Abstract:
A storage device for bait rigs comprising a securing element having indentations for storing bait rigs by winding around the body and securing the hooks. The storage device may be used alone or it may be attached to a fishing pole with a bait rig installed to prevent tangling when not in use. When the storage device is attached to a fishing pole an optional case may surround the storage device for further protection from tangling.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 60/674,517 filed Apr. 25, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to the field of bait rigs, and devices and methods for storage thereof.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Fishing poles having bait rigs attached are used to catch fish bait in large volumes efficiently and quickly. Typically the bait rigs have multiple lines each with hooks varying in size and number. After use, the fishing poles typically are unable to be stored with the bait rigs still attached. Due to the length and number of the bait rig lines as well as the attached hooks, the bait rig often gets entangled with itself as well as the fishing pole. This disadvantage essentially renders the bait rigs as one-time-use or as disposable fishing accessories. They are difficult to store with a fishing pole without some entanglement occurring. Therefore a need exists for devices and methods for storage of bait rigs thereof that overcome at least one of the aforementioned deficiencies.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     A first aspect of the present is a device comprising: a securing element having a body with a fitting, wherein said fitting of said securing element is removably attachable to a fishing pole.  
         [0005]     A second aspect of the present invention is a device comprising: a case removably attachable to a fishing pole, said fishing pole having a bait rig attached and wherein said case encloses a portion of said fishing pole having said bait rig.  
         [0006]     A third aspect of the present invention is a method for storing bait rigs comprising: providing a securing element, wherein said securing element is removably attachable to a fishing pole, said fishing pole having a bait rig attached; attaching said securing element to a portion of said fishing pole; securing said bait rig to said securing element; providing a case removably attachable to said fishing pole; and enclosing said securing element having said bait rig and the portion of said fishing pole having said securing element within said case. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a securing element, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a case, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of a bait rig, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of the securing element in use, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a case in use, in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  depicts a second embodiment of a perspective view of a case in use, in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Although certain embodiments of the present invention will be shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc, and are disclosed simply as an example of an embodiment. The features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings. Although the drawings are intended to illustrate the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a securing element  10 , in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the securing element  10  may comprise a body  11 , fittings  12 , and line catches  13 . The body  11  may have a length  14  in a range from about 2 inches to about 6 inches and a height  15  in a range from about 0.5 inches to about 1 inch. The body  11  may be used for wrapping bait rig line around.  
         [0016]     The body  11  may have a form that includes general shapes selected from the group consisting of obloids, trapezoids, rectangles, squares, ellipses, circles, and combinations thereof. The body  11  may have indentations  16  on either side of the body  11 . The indentations or angled cutouts are at the ends of the body  11  that may form a bowl or lip to accept the bait rig line. The indentations  16  may form an angle  17  that that may be in a range from about 15° to about 45°. The indentations  16  may allow the bait rig line to be generally located at the vertex of the angle  17  when the bait rig line is wrapped around the body  11 . The body  11  may be comprised of materials selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, brass, copper, plastic, ceramics, wood, natural materials, synthetic materials, composites and combinations thereof.  
         [0017]     The fittings  12  may extend outward from and below the body  11 . The fittings  12  can secure the body  11  to an object that generally conforms to the fittings  12 . Object shapes that the fittings  12  may be adapted to fit are selected from a group consisting of cylindrical shapes, rectangular shapes, semi-cylindrical, semi-rectangular, and combinations thereof. The fittings  12  may be selected from a group consisting of friction fittings, snap fittings, clip fittings, and combinations thereof. The securing element fittings  12  may be a resilient member that snaps onto the portion of the fishing pole such as a metal or plastic that elastically deforms when pressed onto or removed from the shaft of the fishing pole.  
         [0018]     The line catches  13  may be slots that extend through the width  18  of the body  11  and extend partially downwards from the top  19  of the body  11  to the bottom  20  of the body  11 . The slots may be a narrow opening, a groove, a slit, a gap, and combinations thereof that allow bait rig to securely fit within the slots.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a case  30 , in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the case  30  may comprise a case body  31  having two sides  70 ,  71 , a bottom  73  and a panel  32 . The body  31  may be a rectangular shaped box. The body  11  may have a length  33  in a range from about 4 inches to about 7 inches, a width  34  in a range from about 1 inch to about 3 inches, and a depth  35  in a range from about 1 inch to about 3 inches.  
         [0020]     The body  11  may have ends  36 ,  37  opposite to each other wherein each end,  36  and  37 , may have an indentation  38 . The indentations  38  may be shaped as concave cuts into an edge of the ends  36  and  37 . The indentations  38  may be parabolic shaped segments, open-ended obrounds, and the like. The indentations  38  have a depth  39  in a range from about ¼ inch to about 1 inch and a width  40  in a range from about ¼ inch to about 1 inch. The bottom of the indentations  38  may be a distance  41  from the edges of the ends  36  and  37 . The distance  41  may be in a range from about ½ inch to about ⅞ inch.  
