Abstract:
The present invention is a method for securing a soft bait on a fishing hook. The method includes using one or more stay pieces slidable along a hook shaft to prevent undesired movement of the soft bait on the hook shaft.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to features of a fishing hook, more particularly structures for maintaining a position of a soft bait on a fishing hook. 
   The prior art describes that a soft plastic or elastomeric shape may be used as a lure when securely attached to a fishing hook. These soft plastic or elastomeric shapes have come to be known as “soft baits”, partly because they may be compressed, stretched, and even broken in two with the force supplied by a user&#39;s hands. Soft baits are often colored and made into shapes similar to live baits used by fishermen. A popular and highly effective soft bait is one formed like a relatively long worm such as a night crawler. Other well known shapes of soft baits include a crawfish, insects, salamanders, small to mid size fish, as well as shapes that have no known analog to a live bait. It has been speculated that soft baits do not act like their live bait analogs when being drawn through the water to attract game fish. However, soft baits as they are drawn through the water do in fact attract game fish very well, even when many other baits and lures do not work at all. 
   Soft baits usually consist of a single soft and elastomeric material or polymer. The soft and pliable nature of soft baits make them easy to lose in typical fishing situations. Carolina and Texas “riggin” or rigging are forms of setting a fishing hook in a soft bait. Generally, the object of these forms of rigging is to connect the soft bait to specific locations on the hook to maximize security (the tendency to stay connected to a hook)  and obstacle shielding (avoiding hooking underwater weeds and branches). It is well known to introduce a fishing hook point in a soft bait and draw the hook through the soft bait until a part of the soft bait is located covering or near the hook&#39;s fishing line connector. Another part of the soft bait is simultaneously or later drawn onto the hook point to shield it from underwater weeds or branches. 
   The above forms of rigging are effective for attracting fish and avoiding underwater obstructions to some degree. However, the simple act of dragging of the soft bait underwater for trolling often pulls the soft bait from its forward position covering or near the hook&#39;s fishing line connection. This act in turn pushes the soft bait covering the hook point from its shielding position. The hook point shielding is lost and the intended trolling form is drastically changed so that the entire hook and soft bait wobble instead of moving smoothly through the water. There is a need for a structure to improve the security of soft baits on fishing hooks. 
   Fish that are likely to be drawn to soft baits often gather in areas of underwater plants, weeds and branches. These fish seek protection from other predator fish and waterfowl. While soft baits are effective, their use can be limited where a user suspects that they will lose their soft bait by water drag or contact with underwater weeds or branches. Prior art devices have not effectively supported soft baits on relatively slender fishing hooks from these underwater hazards. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is one or more barbs and/or one or more movable stay pieces on a fishing hook to prevent a soft bait from moving from its desired setting. In a simplest embodiment, an elastomeric or polymeric stay piece is movable along a shaft of a fishing hook and is secured adjacent to an outside surface of a soft bait. The stay piece has a broad surface abutting the soft bait so that the soft bait cannot easily move past that broad surface and down the hook shaft where the stay piece is located. 
   In a preferred embodiment of a method for using the stay piece, a part of a soft bait is threaded onto a fishing hook in the manner of Texas or Carolina rigging. In that style of rigging, a part of the soft bait covers or is near the hook&#39;s fishing line connection. A  stay piece is moved on hook&#39;s shaft from a distal position to the hook&#39;s fishing line connection to a more proximal position abutting an outside surface of the soft bait. 
   In a more preferred embodiment, the stay piece comprises a threadable end and an abutting end, where the hook&#39;s shaft passes in one of the ends and out the other. The threadable end comprises a relatively small surface area radial from an axis of the hook&#39;s shaft. The abutting end comprises a relatively large surface area radial from an axis of the hook&#39;s shaft. The stay piece formed in this way is threaded onto the hook&#39;s shaft so that the threadable end is pointed toward the hook&#39;s point and the abutting end is pointed toward the hook&#39;s fishing line connection. The stay piece is threaded onto the hook&#39;s shaft before drawing a soft bait onto the hook. The stay piece is located relatively far from the hook&#39;s fishing line connection. The soft bait is drawn onto the hook in the manner of Texas or Carolina rigging. In that style of rigging, a part of the soft bait covers or is near the hook&#39;s fishing line connection. However, in the invention method, a leading surface of the soft bait drawn onto the hook&#39;s point is drawn up the hook&#39;s shaft until it reaches the threadable end of the stay piece. This leading surface of the soft bait is soft enough so that a user can use finger pressure to push the soft bait into the threadable surface, causing the stay piece to be enveloped by the soft bait. The user continues to push the soft bait up the hook&#39;s shaft while the stay piece remains in place on the hook&#39;s shaft. As the user continues to push the soft bait up the hook&#39;s shaft and over the stay piece, the stay piece emerges from the soft bait. The soft bait is then positioned over or near the hook&#39;s fishing line connection. The stay piece is then moved up the hook&#39;s shaft so that the abutting end abuts an outside surface of the soft bait. 
