Patent ID: 7698851

Claim:
A fishing rod for propelling a bait from said rod, said rod comprising; a. a handle, b. an elongated shaft protruding forward from said handle, c. an elastic member adapted to exert a forwardly directed elastic restoration force in reaction to a rearwardly directed tensioning extensional force exerted on said elastic member, d. an elastic member support for securing said elastic member to said shaft of said rod, e. a bait launcher plate attached to a rearwardly tensionable portion of said elastic member, said bait launcher plate being adapted to exert a forwardly directed force on a bait, and f. a bait launching mechanism attached to said handle of said rod, said bait launching mechanism being adapted to releasably secure said launcher plate with said elastic member in a rearwardly tensioned position relative to said elastic member support and being actuateable to release said launching plate, thereby enabling elastic tension in said elastic member to propel forwards from said handle said bait launcher plate and said bait, said bait launcher plate having extending downwardly from an upper edge of a front edge wall thereof at least a first laterally symmetrically-shaped groove for engaging a protrusion from a bait.