         [0021]     The panel  32  may be generally shaped as a rectangle. Accordingly, the panel  32  may have length and width dimensions similar to the dimensions of the body  11  as to allow the panel  32  to fit over the body  11 . For example, the panel  32  may have a length  41  in a range from about 4 inches to about 7 inches and a width  42  in a range from about 1 inch to about 3 inches. The panel  32  further may have attached a handle  43  for opening and closing the panel  32 , and a panel catch  44  to allow the handle  43  to lock the panel  42  in a closed position (see  FIG. 6 ). The panel  42  may rotate between an open position and a closed position (see  FIG. 6 ) via a hinge  43 . The panel  42  may be further secured by a snap, rubber strap like a bungee cord, hooks and loops fastener (Velcro®) or a strap having a buckle or a clasp.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of a bait rig  50 , in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the bait rig  50  may comprise a main line tie  51 , a bait rig main line  52 , a sinker snap  53 , bait rig hook lines  54 , and hooks  55 . The bait rig  50  configuration previously described is not meant to limit the configuration of bait rigs that may be used in an embodiment of the present invention. Bait rigs having any combination of the types and number of main line ties, sinker snaps, bait rig hook lines, hooks, and float snaps may be used in accordance with devices and methods of the present invention, as described infra. Examples of bait rigs include but are not limited to Hayabusa Sabiki™ rigs, Bleeding Bait™ rigs, Sea Striker™ rigs, and the like.  
         [0023]     The main line tie  51  may facilitate attachment of the bait rig  50  to a fishing pole or fishing pole line. The main line  52  may have a length in a range from about 55 inches to about 60 inches with a line strength in a range from about 12 pounds (lbs) to about 30 lbs. Attached to the main line  52  may be hooks  55  via hook lines  54 . The hook lines  54  may have a length in a range from about 2 inches to about 5 inches. Further, each hook line  54  may be the same length or varying lengths. The sinker snap  53  may facilitate the accommodation of sinkers on the main line  52 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a securing element  10  in use, in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , the securing element  10  may be fitted onto a fishing pole  60 , specifically a fishing pole rod  61 , via the element fittings  12 . The fishing pole  60 , by way of example, may have a bait rig  50  already attached to the fishing pole line  62  via a main line tie  51 . The element  10  can be fitted onto any portion of the rod  61  between an end of the rod (not shown) and a fishing reel (not shown). Moreover, the element  10  may be attached to the pole rod  61  when the fishing pole  60  is ready to be stored with the bait rig  50  still attached.  
         [0025]     With the element  10  attached to the pole rod  61 , the bait rig main line  52  as well as the bait rig hook lines  54  may be wrapped around the body  11 . The lines  52  and  54  may be particularly wrapped around the indentations  16  and settle within the indentations  16  at the vertex of the angle  17 . A chosen length  63  from the end of the line  52  and/or the lines  54  may be selected such that the length  63  is not wrapped around the body  11  but used to secure the bait rig  50  onto the securing element  10 . The line  52  and/or the lines  54  may be secured on the element  10  by the line catches  13 . The line  52  and/or the lines  54  may be pulled into the catches  13  such that line  52  and/or the lines  54  can not accidentally come undone, i.e. are securely fastened. The bait rig  50  of the fishing pole  60  may also be securely attached to the element  10  and both the pole  60  and the rig  50  may be readied for storage.  FIG. 5  depicts an embodiment of a perspective view of a case  30  in use, in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  depicts a second embodiment of a perspective view of the case  30  in use, in accordance with the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , after the securing element  10  has been fitted onto the fishing pole  60  and the bait rig  50  has been secured, both the pole  60  with the rig  50  can be placed into the case  30  for storage. The pole  60  may be placed in the case  30  such that the rod  61  rests in the case indentations  38  and, the securing element  10  and the rig  50  are within the length  41  of each side  36  and  37 , i. e. within the cavity of the case  30 . The hooks  55  of the rig  50  may rest on the side of the securing element  11  or on the bottom of the case  30  without worry of entanglement.  
         [0027]     The panel  32  may then be rotated about the hinge  45  in a direction  46  to close the case  30 . Accordingly, the portion of the fishing pole  60  having the securing element  10  and the bait rig  50  may be safely and securely stored for future use. Use of the devices, the securing element  10  and the case  30 , and the methods described, may allow one to store a bait rig  50  still attached to the fishing pole  60  without entangling the hooks  55 , the bait rig line  52 , and the hook lines  54  with each other.  
         [0028]     The foregoing description of the embodiments of this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.