Abstract:
A device for urging a fishing lure to a greater depth in the water and altering the action of a fishing lure by causing the fishing lure to move upwardly and downwardly at intervals when trolled behind a moving boat to enhance the attractiveness of the fishing lure to the fish.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a fishing aid, and more particularly to a trolling plane for varying the depth of a trolled lure.  
           [0002]    When fishing, it is necessary to bring the lure to the fish. This is relatively easy to do when fishing in shallow water or for species of fish that inhabit shallow water. The lure is merely attached to a line, which is pulled, or trolled, behind a boat. The depth of the lure can be varied by varying the length of the line towing the lure. That is, the more line the operator lets out, the deeper the lure will troll. When seeking deep water dwelling species of fish, the problem becomes getting a lure to sufficient depth where the fish are found, however, a point is reached where regardless of how much line is let out, the lure will troll no deeper.  
           [0003]    To increase the depth that a fishing lure seeks or trolls at many devices have been tried. Conventional methods for causing a lure to troll deeper have included adding weights to the line to drag the lure deeper, adding planer elements to the line to draw the lure deeper. These planer elements are commonly called otter boards, trolling planes, or other regional names. Another conventional method of drawing a lure deeper is to use a separate line to pull a downrigger ahead of the lure so that the downrigger is set to the selected depth and the lure is attached to the downrigger.  
           [0004]    While all of the aforementioned devices will allow deeper trolling of a fishing lure, none of them address the problem that fish do not normally swim in a straight line. Thus, a lure that is trolled in a straight line will appear “artificial” to a fish. Various methods of producing erratic movement of the lure have been tried including various lips or planes added to the lure to cause the lure to dart left or right; or up and down. While the added lips and planes do work, the degree of movement provided is limited and the movement tends to be patterned unlike the erratic movements of a bait fish. In some instances, the lips or planes have been built in to the lure which makes the lure more smooth and streamlined, but, this form has the same benefits and limits of the external lips or planes.  
           [0005]    In some instances, attempts to provide erratic movement is done by operator action, that is the operator will alternately bring in and let out line to cause the lure to rise and fall becoming more similar to the movement of a bait fish. While the manual operation or jigging will cause the lure to move more erratically, the effectiveness of jigging lessens as the amount of line in the water increases until a point is reached where the jigging of the operator is virtually ineffective. Additionally, when a down rigger on a separate line is used to bring the lure deeper, the operator is prevented from jigging.  
           [0006]    Various devices have been used in attempts to provide the desired erratic movement for fishing lures. Most are at best, or limited use in that they will work effectively only with lures or a certain size, or at certain depths.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The invention as disclosed herein is a trolling device, and more particularly is an active trolling plane for imparting an erratic movement to the towed lure. The fishing lure elevator consists of a main body plane with a stabilizing keel and a leading canard type lip which is moved in relation to the main body to cause the fishing lure elevator to move alternately upwardly and downwardly to emulate the erratic darting movement of a bait fish.  
           [0008]    The fishing lure elevator is placed between the fishing lure and the operator and may be attached directly to the fishing line or the fishing line may be affixed first to a downrigger. As the fishing lure elevator is drawn through the water the forward canard lip is mechanically powered between up positions and down positions to cause the trailing lure to move up and down in somewhat erratic movement. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the fishing lure elevator in use showing the relationship among the elements necessary to utilize the fishing lure elevator.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the fishing lure elevator.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is an overhead plan view of the fishing lure elevator.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a partial cut away view of the actuating mechanism taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    Looking first to FIG. 1, which shows the fishing lure elevator  10  being used with a separate downrigger  12  to impart movement to a fishing lure  14 . The apparatus is towed by a boat  16 . The fishing line  18  runs from a reel (not shown) on the fishing rod  20  through the water to the fishing lure elevator  10  and thence to the fishing lure  14 . A separate downrigger line  22  is used to position the downrigger  12 . The downrigger line  22  is stored on a downrigger reel  24  and may be let out a selected amount to place the downrigger  12  and thence the fishing lure  14  at a selected depth. The fishing line  18  is hitched to downrigger  12  using a conventional method of removable attachment such as clips or other removable attachment mechanism. There are many conventional methods of removable attachment that are well known in the art and readily available.  
         [0014]    The fishing lure elevator  10  as shown in greater detail in FIG. 2, where the fishing lure elevator  10  is composed of the main body  30  and the forward or canard lip  32 . The body  30  has a keel  34  extending downwardly from the body  30  to stabilize the fishing lure elevator  10 . A motor housing  26  may be located atop the body  30  containing a motor  28  and the related mechanism for moving the canard lip  32  with respect to the body  30 .  
