Abstract:
A fishers device that enables a hook and hook shaft to maintain a given compound angle with respect to a fishing line. A double eye hook has an upper eye and a lower eye connected by a lever arm. A fishing line can be attached to the upper eye and a tag line passes from the upper eye through the lower eye and the tag line is attached to a weighted member below the hook. The hook angle can be adjusted and once adjusted the fisher&#39;s device will maintain the desired angle. The arrangement improves the ability to hook a fish because the fisherman knows the hook is oriented with the hooking end up at all times, improving the ability to hook the fish in the roof of the mouth.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Provisional Applications: Provisional Application for Patent No. 60/433,938, filed Dec. 17, 2002, with the same title, “Fishers Device”, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i). 
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a device enabling a means of maintaining a desired orientation of a means of catching a fish, such as, but not restricted to, a hook, snare, artificial bait, or lure. 
     2. Background Information 
     Throughout history, man has struggled to advance the art of catching fish, for various and sundry reasons such as, but not restricted to, hunger, sport, sand assurances that he is smarter than the fish. 
     In using jig hooks, and related hardware, existing art has problems in that there is no sure way to maintain a hook at a desired angle to a line prior to a fish taking the hook and also inside a mouth of a fish. The hooks in the prior art tend to either fail to reliably, snag the fish and/or they can become lodged deep in the mouth of the fish where removal of the hook is difficult and catch and release of the fish is also difficult. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,664 to De Mello shows a prior art fishing lure. Primarily intended as a double hook, FIG. 1, &#39;664 does show in FIG. 4 a single hook 29 with an upper eye 27 a lower eye 25, a lever arm 26 between them and a hook shaft 28 held perpendicular to a line 10, and a weight 11. The De Mello patent is primarily designed to maintain the hook in a weedless (column 2 line 40) orientation and is designed to snag fish in the lower jaw. Since most fish dive down when taking bait and hook, and since the fisherman will pull up to set the hook, trying to hook the lower jaw (column 2, line 38) is the least desirable target in many cases. The De Mello patent contemplates only a single position with the hook shaft 28 perpendicular to the line 10 (column 2 line 30) and the hook end 31 in a downward orientation. Finally, the hook 29 of DeMello has a very long hook shaft 28, the hook shaft 28 being 4 or 5 times longer than the apparent diameter of the hook curve 30 of the hook 29. What the long hook shaft 28 means is that the hook end 31 is likely to hook the fish deep in the mouth or gut making catch and release impossible. 
     As will be seen, the present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention in the preferred embodiment is a fisher&#39;s device that enables a hook to maintain a given angular orientation with respect to a taut fishing line. The device comprises at least one lower eye and an upper eye separated by a lever arm such that a weight attached to the lower eye can maintain a fisher&#39;s device, such as a hook, in a desired angular orientation. Further, the present invention provides a fisher&#39;s device that will hook a fish in the upper lip taking full advantage of the natural movement of the fish, and the movement of the fisherman&#39;s line while preventing a penetration of the hook into the deep mouth or gut of the fish. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1 and 1A  illustrate an application of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2 and 2A  illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate the alternate embodiment. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate attachment of the preferred embodiment and of the alternate embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an attachment of the alternate embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a prior art device. 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  illustrate a third and fourth embodiment. 
         FIGS. 9A ,  9 B,  9 C and  9 D illustrate an attachment to the second fifth, sixth and seventh embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1  used in double hooking. 
         FIGS. 11 and 11A  illustrate an eighth embodiment. 
         FIGS. 12 and 12A  illustrate a ninth embodiment. 
         FIGS. 13 ,  13 A,  13 B, and  13 C illustrate tenth and eleventh embodiments. 
