Patent ID: 7980021

Claim:
A fishing bait rig for attaching a bait fish to a hook, said bait rig comprising: a wire structure having a first end portion and a second end portion; said first end portion defining a loop; a first resilient band disposed on said first end portion loop for removably attaching the rig to the hook, said first end portion loop having a portion which extends through an interior defined by said first resilient band such that said first resilient band both circumscribes said portion of said first end portion loop and extends through an interior defined by said first end portion loop; said second end portion including a pair of opposing prongs projecting from said first end portion, each of said prongs including a main body prong and an inwardly disposed prong tip; said first end portion generally falls within a first plane and said second end portion generally falls within a second plane; said first plane being generally perpendicular to said second plane; said main prong bodies projecting from said first end portion in a generally diverging configuration; each of said prong tips forming a generally acute angle relative to its corresponding main prong body such that each of said prong tips projects towards the opposing prong tip, such that said prong tips generally form a concavely shaped said second end portion; said prongs configurable between a normally closed configuration wherein said prong tips are substantially adjacent each other and an open configuration wherein said prong tips are spaced from each other; and said prongs biased toward said closed configuration.