         [0015]    The canard lip  32  extends forward of the body  30  and is attached to the body  30  using a hinge mechanism  33 . The hinge mechanism  33  may be any of a numerous hinge mechanisms, such as a flexible area between the body  30  and the canard lip  32  or a pin and knuckle hinge. The canard lip further includes a fishing line attachment  19  for attaching the fishing line  14 .  
         [0016]    The keel  34  is preferably located at right angles to the plane of the body  30  and has additional weights  36  along the located proximate the lower edge. The weights  36  ballast the fishing lure elevator  10  in the position, as shown in FIG. 2, for stability. A lure line  38  is attached to the rear portion of the body  30  using the lure line attachment  39  and the lure line  38  extends therefrom to the fishing lure  14 . It is preferred that a swivel  40  is interposed between the lure line  38  and the body  30 . While the swivel  40  is not necessary, it is advantageous to use a swivel  40  to prevent the fishing lure  14  from twisting the lure line  38 , even when using a fishing lure  14  that does not rotate. When a rotating fishing lure  14  is used, the swivel  40  becomes necessary or the twisted lure line  38  will affect the action of the fishing lure  14 . Without a swivel  40 , there can be excessive twisting of the lure line  38  to a degree that the fishing lure elevator  10  may be destabilized.  
         [0017]    The body  30  may be formed from a thin sheet of any suitable material, such as plastic, glass filled plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. The keel  34  is likewise formed from a thin sheet of any suitable material, such as plastic, glass filled plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. The selection of materials effects other facets of the fishing lure elevator  10 , for example, should the fishing lure elevator  10  be fabricated from metal, then the keel  34  would be attached to the body  30  by welding or brazing and the weights  36  may be formed integral with the keel  34 . However, when the fishing lure elevator  10  is formed from a plastic material, the keel  34  may be formed integral with the body  30 , but, the weights  36  must be formed from a denser material, such as lead, and added to the keel  34 .  
         [0018]    The canard lip  32  may be formed from the same materials as described for forming the body  30  above. It is preferred that the canard lip  32 , the body  30  and the keel  34  be constructed from the same material. The canard lip  32  is linked to the body  30  through the hinge mechanism  33 . The hinge mechanism  33  allows the canard lip  32  to be moved among positions of approximately “A” and “B” as shown in FIG. 2. When the canard lip  32  is in the “down” position, as indicated by “A,”the fishing lure elevator  10  is urged downwardly in the water and will dive to the extent allowed by the length of the line between the fishing lure elevator  10  and the downrigger  12 . Similarly, when the canard lip  32  is in the “up” position as indicated by “B” in FIG. 2, the fishing lure elevator  10  with be urged upwardly in the water to the extent allowed by the length of the line between the fishing lure elevator  10  and the downrigger  12 .  
         [0019]    While there are many different methods of moving the canard lip  32  among the “up” and “down” positions, of necessity, all cannot be discussed. In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the motor  28  is a stepper motor and actuates the movement through a gear  42  and sector  44  arrangement. The gear  42  is affixed to the output shaft of the motor  28  and the sector  44  is formed on trailing edge of the canard lip  32  proximate the hinge mechanism  33  and is located to engage the gear  42 . In its simplest construction, the a battery or other power source is located in the motor housing  26  to power the motor  28  along with a very simple control circuit that cycles the canard lip  32  between an “up” position” and a “down” position, allowing a pre-selected time to elapse before actuating the cycling. Timing circuits for this control are well known in the art and readily available and may be miniaturized quite easily.  
         [0020]    Alternately, the power source and control circuit may be removed from the motor housing  26  and the motor  28  connected through waterproof wiring to a power supply and control circuit that remains on the boat  16 . In this form, the power supply can be either a larger battery or the fishing lure elevator  10  can take power from the power supply of the boat  16 . Moving the control circuitry and power source from the fishing lure elevator  10  to the boat  16  also allows a physically larger power supply and a more complex controller.  
         [0021]    When using electrical controls, the movement of the canard lip  32  and therefore the fishing lure elevator  10  can be varied from the simple example previously disclosed or can be much more complicated by allowing the various parameters such as changing the angle of the canard lip  32  with respect to the body  30 , allowing the canard lip  32  to assume multiple “up” and “down” positions; or altering the time the canard lip remains an “up” or “down” position before being moved to a “down” or “up” position.  
         [0022]    In another alternate embodiment, the control circuitry is controlled by a microprocessor which allows the user to set the parameters. The user can set the “up” and “down” angle of the canard lip  32  to increase or decrease the distance the fishing lure  14  departs from a straight path. The user can also set the time the canard lip  32  remains in one position before moving to the alternate position, again effecting the path taken by the fishing lure  14 . Alternately, the parameters can generated by the microprocessor and be random or at least pseudo-random. With all of the parameters randomized, the canard lip  32  would be placed in randomly determined “up” angle for a random length of time, the canard lip  32  would then be moved to a randomly selected “down” angle for another random length of time. These settings would impart an erratic movement to the fishing lure  14 .  