         FIGS. 14 ,  14 A,  14 B, and  14 C illustrate twelfth and thirteenth embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Refer to  FIGS. 1 and 1A , for a typical application of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a fishers device  100  on a taut fishing line  20 , off a fisher&#39;s rod  3 , used in conjunction with a weight  4  is illustrated. A fish  10  is shown in the process of biting on a hook loop  102  which is held in a desired angular orientation by the fisher&#39;s device  100 . In  FIG. 1 , the fishers device  100  holds a hook shaft  108  perpendicular to the taut fishing line  20 , with a hooking end  104  up. When the fish  10  bites on the hook loop  102 , the hook loop  102  is positioned so as to snag the fish  10  in such a way that the mouth  10 B of the fish  10  is snagged, but that the hook loop  102  is not deep enough in the mouth  10  B of the fish  10  that the fishing line  20  can be severed by the fish teeth  10 A. With the hooking end  104  up, after the fish bites, the hooking end  104  snags a roof  10  C of the mouth  10  B as shown in  FIG. 1A . The position of the hook loop  102  and line  20  keep the hook loop  102  from being swallowed deep into the mouth or gut of the fish  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 2A , the fishers device  100  comprises an upper eye  101 , a lower eye  103 , a hook shaft  108  and a hook loop  102 . A knot  5  secures the line  20  from the fisher&#39;s rod  3  to the upper eye  101  of the fishers device  100 . A tag line  6  of the knot  5  passes through the lower eye  103  down to the weight  4  which enables the hook shaft  108  to maintain it desired angle ‘a’ with respect to the line  20 . In this orientation, the hook shaft  108  is perpendicular to the line  20  and the hook loop  102  is oriented with the hooking end  104  up. There is a lever arm  106  between the upper  101  and lower  103  eyes. The weight  4  applies torque through this lever arm  106  to maintain the double eye hook fisher&#39;s device  100  in the desired angular orientation. The angular orientation of hook fisher&#39;s device  100  in the desired angular orientation. The angular orientation of the hook loop  102  is the only stable orientation possible, even while a fish is taking the hook loop  102 , the weight and tension in the lines  20  and  6  will continue to hold the hook loop  102  in the orientation shown with the hooking end  104  up. Thus, when a fisher pulls to set the hook loop  102 , the hooking end  104  is in the position set. The hook loop  102  has a diameter that is at least ½ the straight portion of the hook shaft  108 . A longer hook shaft  108  could cause the fish to swallow the hook loop  102  to a point deeper than would be desired. As can be seen the fishers device  100  can be formed from a single piece of wire. 
       FIG. 3  shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention, an open eye fishers device  200 . In this embodiment the lower eye  203  can be fully formed but the partial loop upper eye  201  may not be a fully closed loop. The partial loop upper eye  201  formed from a partial loop can be enough to allow for the knot  5  to be secured. This open eye fishers device  200  may be less expensive to manufacture than the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  also shows that the hook  202  will maintain the desired angular orientation set even as it is pulled through the water. In this case the weight  4  can continue to create a drag that can keep the hook loop  102  in position. 
       FIGS. 4  A and  4 B illustrate the ability of the open eye fishers device  200  to hold a variety of adjustable angular orientations. The angle ‘a’ has been illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as being perpendicular to the line  20 , however angle ‘a’ can be adjusted simply by bending the hook shaft  208  relative to the line  20 .  FIG. 4B  illustrates the hook shaft  208  bent downward to create a larger than 90 degree angle ‘a’.  FIG. 4A  illustrates that the hook  202  can also be bent as desired through an angle ‘b’ relative to the line  20 . The angle ‘b’ can be adjusted to any angle from 0-360 degrees. Thus the open eye fishers device  200  can be adjusted to any angle ‘a” or “b’, even when a fisher is on a bank of a pond or stream as the fisher prepares to fish. 
       FIG. 5A  shows an alternate way of attaching the open eye fishers device  200 . In this case conventional swivels  205  can attach to the partial loop upper  201  and lower  203  eyes. Again, the weight  4  can hold the hook  202  in any desired angular orientation.  FIG. 5B  shows another attachment approach. In  FIG. 5B  knots  5  can be tied at the upper  101  and lower  103  eyes. Though not shown, a variety of attachment approaches can be used such that the upper eye  101  is secured to the line  20  and the lower eye  103  is secured to the weight  4 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates another approach to attaching the alternate embodiment of  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 6  the line  20  can be tied to the partial loop upper eye  201  and then twisted around the lever arm section  206  and then the line  20  can pass through the lower eye  203  and on to the weight  4 . This approach can provide a very rigid attachment of the line  20  to the open eye fishers device  200 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a prior art device  700 . A bent hook  702  has a weight  704  molded to it. The prior art device could maintain the bent hook  702  in a desired orientation while in the water. But the attachment of the weight  704  directly to the bent hook  702  limits the amount of weight that could be used and often failed to maintain the proper orientation of the hook as the fish took the hook and could be swallowed too deeply by the fish as there is no tag line. 
     Refer to  FIGS. 8  A and  8 B for a third and fourth embodiment of the concept of the double eye hook device attached to leaders.  FIG. 8A  illustrates a leader device  800  having an upper eye  801  and a lower eye  803  separated by a lever arm  806 . An openable leader attachment  808  can be maintained at any orientation by the eyes.  FIG. 8B  illustrates a second leader embodiment  850  with upper eye  851  and lower eye  853  separated by a lever arm  856 . A closed leader attachment  858  can be maintained at any orientation. 
