Patent ID: 7946076

Claim:
A method for virtually hands-free ice fishing using an electronic fishing device having a base, a body, legs, leg mountings for mounting the legs to the body, a spool for reeling lengths of fishing line with a hook the spool being operationally connected with a motor, the motor being connected to a power source through a power switch, a pole assembly, a trigger neck, a trigger actuator comprising two substantially parallel conductive rods in electronic communication with the power source and the motor, comprising: (a) making a hole in ice which is over a body of water, (b) securing the electric fishing device near the hole such that the pole assembly, integrated with the electronic fishing device, is substantially over the center of the hole, (c) baiting the hook (d) unreeling the line with the bait and hook to the desired depth, (e) setting the trigger actuator at the end of the trigger neck, (f) turning the power switch to the on position, (g) waiting for a fish to bite the hook causing a substantially closed circuit through the trigger actuator to activate the motor coupled with the spool in such a way as to set the hook and reel-in the line; (h) providing a means for sensing when said fish reaches proximity with the pole assembly and deactivating said motor by separating the two substantially parallel conductive rods which opens the substantially closed circuit through the trigger acuator.