         [0023]    In the electrical embodiments of the fishing lure elevator  10  miniaturization of the controls would allow user setable controls to be integrated with the motor housing  26  so that the fishing lure elevator  10  would be setable without necessitating a separate control module.  
         [0024]    In another electrical embodiment of the fishing lure elevator  10 , (not shown) the motor  28 , gear  42  and sector  44  are replaced with a solenoid and toggle linkage where the solenoid toggles the canard lip  32  between its “up” and “down” position while the linkage is arranged so that the canard lip  32  is held in either the “up” or “down” position by the linkage. In this embodiment, the canard lip  32  is either up or down and there can be no moderation of the angle of the canard lip  32  without changing linkage.  
         [0025]    In any of the remotely controlled electrical embodiments of the fishing lure elevator  10  there may be a selectable third position for the canard lip  32  s(not shown). The third position is to place the canard lip  32  coplanar with the body  30  so that after a fish has been hooked, the canard lip  32  movement does not inhibit the recovery of the fish.  
         [0026]    In another alternate embodiment, (not shown) the energy necessary to move the canard lip  32  with respect to the body is derived from the motion of the fishing lure elevator  10  through the water. A water wheel such as a pelton wheel can be located to extend below the body  30  and into the water flow to collect energy for storage in a spring. When the spring has stored sufficient energy, the energy is released to move the canard lip  32  to its alternate position. The actuation mechanism may be the gear  42  and sector  44  linkage described previously with regard to the electrical embodiments, or the toggle linkage similar to the toggle linkage as described previously.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 shows an alternate canard lip  32  is shown. In this embodiment a central opening  31  is shown where the fishing line may be attached near the hinge  33  and extend forward through the opening  31 . The opening  31  is a vertical slot that allows the line to remain in a constant location relative to the device  10  as the canard lip  32  toggles up and down.  
         [0028]    In its use, the operator must first prepare the fishing lure elevator  10  for use by attaching a fishing line  14  to the fishing line attachment  19  of the canard lip  32  and attaching a swivel  40  to the lure line attachment  39  and attaching the lure line  38  thereto. A fishing lure  14  must then be selected. The operator selects the fishing lure  14  based on the desired species of fish being sought the experience, and quite often the whim of the operator.  
         [0029]    When the operator is using a fishing lure elevator  10  having integrated control with setable settings, the operator will then check and if deemed appropriate reset the settings may be changed, for example, may wish to have a longer time elapse between up and down cycles of the fishing lure elevator  10 , if so, the operator changes the appropriate setting.  
         [0030]    When the use of a downrigger  12  is desired, the operator must determine the distance behind the downrigger  12  that the fishing lure elevator  10  will be towed. The operator will then removably attach the fishing line  14  to the downrigger  12 .  
         [0031]    With or without a downrigger  12 , the fishing lure elevator  10  with attached lure is then dropped over the stern of the boat  16  and the boat  16  powered allowing the fishing lure elevator  10  to sink below the surface of the water to a depth set by either the depth of the downrigger  12  or the length of fishing line  18  that is let out. At this point, the fishing lure  14  is ready to be fished.  
         [0032]    When the fishing lure  14  is being fished, the fishing lure  14  is trolled through the water by the movement of the boat  16  and whatever movements inherent in the fishing lure  14  are manifest.  
         [0033]    As the fishing lure elevator  10  and fishing lure  14  are trolled through the water, the canard  32  starts in either an up or down position which will be arbitrarily be the “down” position, as shown by “A” in FIG. 2, the fishing lure elevator  10  is drawn downwardly. After the appropriate lapse of time or distance, the motor  28  is energized to move the canard lip  32  into an “up” position as shown by position “B” in FIG. 2 thusly elevating the fishing lure elevator  10  in the water. Again, after the appropriate lapse of time or distance, the motor  28  is again energized to move the canard lip  32  back to the position as shown by “A” in FIG. 2, and the cycle repeats.  
         [0034]    It is hoped that after a short period of time a fish will strike the fishing lure  14  and become impaled on its hooks. Upon this pleasant happening, additional tension is placed upon the fishing line  14  releasing its removable attachment to the downrigger  12  allowing the fishing line  14  to be retrieved with the attached fish until the fish is close enough to the boat  16  to be landed. When a remotely controlled electrical fishing lure elevator  10  is being used, the user preferably selects the retrieve position for the canard lip  32  to facilitate the recovery of the fish.  
         [0035]    With the fish thusly landed, or, after the hooked fish escapes, the operator performs the steps necessary to ready the fishing lure elevator  10  for another troll, as described above. At the conclusion of the fishing expedition the fishing lure elevator  10  and the fishing lure  14  are recovered to the boat  16 , and if necessary, powered down, and replace in its storage location.  
         [0036]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.