   In the previous method, the abutting end of the stay piece prevents the soft bait from being pushed back down the hook&#39;s shaft. The stay piece prevents the soft bait from being pushed out its desired position by the drag of water or contact with underwater weeds or branches. Referring to use of the invention combination of soft bait, hook and stay piece, the combination can be drawn by fishing line through water to be affected by water drag and contact with solid objects. However, the stay piece (and/or one or more barbs on the hook) will resist substantially prevent the soft bait from being moved down  the hook&#39;s shaft. The stay piece, as described above, has an abutting end that presses against an outside surface of a soft bait when the combination is in underwater forward motion. The abutting end may be flat, concave or comprise flexible extensions adapted to pass through soft bait. 
   Each stay piece comprises an effective radial diameter. This effective radial diameter is measured from a central axis of the stay piece. The central axis is approximately where the hook&#39;s shaft is located when the stay piece is threaded onto that shaft. The radial diameter of each stay piece is relatively small. This effective radial diameter is small enough so that when the stay piece is drawn through the soft bait, the passing of the stay piece will not substantially affect the soft bait structure. If an effective radial diameter is too large, the act of its passing through the soft bait will so enlarge an internal path that the soft bait will be easily drawn over the abutting end of the stay piece in use. The abutting end is adapted to retain the soft bait in place but also to have a small enough effective radial diameter so that the soft bait is not damaged by the stay piece&#39;s passage through the soft bait. 
   The present invention also includes threading stay pieces into other places on a fishing hook shaft to maintain the location of a soft bait on a hook&#39;s shaft. Where practical, stay pieces can be set on one or both sides of a soft bait regardless of the location of the soft bait on a hook&#39;s shaft. 
   In one embodiment, a stay piece can be set so that its abutting end is adjacent to a part of a soft bait covering a point of a fishing hook. The stay piece keeps underwater weeds and branches from substantially pushing the soft bait from a shielding position when being drawn through the water. However, a fish strike will deliver enough force to drive the soft bait past the abutting end and expose the hook&#39;s point to set the fish on the hook. 
   In another embodiment, two stay pieces are set on a hook&#39;s shaft adjacent to a threaded-on part of a soft bait. The part of a soft bait is bracketed by the abutting ends of stay pieces. In this position, the threaded-on part of the soft bait cannot move in either direction on the hook&#39;s shaft.  
   Many of the most supple and desirable of soft baits are easily cut or smashed. If soft baits are sufficiently cut or smashed, such soft baits cannot be secured in place or held at all on a fishing hook. The present invention uses stay pieces to dramatically improve the security and shielding function of soft baits on fishing hooks. However, no structure can entirely prevent loss of a soft bait from a fishing hook. If a structure can entirely prevent such a loss, the material being used on the fishing hook is not a soft bait. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of an invention hook with a stay barb and stay piece. 
       FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  are respectively side, abutting end, and cross section views of a first type of stay piece. 
       FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  are respectively side, abutting end, and cross section views of a second type of stay piece. 
       FIGS. 8 ,  9  and  10  respectively show first, second and third threading-on steps for a cross section view of a stay piece onto a hook&#39;s shaft. 
       FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  13  respectively show first, second and third threading-on steps for threading a soft bait onto a fishing hook&#39;s point and upward on the hook&#39;s shaft past a stay piece on the hook&#39;s shaft. 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  show side views of the stay piece of  FIG. 13  moved adjacent to a part of the soft bait on the hook&#39;s shaft in  FIG. 13 . 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  show side views of respectively setting a stay piece close to a hook&#39;s fishing line connection and subsequently leaving the stay piece embedded in a soft bait drawn over the stay piece. 
       FIGS. 18 and 19  respectively show two stay pieces holding in place on a hook&#39;s shaft an end and middle part of a soft bait. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is now discussed with reference to the figures.  
     FIG. 1  shows a fishing hook  100  comprises a barbed end  101  continuing to shaft sections  102 ,  103  and  104 , ending in section  105  that comprises a fishing line connection. The fishing line connection can be a simple closed loop of hook  100  metal. 
   Sections  104  and/or  105  optionally comprise one or stay barbs as generally shown for stay barb  106 . Stay barbs are continuous with and are formed from the shaft material of section  104  or  105 . Stay barbs are adapted to retain a soft bait drawn over them and left embedded therein. Barbs  106  are not entirely effective in retaining a soft bait on sections  104  and/or  105  during trolling or other fishing operation. The invention stay pieces are used alone or in addition to the stay barbs in the invention. 
