Patent ID: 7257922

Claim:
A fishing rod support comprising: a) a substantially tubular restriction member comprising a substantially vertical, elongated member having a vertical, longitudinal axis, and a vertical opening from one end of said member, which vertical opening extends substantially along said vertical axis and is configured to receive a rod portion of a fishing rod, which fishing rod comprises an elongated handle section, an elongated rod portion, a reel section, and a reel support portion extending from said rod portion or said handle section to said reel section, and having a rod longitudinal axis extending along said handle section and said rod portion, so that said rod longitudinal axis of said rod portion is substantially perpendicular to said vertical axis of said restriction member and said vertical opening substantially limits rotational movement of said rod portion about said vertical axis; wherein said vertical opening is a substantially tapered opening extending from the upper end of said restriction member and tapering down to a point at a location disposed between the upper and lower ends of the restriction member, said restriction member having at least one guidepost extending perpendicularly from said restriction member; and b) a substantially tubular retaining member, co-axial to, and operatively coupled to the restriction member so that said retaining member slides along said vertical axis of said restriction member, and has a wall section which defines a horizontal opening along the side of said retaining member, said horizontal opening being an opening on one side of said retaining member and disposed at a position between the upper and lower ends of said retaining member, and a slot extending from or near the top of said retaining member to a point between the upper and lower ends of the retaining member, said slot of said retaining member engages the at least one guidepost of said restriction member, and wherein said retaining member is relatively movable between i) a substantially closed position in which said restriction member blocks said horizontal opening and prevents access to said vertical opening through said horizontal opening; and ii) an open position in which said restriction member does not block said horizontal opening, so that access to said vertical opening through said horizontal opening is available, and wherein when said retaining member is in said closed position, an upward vertical movement of said rod portion of said fishing rod along said vertical axis and in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said rod portion, moves said retaining member from said closed position to said open position whereby said rod portion of said fishing rod can be removed from said vertical opening through said horizontal opening and thus removed from said fishing rod support.