent Publication Number: US-2013247443-A1

Title: Swim Bait

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to terminal tackle. More specifically, the invention is an artificial fishing bait with a hook connected to and extending through an opening in the body with the hook tip resting within a channel formed on the dorsum of the body. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Swim bait is a class of artificial bait that generally has a molded plastic body designed to imitate a bait fish. Swim bait typically includes one or more hooks extending from the top or bottom of the body. Typically, the lure bodies are sold separately from the hooks, meaning that the fisherman must rig to the lure and dispose the hooks through the body prior to use. 
     This design, however, often results in the hook or hooks catching or snagging on obstructions during use, especially in shallow water where vegetation and debris tend to grow and accumulate. In addition to possibly losing the lure, should the hooks catch on such obstructions, the fisherman wastes time removing the vegetation or tying on another lure. 
     Another problem with plastic-body lures is the tendency of the lures to tear or rip during use. In such cases, the fisherman has to dispose a new hook through a new lure body, which can be a time-consuming process, to make sure the hook is properly aligned in the mid-sagittal plane of the lure body for proper presentation. 
     Some lures position the hook tip into a small portion of the body in an attempt to keep the lure from obstructions. One drawback to this approach, however, is that positioning the hook under the surface of the plastic adds a great deal of resistance to movement of the hook, resulting in relatively more failed hook sets because the hook must penetrate through the plastic in order to embed the hook point in the fish&#39;s mouth. Many times, this results in the fisherman pulling the lure out of a targeted fish&#39;s mouth before the hook can penetrate the plastic. 
     Thus, a need exists for an improved artificial lure that reduces the chance of the hook snagging on environmental obstructions without reducing the chance of a proper hook set in a fish&#39;s mouth. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a fishing lure that can be fished in shallow/skinny water, allowing the fisherman to provide a life-like presentation of a bait fish while minimizing the time required for the removal of obstructions, such as vegetation and debris. The lure may also be fished in deep water. 
     The present invention comprises a hook that is protected by a channel formed in the dorsum of the body shielding the hook tip from obstructions. As such, any vegetation or debris will move past the lure without entangling the hook as the line moves relative to the fishing environment. 
     The present invention comprises a body having an anterior end, a posterior end, a dorsum, and a ventrum, with the body being defined by an anteroposterior axis within a mid-sagittal plane. The body comprises at least one surface defining a dorsal channel in the dorsum. An opening extends through the body between the dorsum and the ventrum. A hook having a hook eyelet, a shank, a bend and a tip, the hook eyelet is fastened to an eyelet and extends through the opening. In the set position, the hook tip rests in the dorsal channel, with lateral movement of the bend being limited by the sidewall of the opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom elevation of the preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a side partial sectional elevation of the preferred embodiment through the mid-sagittal plane. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial sectional side elevation of the preferred embodiment with the hook in a position to set in an attacking fish&#39;s mouth. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of a lure  20  having the features of the present invention, which comprises a body  22  having an anteroposterior axis  24 , an anterior end  25  terminating in a snout  26 , a posterior end  28 , a dorsum  30 , and a ventrum  32 . The body  22  is in the general shape of a bait fish with a caudal fin  34 , and a belly portion  36 , and a tail section  38 . The anteroposterior axis  24  lies within the midsagittal plane, which bisects the left lateral and right lateral halves of the body. 
     A dorsal channel  40  is formed in the body  22  aligned with anteroposterior axis and intersecting the mid-sagittal plane. The dorsal channel  40  extends from a first dorsal position  42  located proximal to or at the midpoint of the dorsum  30  to a second dorsal position  44  anterior of the caudal fin  34 . 
     The dorsal channel  40  is defined by a channel surface  46 . More specifically, the dorsal channel  40  is the volume defined by the channel surface  46  and the curvature of the body  22  that would exist absent the channel  40 . In the embodiment described herein, the channel surface  46  is a single continuously-curved surface having a concave profile. Alternative embodiments anticipate the dorsal channel  40  being defined by multiple adjacent planar surfaces, which may have a V-shaped, U-shaped or other profile. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  ventral cavity  48  is formed in the body  22  and aligned with the anteroposterior axis  24  and intersecting the mid-sagittal plane. The ventral channel  48  extends from a first ventral position  50  to a second ventral position  52  anterior of the caudal fin  34 . The ventral channel  48  is defined by a channel surface  54 . More specifically, the ventral channel  48  is the volume defined by the channel surface  54  and the curvature of the body that  22  would exist absent the channel  48 . In the embodiment described herein, the channel surface  54  is a single, continuously-curved surface having a concave profile. An opening  56  intersects the mid-sagittal plane and extends between the dorsal channel  40  and the ventral channel  48 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a wire  58  is disposed through the body  22  between the anterior end  25  and the ventral channel  48 . The wire  58  has an anterior eyelet  60  that extends from the snout  26 . The wire  58  has a posterior eyelet  62  positioned in the ventral channel  48 . The wire  58  is generally coplanar with the mid-sagittal plane. The wire  58  has a bent section  64 . 
     A hook  66  is attached to the posterior eyelet  62  and comprises an eye  68 , a shank  70 , a point  72 , a barb  74 , and a bend  76 . The eye  682  is connected to the posterior eyelet  62  of the wire  58  with a split ring  78 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the lure  20  in a “set” state—that is, a state in which it is desirable that the lure  20  be struck by an attacking fish. In this state, the shank  70  extends posteriorly from the ventral channel  48  generally toward the dorsal-ventral opening  56 . The hook  66  is positioned through the dorsal-ventral opening  56  with the point  72  resting in the dorsal channel  40 . Lateral movement of the hook  66  within the dorsal-ventral opening  56  is limited by the sidewall  57  of the dorsal-ventral opening  56 . 
     Use of the embodiment is initially described with reference to  FIG. 3 . The lure  20  is rigged by tying a line onto the anterior eyelet  60  and configuring the embodiment in a “set” state as described supra. Thereafter, the lure  20  can generally be fished without further manipulation. 
     When moving in an aquatic environment, the position of the split ring  78  within the ventral channel  48  inhibits entanglement with vegetation and debris. The shape of the body  22  tends to cause the lure  20  to maintain the lure in an upright position, in which the tip  72  tends to stay within the dorsal channel  40 . In this position, the shaft  70  is spaced from the ventral channel surface  54 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the lure  20  is struck with sufficient force by an attacking fish, the hook  70  will be forced from the position shown in  FIG. 3  and cause the hook  66  to rotate relative to the posterior eyelet  62  and move the tip  72  out of the dorsal channel  40 , allowing the hook  66  to set in the fish&#39;s mouth. In the event, however, of a failed hook set, the dorsal channel  40  in combination with the limited range of lateral movement of the hook allowed by the position of the opening sidewall  57  directs the hook tip  72  back to the “set” position shown in  FIG. 3 . In addition to the foregoing advantages, the bent portion  64  of the wire  58  inhibits movement of the wire  58  relative to the body  22  when the wire  58  is under tension from forces acting on the anterior eyelet  60  and posterior eyelet  62 . 
     The present invention is described in terms of a preferred embodiment in which a specific lure is described. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative embodiments of the lure can be used in carrying out the present invention. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a study of this disclosure and the drawings, along with the appended claims. Moreover, the recited order of the steps of the method described herein is not meant to limit the order in which those steps may be performed.