   Stay piece  107  is shown in  FIG. 1  threaded up to section  104 . Stay pieces according to the invention may have flat abutting ends  110  (as in  FIG. 3 ), may comprise extensions  113  from abutting end  117  (as in  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 ), or may be concave. The abutting ends of the invention stay pieces are adapted to resist passage of a soft bait over the stay piece if the abutting end is facing opposite the direction of motion of the soft bait. 
     FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  show a stay piece  107  with a generally frustro conical shape. A sloped surface  108  extends from a threadable end  110 A to abutting end  110 . As more completely described above, the greatest effective radial diameter of stay piece  107  is that of abutting end  107 . Cross section  109  shows that stay piece  107  comprises a solid elastomer or polymer piece that may be pierced by a point of a fishing hook at either of ends  110  or  110 A and moved up a hook&#39;s shaft sections. When in position on a hook&#39;s shaft, substantial force is required to move a stay piece from that position due to compression of the hook&#39;s shaft by the solid body part of a stay piece. 
     FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  show an alternate stay piece  111  having an abutting end  117 , a threadable end  117 A, an outside surface  112 , and solid body part  115  in  FIG. 7  as the cross section  116  of  FIG. 6 . Stay piece  111  comprises extensions  113  from abutting end  117 . Extensions  113  are adapted to fold outward in direction  114  when impressed against an outside surface of a soft bait. Such extensions  113  give additional resistance to a soft bait being pushed against abutting end  117  and over the solid body part of stay piece  111 .  
     FIG. 8  shows the solid body  109  of a stay piece pierced by a fishing hook point in section  101 .  FIG. 9  shows that the shaft of section  101  runs through the body  109 .  FIG. 10  shows that body  109  can flex so that it can be moved along curved portions of a fishing hook. 
     FIG. 11  shows a soft bait  119  comprising tail section  119 , mid section  120  and head section  121 , where the point in section  101  of hook  100  has pierce and been threaded through head section  121 .  FIG. 12  shows that after the step of  FIG. 11 , section  121  is threaded up to hook shaft section  103  and encounters the threadable end of stay piece  107 . In the operation of moving from the representations of  FIGS. 12 and 13 , a user presses section  121  of the soft bait against the threadable end of stay piece  107  until the soft bait is pierced by the threadable end. The user then continues pushing the pierced part of soft bait section  121  over stay piece  107  until it clears the abutting end of stay piece  107 , as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     FIG. 14  shows that the pierced part of section  121  has been moved up to hook shaft section  105  so that barb  106  is embedded in section  121 . In addition, section  120  has been pierced by the hook point and threaded onto hook shaft section  101  so that the point and barb of the hook are protected by section  120 .  FIG. 15  shows that the abutting end of stay piece  107  has been moved up to hook shaft section  104  and presses against an outside surface of soft bait section  121 . 
     FIG. 15  shows an alternate embodiment of the invention stay pieces. Stay piece  122  is threaded onto shaft section  102  before the step of pressing soft bait section  120  onto hook shaft section  101 . When soft bait section  120  is pressed onto hook shaft section  101 , an abutting end of stay piece  122  is moved back up the hook&#39;s shaft to hook shaft section  101 . Stay piece is moved close to or adjacent to an outside surface of soft bait section  120  so that section  120  cannot easily pass down hook shaft section  101  to section  102  and leave the hook&#39;s point unprotected. 
     FIG. 16  shows the first step in embedding a stay piece  107  within a portion of a soft bait.  FIG. 17  shows where stay piece  107  is located during use of the combination.  FIG. 16  shows that stay piece  107  has been moved to hook shaft section  105  near barb  106  and that soft bait section is adjacent to the threadable end of  stay piece  107 .  FIG. 17  shows that after the step of  FIG. 16  the soft bait section  121  has been moved to embed barb  106  and stay piece  107 . 
     FIGS. 18 and 19  show hooks that have two stay pieces with their abutting ends bracketing a soft bait on a hook shaft.  FIGS. 18 and 19  show that stay pieces  123  and  124  prevent, respectively, soft bait sections  121  and  120  from moving along hook shaft section  102 . 
   It is preferred that the frustro conical solid bodies of stay pieces have small, threadable end diameters of 0.5 to 5 millimeters and large, abutting end diameters of from 2 to 10 millimeters. In this embodiment, the effective radial diameter is from 2 to 5 millimeters. The choice of end diameters for frustro conical solid bodies will depend on the diameter or hook shafts and qualities of the elastomer or polymer of the soft bait according to the objects of the invention. 
   The above design options will sometimes present the skilled designer with considerable and wide ranges from which to choose appropriate apparatus and method modifications for the above examples. However, the objects of the present invention will still be obtained by that skilled designer applying such design options in an appropriate manner.