       FIGS. 9A ,  9 B,  9 C, and  9 D illustrate the concept of the double eye hook device attached to leaders applied to other fishing devices.  FIG. 9A  illustrates attachment of a rattle  910  to the lower eye  203  of the second embodiment of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 9B  illustrates a fifth embodiment of a headed lure  920  formed on a hook.  FIG. 9C  illustrates a sixth embodiment showing a multihook device  930 .  FIG. 9D  illustrates a seventh embodiment showing a lure body  940  attached to a fishing line  20  using the double eye device. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the use of the device of  FIG. 1  in setting up two fisher&#39;s devices  100  on one fishing line  20 . 
     Refer to  FIGS. 11 and 11A  for an eighth embodiment of a fishers device  1100 . The fishers device  1100  uses a conventional single eye hook  1000  having a single eye  1004 . The shaft  1008  of the single eye hook  1000  is sandwiched in a spring  1105  having an upper eye  1101  and a lower eye  1103 . The fishing line  20  passes through the upper eye  1101 , through the eye  1004  of the single eye hook  1000  and then through the lower eye  1103  and on to a weight  4 . The fishing line  20  can be tied to any one or all of the eyes  1004 ,  1101 ,  1103 . The shaft  1008  will maintain a perpendicular angle to the fishing line  20  in this embodiment, and the only adjustment would be to turn the single eye hook  1000  about the axis of the shaft  1008 . 
     Referring to the  FIGS. 12 and 12A , a ninth embodiment of the fisher&#39;s device  1200  is shown. This embodiment again employs a conventional single eye hook  1000 . The fisher&#39;s device  1200  includes a molded body portion  1205 . The conventional single eye hook  1000  has a shaft body  1008  that clips into a slot  1206  in the molded body portion  1205 . The slot  1206  is narrow enough to grip the shaft  1008  and thereby resiliently hold the shaft  1008  and single eye hook  1000  in place. The fishing line  20  is threaded through the single eye  1004  of the single eye hook  1000 , in this embodiment the eye  1004  forms the upper eye. The lower eye  1203  is molded into the lower portion of the molded body portion  1205 . The fishing line  20  threads through the lower eye  1203  and attaches to the weight  4 . In this embodiment the fishing line  20  can be tied to either or both the upper  1004  and lower  1203  eyes. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 13 and 13A , a tenth embodiment fishers device  1299  comprises a hook  1300  comprising a hook shaft  1310 , an upper eye  130 , and a lower eye  1303  connected by a lever arm  1304 , wherein a weight  1303  is attached to the lower eye  1303 . The tenth embodiment further comprises a lure  1350 . The line  20  attaches to the upper eye  1301 . The weight  1303 , in the preferred embodiment, is free to swivel as indicated by the directional arrow. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 13B and 13C , an eleventh embodiment fishers device  1399  comprises a bent hook  1400  comprising a hook shaft  1410 , an upper eye  1401 , and a lower eye  1403 . Said eyes  1401  and  1403  are connected by a lever arm  1404 . A weight  1403  is attached to the lower eye  1403 . In the preferred embodiment, the weight  1403  is free to swivel as indicated by the directional arrow. The eleventh embodiment  1399  further comprises a lure  1350 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 14C , a twelfth embodiment fishers device  1500  comprises a hook  1501  with an upper eye  1502  molded within a weight  1503 . The line  20  is tied to the upper eye  1502  and then passes through an aperture  1504  in the weight  1503 . The aperture  1504  serves as a lower eye. The distance from the upper eye  1502  to the aperture  1504  serves as a lever arm. The hook angle “a” is adjustable by bending the hook  1501  with respect to the upper eye  1502 . The line  20  would be attached to at least one weight such as, but not restricted to, the weight  4  shown in  FIG. 1 , to obtain a taut line  20 . The angle “a” can be varied by bending the hook  1501 . The hook  1501  is sufficiently stiff to maintain the angle “a”.  FIG. 14  is a cutaway of  FIG. 14C . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 14A and 14B , a thirteenth embodiment fishers device  1600  comprises the hook  1501  with the upper eye  1502 , and a lower eye  1510  wherein the hook  1501  and the lower eye  1510  are molded within a weight  1602 . The line  20  is secured to the upper eye  1502 , passed around the weight  1602 , and through the lower eye  1510  to at least one weight such as, but not restricted to, the weight  4  shown in  FIG. 1 , to obtain a taut line  20 . The distance from the upper eye  1502  to the lower eye  1510  serves as a lever arm. The angle a can be varied by bending the hook  1501 . The hook  1 ′ 501  is stiff enough to maintain the angle “a”.  FIG. 14B  is a cutaway of  FIG. 14A . 
     Although the description and drawings above contain many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.